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Near BALGAI, MONGOLIA - Mongolians are incredibly hospitable people, ready to give up their bed and welcome strangers into their homes without notice. But there are a few rules that should be followed once inside.

Enter the home clockwise. Don't point your feet towards the door or the altar. Don't touch anyone's head or take their hat. Always ask about the family and their livestock - "Are your sheep fattening up nicely?" - before moving on to general matters.

On Tsagaan Sar, the most important of Mongolian holidays, the number of customs and formalities increase. Thankfully on this trip to the countryside, I, along with another American, a Malay and a German, had Bobby in tow. Bobby runs the UB Guesthouse in Ulanbataar along with her Korean husband, Kim. They met in London, where Bobby, a Mongolian, was studying English. Now they're in business together, giving foreigners a taste of Mongolian life as they move along the Trans-Siberian route.

With winter business scarce and Bobby not able to attend her own family's celebrations (because of a death in the family during the year - another custom) she came along with us as a free translator, guide and all around nice person.

And so, when our hosts offered me a small pink perfume bottle, I knew to take this container with my right hand, unscrew the top, inhale deeply, and then hand it back with my right hand.

When the family patriarch offered the first of several rounds of vodka, I was able to dip my ring finger in the glass, flick it three times toward the sky, sun and the ground, and then down the shot.

Bobby also explained to our hosts why we wouldn't be interested in sheep's back, a block of solid fat that is a New Year's delicacy.

She told us how to eat dried milk candy, a Mongolian specialty that's hard as a rock shaped like a pile of dried white worms. First, suck the mound, then nibble away at the sides. This way, no teeth are broken while ingesting calcium.

Yes, Bobby's presence is most welcome here in the Mongolian countryside. With temperatures reaching -35 at night, we wouldn't want to offend our hosts.