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The Faces of Mongolia

ByYvonne

During my trip to Mongolia I’ve learned a lot. About the country, its people and about me. Mongolia is a fascinating country. Different. Wider. Diverse. On some days I thought we’re standing in the Grand Canyon. On other days it felt like walking through Scotland. And then again I was walking through the African steppe. But this all is Mongolia. The faces of mongolia here are proud and in the same time humble. Graceful. Hospitable. They would never leave a stranger out in the cold and will always share the few they have.

When there’s nothing around you. Nothing at all. But silence and nature. When there’s not even a breeze stirring. And you know, nobody could hear you. Then you start whispering. Although you wanna shout. For joy.

Sometimes your feet will carry you further than you thought. And sometimes they stand still, because they want.

There’s nothing better to fall asleep than a crackling fire. Or three little kitten, huddling up against you.

Vodka helps. In many situation. Even when there are wolves.

And sometimes a smile doesn’t show the true face of someone…

small girl and boy looking straight at the camera without smiling

small girl and boy with wind blowing her hair

It’s a hard life for children. The cold, the loneliness, the poverty is not easy to deal with for many families. If the children go to school they are often away from their homes for many months each year. They are living with relatives in the cities or stay at boarding school. Some light into the darkness brings the nomads library, supported by Weltweitwandern. From place to place, from settlement to settlement, from yurt to yurt the library is travelling through whole Mongolia. Stays for some days at one place and then leaves again. Here children can find textbooks, nonfiction, comics and storybooks.

small toddler making a funny fac

What fascinated me most about the Mongolian children, were their faces. Smiling in one second and filled with serious wisdom in the other. No single one ever smiled when I took their picture. Why should they disguise themselves for a picture? These are their faces, just like they are. Honest. Said our guide.

We are used to smile on pictures, to show our “best side”. And even smile when we don’t want to. Instead to allow to see the true, the real face of us.

These are the faces of Mongolia children.

small girl with pigtails smiles at the camera as on of the faces of Mongolia

small boy with large hair on sideways

small girl with her hair blowing in the wind in a orange sweater with flowers

family smiling at the camera while a man smokes a cigarette next to them

small girl smiles at the camera with a house behind her

small boy smiles at the camera with a house behind her

small frowning boy with his horse

Thanks to Weltweitwandern for sending me on this amazing trip.

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Avatar for Yvonne

Hi, ich bin Yvonne. Reisesüchtig. Schuldig im Sinne der Anklage. Sehr wahrscheinlich falle ich gerade irgendwo von einem Kamel, werde von einer Kobra angespuckt oder schleppe mein Gepäck durch einen Fluß im Dschungel. Es könnte allerdings auch gut sein, dass ich gerade im Schlafanzug auf meinem Sofa in Berlin sitze. Gute Mädchen kommen in den Himmel, böse Mädchen kommen überall hin. Überall hört sich irgendwie viel spannender an. Seid travelous und folgt mir!