Batzaya

Une expérience hors du temps. La famille et leurs amis sont gentils, curieux, malgré la barrière de la langue. J’ai pu ramener leur troupeaux à cheval au couché du soleil. Des souvenirs qui resteront gravés à jamais

My five days with Batzaya and his family became one of the most unforgettable experiences of my journey through Mongolia. They welcomed me not simply as a guest, but into their everyday life. We ate meals together, and I had the chance to help feed the pigs, herd the cows and horses, and even try milking a cow. Through these experiences, I was able to see and feel a way of life that I could never have experienced through ordinary sightseeing. What touched me most, however, was the kindness of Batzaya and his family. Even though it was summer, the nights were much colder than I expected. When they realized that I did not have a warm enough jacket, the whole family took me into Erdenet to look for one. The supermarket was unfortunately closed, but they still helped me stop at another shop because I also needed to buy some skincare products. In the end, Batzaya lent me his own jacket, which I wore until my last day. The day before I left, they prepared a whole sheep as a gesture of welcome and shared various traditional dishes with me. I was also warmly welcomed not only by Batzaya's family, but by their friends and other families living nearby. I will always be grateful for how generously everyone included me in their lives. I do not speak Mongolian, so communication was sometimes difficult, and I am sure I made them worry about me at times. But even without sharing the same language, I could always feel how much they cared about me. One of my strongest memories is from the evening before my last day. Batzaya took me on his motorbike to a place away from their ger to show me the sunset and the surrounding landscape. I still remember the view over his shoulder, the sound of the motorbike, the smell of the air, and the vast Mongolian landscape around us. If you want more than sightseeing and truly want to experience Mongolia through the everyday life and warmth of a nomadic family, I cannot recommend Batzaya and his family enough. Thank you, Batzaya and everyone, for giving me memories that I will carry with me for a very long time. Next time, I promise I will come back knowing a little more Mongolian!