Mongolia Camel Trek
Yes, camels spit! So do llamas and alpacas. They are all related belonging to the Camelid Family but that is another story. Thankfully, in the case of Bactrian camels (two-humped) from the Gobi Desert, spitting is mainly done to the herdsmen when they are pressing the camels to do something they do not feel like doing. Camels prefer to snack freely on the open steppe rather than be hitched to a camel cart to carry a load. Visitors trekking southwest of Ulaan-Bataar in the northern reaches of the Gobi desert, actually a vast steppeland. You don’t have to ride camels all of the time but they are available for two people to ride at a time so we took turns. Equipment is carried on camel carts the same way nomadic herdsmen transport their possessions. The camels are Bactrian and easy to ride. Next time you are trekking in Mongolia, pick the local horse alternative for a smooth ride.
For more on Mongolia, see also:
https://www.heathersimonds.com/blog/mongolian-wrestlers-reach-out
https://www.heathersimonds.com/blog/mongolian-mountain-passes-and-ancient-beliefs
https://www.heathersimonds.com/blog/mongolia-nadaam-games-opening-parade-rain-or-shine
