2019-08-25 Day 332 Sun

I was on my second cup of tea, sitting up in bed writing my blog when our first visitor arrived. John went out side to greet her. Shorter than me, wearing an off white felt hat and black button up jacket. John tried to explain our route on the map outside and she knew Mongolia but we don’t think she understood the travel part.

On inviting her in I found it interesting that she struggled with the steps. She sat in my seat and had a cup of tea. John showed her our camp photos, she learned forward to focus on the lap top screen. She seemed quiet amazed. Maybe more at the fact that these pictures were able to be viewed rather than the actual photos. Though we cannot be sure.

We have no shared language but she enjoyed chatting. A soft flowing language easy on the ears.

On her left wrist dangled by it’s loop a black small rectangular bag.

She left with a bow of her head and clasped ”prayer like” hands.. She struggled to get back down the steps.

once out side john had the feeling that we were invited back to her Yurt.

When we left camp we drove over to her Yurt.

The little black dot on the left is her walking back to her yurt. She must of walked about 2 km to visit us.

She was out side and had her black coat removed. She brushed her hands down the side of her long jumper and ran them over her hair making sure she was presentable to visitors.

The yurts canvas cover was off and the skirt Off. She explained that it had got wet in lasts nights rain. Once inside we noticed that the floor covering was also rolled back from the south west edge. 
 

The Yurt was very functional and plain.

She filled a dish with the sour milk biscuits we find unpalatable and lollies.

Then placed a bowl of thickened milk beside them.

I tried the milk and it was OK a bit like yogurt.

Next she lit the fire. Kerosene soaked dung, and small bits of rubber taken from a jar was strategically placed on other dried dung and lit. With a few additions she shortly had the fire roaring.

Putting a large aluminum wok on the hole on top of stove she heated a little water and scrubbed it clean. This “dirty” water went into a bucket.

She added a bucket of fresh milk and some leaves. When very hot she poured into a flask then from the flask poured us all a dish. Tasted like warm milk albeit with a little goatie or sheep flavor.

Next she put another bucket of milk on to heat. When this looked hot enough she poured it into a 200lt plastic drum on top of the stirred curds and whey. It was about one quarter full.

We were unsure if she had a living husband. She indicated him in a photo but there was no evidence within the yurt off another person.

John noticed when she went outside that she was using a monocular to look for her goats. This is what was in the little black bag on her wrist . No goats in sight but she indicated that they were walking from here to there and then she would see them. This again reinforced our thoughts that she was alone. 
 

She indicated by writing in the dirt that she was 80 and that her knees bother her. She wrote some other words to but we could not understand. She has had some education and some of her photos were taken in the city.

We gave her 4 eggs and some tea leaves and took our leave.

Her Yurt being dried after last nights rain.

Near by her well with a small generator for the well pump

Just as we were reentering the track we noticed lots of animals running,, they turned out to be a rather large heard of antelope.

 
The town of Choir had rubbish and recycling bins built into the front fences, and solar and wind streetlights.

I swerved to miss a little snake sunning itself on the wheel track then watched where it slid off too.

I directed John to the little indent but he could not see it. On his return he spied it hiding under some grass.

There are a lot of two humped camels which are wild bactrian but all are branded.

 

Two large trucks carrying very heavy chunks of marble drove past. Have no knowledge of where they came from or where they are going to.

Saw a set of dual wheels that had come off a truck standing silently near the track. 





Later we came upon a wheel bearing in the middle of the track. We wondered when we’d see the truck.

15km later a truck came towards us at speed and flashed his lights to stop us. Yes he was looking for a set of duels… We told him where they were and off he went. He was in a big hurry I hope he recovered the bearing as well.

A beautiful desert sunset

Pulling off the track we made our way behind a hill an past an old herd sleeping spot, tucked away out of the wind, and up on top of the hill for the night. A truck roared past early evening maybe the one that lost his dual wheels? A few more came past. 


At some time in the night I noticed a truck pulling up to camp between us and the road.

206km Camp site  1090m alt.