GT5: Day Relaxing in the Gobi

This camp is the only one that we were staying at for two days, so today was spent just relaxing in the Gobi. We did rock climbing, reading, sleeping and just general exploration!

Our camp.




It got pretty warm at noon, so Emily and Graham built themselves a hovel.


Semi-wild sheep (a man on a motorcycle came to claim them at one point)!


Grawwwww!!!!!!


Birdie!


I found this on one of the rock formations. I guess that goats trip sometimes too!!!


Random animal remains.


A cave Tseegi found.


The bunch of us in the cave.


Me (the speck), on top of a rock formation.

GT4: Weird Stuff Along the Road...

Before leaving our camp, we did some more exploration, as usual. However, this time we found something very impressive!

Yummy!

Then we were on the road again. Since we were low on supplies we headed for a village. Since we were in a village, we looked a round a little and found something very welcome; a bathhouse. I use the term loosely, since the "bathhouse" only has showers, but you get the gist of it. Anyway, although the building was a little run down, the showers worked to perfection. The pressure could be increased manually until it hurt and the water temperature ranged from freezing to scalding. Really nice. To make things even better, so guys were listening to music in their car with the doors open and the speakers pumping. And not only any music, but the last thing I expected to hear in Mongolia; Nightwish! Imagine that, the Finnish metal band got all the way out here!

After resupplying, we headed out once more. our next break was with some desert critters!

Mr. Camel.


Another lizard.

After our break we came to 2 monuments, both dedicated to Mongolian throat singers.

Traditional Mongolian script looks like it's from Lord of the Rings (zoom in on the rock).


Rainbow!




Giant outdoor stage in the middle of nowhere!

After touring these monuments, we headed to our last camp; the large rock formations. Needless to say, they are quite a bit larger than the first ones!!!

Another rainbow at our camp!


Some female wild sheep critters.


Pretty sky...!

GT3: Sand, Ger, Temple and Rocks

After the usual breakfast and tear-down, we went to have some more fun in the sand (as can be seen below!)

Jump!

Insect tracks on the sand.

Lizard!

However, right before we were going to leave, someone on a motorcycle came to our camp and requested our help. One of his oxen had been trapped in the mud for 2 days!!! So, we went to help it out.

The rescue mission!

It was a partial success: Yes, we did get it out of the mud. However, it refused to budge once free, being the stubborn beast that is is!!! After that little adventure, we headed on our way.

Sheep!

Sheep that were in the way!

At one point, our driver suddenly decided to visit a random Mongolian family in their ger. Even though our visit was sudden, to say the least, they were extremely hopitable. They offered us milk tea (which is really only fresh milk with a slight aftertaste of... something...) and random bits of sheep, such as intestines and kidney. The intestines were a little too chewy for me tastes, but the kidney was very good!

Outside the ger.

Inside the ger.

Tseegi with the family.

The family and I.

Our next stop was a burned down Buddhist temple. Although it has long been demolished, people still come to pray, as indicated by the blue ribbons.

Emily on the rocks surrounding the temple.

Finally, we headed a little further and made camp at some small rock formations. The evening was then consumed by exploration, dinner and some more Mongolian card games!

Camp.

GT2: The (Real) Sand Dunes

In the morning, we had breakfast, packed-up the tents and set off. The first placed we stopped at was a river where dozens of cows were grazing. And where one cow used to graze...

No more grazing for you...

But at least the scenery was nice!

After that, we arrived at the sand dunes. Instead of little ones like the last time, this was instead a patch of stereotypical desert. However, there was one thing lacking; the pounding sun and deadly heat. This was actually a very pleasant!

The cow seems pretty content!

The rhubarb as well!

After our initial setup, we went to play in the dunes! Great fun!

Pretty!

Not so good; sand in the eyes...

Fun in the sand!

A rainbow (meant that rain was coming...)

Windy!

Since the weather was unfit for eating outside (first rain, then a little sandstorm), we ate inside a tent. It was... comfy...

After dinner we relaxed by the jeep, and then I explored a little. I even managed to find some wildlife!

Well, not this.... this is a dead horse's skull...

Gazelles!

A cow!

Erm.... me!

We then played a Mongolian card games and then went to sleep in our very, very sandy tents. They got sandy since some of the sand is so fine that it even got into my earbuds (as well as in our ears, hair, noses, etc...)!!!