Yak Herding and Tea Time.

I had the opportunity to meet with a Yak-herding family on the Mongolian steppe. This experience certainly revealed the hard and austere lifestyle of these nomadic families. Here the owner of the house is carrying fresh milk back to her ger which she will serve  in a steaming bowl of milk tea.

After the milking of the yaks is complete, they are herded off into the pastures again where they will remain until the next morning.

One side of the ger is organized with all the cooking utensils. A  wood stove can be found dead center of the ger.

The nomadic families depend on these long-haired bovines for virtually all of their core needs: milk, shelter and clothing.