INNER MONGOLIAN AUTONOMOUS REGION, CHINA

SUMMER CULTURE CAMP IN HEI SHAN TOU, EAST OF HAILAR

Shamineau East Camp

Several Mongolian herdsman live full time at the camp to care for the animals. The camp has herds of camels and Mongolian horses and sheep. The way these guys jump on and off of their horses is a wonder. You can tell they were raised in the saddle and know their animals completely.

This camel's name is Crank.  He is the one we rode most often.  Every time he went down to receive a rider and every time he stood up he moaned and groaned. As he walked around the arena he complained.  But he is gentle and does not spit.  We hung around the camels alot and never saw any of them spit.

The sky was so breathtaking every day. This is the dirt road connecting the stables with the yurts in the living area and the main lodge.  We walked this road many times every day, giving thanks to be in such a beautiful area for a rest and to do good work.

Our student's service project for the camp was to transplant 200 evergreen seedlings from the forest floor to the "TIS Kindergarten", as it was named, up in the sun where they would have more room and a better chance to grow.  In about three years they will be big enough to transplant around the camp property.

Asalan lives in a yurt next to the stables with his two young sheep.  They actually live in the yurt with him!  I caught this one eating a package of noodles off the shelf.

Crank's hump rests on your right thigh as you ride.  It is heavy and hot and prickly.  When a camel is young if it does not receive proper nutrition its hump will flop over, and there it will stay the rest of its life.

Eli and Rick take a spin around the new arena.  Crank needs a little coaxing to stand up every time.

This photo is just in case you ever wondered what camel feet looked like.

The camels and horses each have their own yurt, but theirs is made of bricks, not fabric like ours.

The first time I looked into the camel yurt I felt like I was looking into another world.  The air was still and cool and the light was dim, turning the color of the animals a sort of deathly gray.  They looked towards the opened door with quiet and peaceful faces.

The sun rises at 3:AM here at the top of the world, and the camels are let out to graze along the river at 4:30 every morning.  They have 40 acres to roam.  They come back about noon to rest in their yurt.  They go out again at 4:00 until about 8:00 in the evening.  The white one is a baby, and she is still in the process of shedding her winter coat.  Camel hair is highly prized here and is hand spun on a wooden thingy into yarn.

This camel was the only one wearing bells, which made me wonder if she was prone to wander.

I bought 2 jin of camel fur for my classroom.  They will mail it to me next time they are in Hailar, where the closest post office is.  I expect it to be about enough to pack full a large zip lock bag.

Ji Yua found her calling with this particular camel, who fell in love with her.  John had never seen his camel do anything like this before, and laughed the whole time he videotaped her, saying his wife would never believe this.  Ji Yua pet him gently while he nuzzled her neck and wiped his slobber on her shirt.  When she had gently stroked his head and ears and neck for awhile, he gave a blissful sigh of contentment and lay over on her leg! 

This two year old female was let to graze on the grass just outside our yurts every day.  She looks emaciated because she is pregnant.  When a camel is pregnant their young take every bit of stored nutrition, starting with the humps, which shrink down to almost nothing.

The camels love their salt lick.  This one dissolved a little the night before in the rain.

Big Camel Kiss !

So there, now you've had your camel lesson for the day.                                Take care,       Melinda in china 08