The Gobi Desert covers the central and southern part of the country.  There are both sand dunes and semi-arid steppe with plains.

As nomads, the people live in tents called “Gers.”  A typical family moves six times a year moving their animals to different grazing lands depending on the season.  With the exception of one night, we stayed in Ger Camps.  The Gers are identical to the ones lived in by the nomads.  The typical Ger has a wood burning stove for when it gets cold.

We visited several Nomadic families during the course of the trip, and were clear to observe the customs.  When entering a Ger through a small door, we had to be careful not to bump our heads or trip.   It is thought to bring bad luck to the family.  Upon entering we had to turn to the left .  We were always offered food and drink by the families which we were obligated to, at least taste.  So, we tried  dried curd cheese, cookies, milk tea, and one family gave us fermented camel milk - an acquired taste similar to liquid yogurt.