Mongolia, pt. 2

I started my adventure in Mongolia in Karakorum, which is a 10-hour drive, on dirt roads, from the capital city, Ulaanbaatar. We spent two weeks living with a family of herders in a ger (similar to a yurt.) During this time, our group ventured out on horseback to get a closer look at the Mongolian steppes, as well as meet other herding families. The scenery was breathtaking, the food was bizarre and the horses...well, they were a little difficult. Let's just say, we spent a day catching them before we road them. I named my horse El Diablo and I'm thankful he didn't kill me.

Gers. 2012. Karakorum, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Sukbat. 2012. Karakorum, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Hov the Horseman. 2012. Orkhon Khürkhree, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Tour Bus. 2012. Karakorum, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Milking Yaks. 2012. Karakorum, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Curious Yaks. 2012. Karakorum, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Kids and livestock. 2012. Karakorum, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Land to graze. 2012. Karakorum, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Catching wild horses. 2012. Karakorum, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Tsendbaatar and sister Khatantuul. 2012. Karakorum, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Tsendbaatar herding. 2012. Karakorum, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Cooking goat and cleaning sheep. 2012. Karakorum, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Mongolian wrestling or Bökh. 2012. Karakorum, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Night and Day. 2012. Karakorum, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Guest bath. 2012. Karakorum, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Welcoming committee. 2012. Orkhon Khürkhree, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Western Mongolia, pt. 1

Mongolia. Where do I even start? My month spent in the land of Genghis Khan was unreal — horse trekking, milk drinking, meat eating and lots and lots of photo taking. The landscapes were unbelievable and the people were as hospitable as described in each travel book I read. I traveled to Mongolia with Rustic Pathways, the same group that sent me to Costa Rica last summer. Like last year, I was hired to help the company with images for marketing, as well as assist high school students as they traveled. This year I was also invited to lead an Advanced Photography Workshop with high school photographers. For this two-week workshop, we traveled to Western Mongolia to the Khovd Province, which is where most of the country's Kazakhs live.

During our stay, we're were lucky enough to catch a Naadam celebration taking place in the village where we were living. A Naadam is a festival of sport. It celebrates the country's long-time love of wrestling, horse racing and archery. Here are a few images from my time in Khovd Province.

Naadam Horse Race. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Naadam Celebration. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

A Dinner for Honored Guests. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Making Fleece. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Village Life. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Family Photos. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography.

Naadam Horse Race. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Village Life. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Naadam Horse Race. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Naadam. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography