Leaving Choibalsan

Choibalsan City!

I love the countryside. It never ceases to amaze me. It keeps you on yer toes. During my time in the Peace Corps here, I found a full porcupine back (the skin and quills) stuck into a window in my apartment. I was walking out of my friends apartment where I’m currently staying and I noticed a patch of porcupine quills above the door. My friends say that it protects them from evil. I asked around and many of my Mongolian friends have porcupine quills. It’s actually quite normal to have a few quills wrapped in red string in a safe place in your house. This is also a protectorate. I have no idea when this started, or who decided that the porcupine was special, so if you can fill in the gaps, please do. I run into these religious (Buddhist, Shamanistic) or traditional trinkets all over the place. While staying at my friend’s house I was asked to circle burning incense around my body 3 times. This incense was blessed by the Lamas and is supposed to keep my body healthy. Let’s hope it works!
I’m pretty excited to go back to the city for a few days so that I can eat something other than salt, mutton, and flour. I'm gonna miss everyone here. I promised to come back in the spring or summer to visit again. Soon I'm off to the western part of the country, Hovd Aimag.
Some Choibalsan pics for you to enjoy!

The sun coming up over the steppe in ChoibalsanThe main drag

Breakfast: Mutton bones, boov, and milk teaThe view from Bayaraa's window