I’m up at 5:30 with the dawn. From my window I can see beautiful light and a bit of a sunrise. Quickly dressing, I grab my camera and climb up the mountain side for a peaceful view. The sunlight is starting to light up the lowlands and the purple flowers perk up. Cattle graze and the sound of sheep baa’ing comes across the river. A calf is laying in long grass and I can just see his head poke up inquisitively when I walk by. Wandering along the river I find Esaa’s horse tethered in a field. He’s a mix of Arab and Mongolian so taller and less of a winter coat than the Taiga horses we were riding.
Unuruu cooks us our last homemade breakfast and we’re spoiled with fresh fruit, eggs, sausage and toast. Despite eating a massive dinner late last night, I find that I’m famished and have second helpings. The fresh air seems to bring on the appetite. We help with the washing up, load up our bags into the Gray Beast and head to the deer stones a short drive away.
The deer stones are carved rock depicting deer with flowing antlers and elongated snouts. We walk around the site and I break off to get a closer look at a herd of horses before it’s time to climb back aboard the Beast. We return to pavement and will have a big drive of 330 km today as we head towards our final destination, Ulaanbaatar.
We have a quick stop in Murun to buy a replacement camp stove at the supermarket. John and I are approached by a local man who unwraps a silk pouch containing his silver snuff bottle and offers it to us. John takes a small snort of it but I just smell it appreciatively before handing it back. He introduces us to his wife and daughter who are standing nearby.
Outside the supermarket there’s a little girl holding a doll watching John and I. I wave and say hi and she clutches her dad’s hand but keeps watching us closely. He encourages her to wave back and she slowly reaches out her hand in front her, closing and opening her fingers slowly. We wave back and continue to say hi but she’s still shy.
Back on the road the time flies by as I edit my photos from the last six days. Padraig had mentioned yesterday that he had ear amplifiers in his bag and my question was,
“Wait a minute. We’ve been yelling at you so you can hear us for the last two weeks and now you tell me you have hearing aids with you?!! Why the hell are you not wearing them??”
Padraig’s reply, “They just amplify, they aren’t hearing aids. I’ll put them in tomorrow.”
Sigh…..
We stop for lunch at an idyllic place along the river. There are beautiful views from a nearby hilltop that John, Padraig and I climb. The lush green landscape stretching out before us is what I think the Serengeti would look like. A herd of horses is standing in the shallows of the river trying to keep cool in the 30 degree heat. I decide that looks like a good idea and the three of us make our way down the mountain and to the river. Padraig and I remove our boots and socks and enter the shallows. The glare coming off Padraig’s lily white legs is blinding and I hold my hands up to my eyes in attempt to shade them.
“Jesus Padraig! Your legs are burning my retinas! First your bare ass and now this!”
Padraig replies that he thinks he has beautiful legs and then goes on to list all of his most admirable traits with John’s assistance which include – a full head of hair, teeth intact, beautiful beard, musically inclined, creative, intelligent and monetarily sound to name a few.
Back on the road and after a few hours we reach Bulgan, our stop for the night. No camping tonight as we’re staying in a hotel for our last night. I’m a bit disappointed about the hotel despite the hot shower and flush toilet. I would’ve preferred to have a last night camping out in the country but perhaps it’s not an option. The hotel option also gives Unuruu and Ganbaa a bit of a break of setting up camp and cooking.
Unuruu has arranged for us to go out for dinner at a local restaurant. She’s pre-ordered for the table and we have chicken and beef skewers, two different salads, a spicy lamb dish and a mutton dish topped with cheese. We gorge ourselves until we can’t fit any more in our bellies. I need a walk to try to digest my 20 lb food baby and Padraig, John and I head to the local park. Locals are playing basketball, roller skating and biking in the main square. We’re treated to the best sunset of the trip. I can see the bright pink and purple sky through the buildings. The street is strung with white twinkle lights spanning the width of the road and the colourful sunset shines through. A group of four young boys ride horses bareback down the street past us and we give them a wave.
This is the first time I’ve had access to wifi since leaving Ulaanbaatar and I check in with family and friends, sending a few photos. Despite the early walk-up call I can’t get to sleep. It’s not excitement about going home so not sure why my brain is churning but midnight comes and goes and I still lay awake.
