Technorati Tags: mongolia gers,ger,yurt,mongolia tent,tourist camp,travel mongolia,discover mongolia,cultural stay,home stay mongolia,culture
Both "Girls" and "Gers" have the same sound. When u heard people said The Mongolian Ger is nice – Make sure u clarify whether that’s a Ger or Girl the person are referring? hehehe
What is the Mongolian Ger? Have u seen one? A Mongolian Ger (meaning home in Mongolian) or "Yurt" (in English) is a large white tent which could keep the Mongolians living comfortably from the harsh and extreme weather. U will not see so many gers in other parts of the world except in Mongolia. Many Mongolians still live in the gers and you can find gers around the city easily. It is the symbolic of the Mongolian nomadic life and culture. This is because nomadic people need to build dwellings that could be easily moved and mobile. A ger can be assembled in 1-3hours.
The ger may look flimsy or may not seem to have a solid structure but it could actually withstand strong wind or stand storm in Mongolia. The Ger structure is supported by collapsible wooden frame. The Ger is covered by canvas with insulating layer of felt sandwiched in between.More layer will be added during the winter to keep the ger warm. During the summer, the sides of the Ger can be rolled up and mosquitoes netting is used to stop the bugs from flying into the ger. The door of a Ger usually faces the south. Men usually move around the left and women vice versa, with the believe that the protection from the God of sky (men) and sun (women). There is a small cartwheel-shaped opening at the top of a ger which called toon. It allows smoke to exit and air to enter. The walls and doors are usually brightly painted.
Of course, the Ger is not like a any modern house in the capital or any other brick house where u get modern toilet, kitchen, living room and few bedrooms. The basic facilities of the ger is some low beds, few simple cabinets, a table and chairs and a stove. The stove with a steel chimney is being used for cookiing and keeping the ger warm by burning the firewood. There isn’t any central heat adjuster and the door is the only adjuster of the heat during winter. Some gers don’t even have electricity supply in the country side. There are a lot of tourist camp which offered Ger camp stay. It is certainly a good and unique experience to stay in the ger if u have not experience traditional ancient stay like the nomadic people here.
These are some Ger camp pictures which i have took below. I have experienced it during the summer and winter. I was surprised that it keep us cool during the summer and keep us warm during the winter. The problem during the winter is that u need to wake up during the night to burn the firewood when the wood finished burning, and i can’t shower in the ger or the camp as there was no hot water in some camps and some camps do not have a proper toilet…Thus, be prepared and enjoy the nature living in Mongolia and i think this is one of the best place u can get close to the nature especially during the summer.
