Don't call it a yurt.

Seriously, folks get fussy if you do.  In Mongolia - it's a ger (yes it sounds a bit like you are growling).  The traditional Mongolian home can be found in the city and out in the country.   There are a lot of traditions and things to be aware of when staying or entering into a ger.

A few of the rules:

1. Always enter head first (or duck your head all the way in before you step in)
2. Only touch the door handle - don't touch the door jam or any part of the door
3. Never step on the threshold
4. And perhaps the cardinal rule:  In or Out - no hovering in the doorway. 

Once you enter, you have to move clockwise around the ger - no matter what size it is or how many people you have to step over - it's very bad form to go the other way.  If you are offered something it is incredibly impolite not to accept.  Even if it's something that you'd rather not have (horse meat tops my list). 

Here we are having some dinner with our hosts.  Salami (I'm going to assume no horse was included), bread, cheese, and some soup cooked over the fire - I have strong suspicions that here I may not have been so lucky on the horse meat front. 

 

My bed.  I have to say - surprisingly comfortable.  While it actually felt quite a lot like camping, I would take the bed over a camp pad any day.

I also think you can start to see all the decoration.   the boards that hold up the top of the tent are painted just as intricately as the bed.  It does make it quite cozy.

Perhaps the most important element - the stove.  It is amazing how much heat this thing puts out.  Which I was very grateful for, because it was particularly cold (around 22 degrees) that weekend.  But don't let the fire go out - it gets cold very quickly.  Although probably not as cold as my trip outside in the middle of the night.  Trust me, be very very thankful for indoor plumbing - especially when there is a strong, cold wind.

Another view inside the ger (taken from my bed).  You can see that it's not very big.  Think about this - entire families live in this much space.  That seems like a lot of family togetherness to me.

We were quite messy the night we stayed, but I have to imagine that keeping things tidy would be key to living there long term.

You can't really see from any of these pictures, but the ger itself has a wood interior structure and felt insulation - all covered by a tent-like cloth on top.  What I couldn't get over was that this is the shelter that a majority of Mongolians brave the winter in.  I complained when the fire when out at positive 20, I don't think I can imagine what it would be at negative 55. 

This is the outside of the ger we stayed in at Hustai National Park as part of a tourist camp.  There are a number of tourist camps throughout Mongolia where folks like me can go and experience a night without staying with a family.  I know quite a few folks who have stayed with families but think given all the rules - and the amount of space -  we wisely decided to stay in the camp.