Still
very smoky atmosphere visibility very poor this morning. We decided
to drive the rest of the white instead of returning to the main road.
I
walked out ahead. One car came past and stopped to ask me, If I was
OK?, What the hell was I doing out there walking? Did I want a lift?
Not really sure but convicted him I was fine and he drove on.
I
wonder what it is like here in spring with all the green crops
growing. Must have a very different feel to it.
The
villages are much the same here just a little bigger, but they all
have new solar hot water on their roofs must have been a government
initiative, as some of these villages and houses do not look like they
could afford them. Also there are quite a few very new tractors
around in most of the villages.
It
is easy for us to loose our way in these small towns as our map does
not have all the roads and sometimes the ones we want do not exist.Kids out playing
A clothes.
This
graveyard has been used for many a year.
This
lad on the bike was having fun on the ice he was me take his photo
then followed and past us as we made our way through his village.
Collecting
Fire “dung bricks”
Mixing
concrete
We
stopped to have soup for lunch. Here there are less rocks and the
paddocks much bigger. I use the term paddock loosly as there appears
to be no division between one piece of land and another, no fences of
any kind.
We
had not made many km’s today , a late start a slow road and a stop
for lunch and of course it is dark by 17:00, so short days.
Although barren the landscape is quiet fascinating.
We
were heading up another small white road to a pass at 2500m. Just
outside a village we passed a herd of sheep and the dog started
barking at us and ran in front of the vehicle so I just kept going
slowly. Around the corner the herder signaled for us to stop and he
grabbed his dog. He struggled to control his dog and we laughed. We
were invited back for chai but indicated we needed to get going. He
then told us road was closed. We said we’d go and have a look then
return. Well
our road turned onto a small, and unused but one set of tire tracks,
track. Up I drove. Some small slips creating tight spaces and one
very icy corner, a tractors wheels prints joined the road and I felt
a little easier. but we made it to the top, perching on a small
hillock with excellent views and internet.
I
got up at 02:00 to pump some hot water into the tanks but was too late
the outlet hose from tank was already frozen.
94km Camp site 2534m alt.
94km Camp site 2534m alt.