Leaving the lake

  Kharkhorin, Mongolia
Sunday, May 15, 2005

Great family

Today we had to say goodbye to the White Lake and the great family that hosted us here.  Our lovely hosts were 36 and 31, with 3 kids aged 3, 7 and 10.  I forget their names; they're all so hard to say, and worse to remember.  (And yes, I asked all of the questions in Mongolian with the help of my LP phrasebook, which could be better, but at least broke the ice.)

Crater

We started off at about 9 and went up the volcano (which we'd skipped on the way in because it was pouring rain).  The eruption must've been really powerful - the cone's huge and the lava fields and fallout extend WAY around.  There are lots of caves in the pumice.  One thing I noticed climbing up the volcano were hundreds of tiny ovoos - or just piles of rocks.

Treacherous piles of rocks

They were treacherous!  You REALLY had to watch your foot placement or you'd trip over one.  I almost twisted my ankle a few times.

The jeep made it over!

Dodgy bridge

We crossed back over a super-sketchy (dodgy) bridge leaving the White lake area.  The four of us got out of the jeep this time and walked across - we figured the weight of the jeep'd be more likely to bring the thing down than us individually, and if the driver had to drive across, well, bad luck for him but I wasn't doing it!  The first time across it was darker so I didn't realize just how... barebones the bridge really was until we were on it.  But now I know.  I walked.

One of our group decided to go on to Khovsgol (whereas technically, we were now heading back to UB), so we went to meet someone who would take him further.  We went into the town, there was no one.  And no jeep.  Then the family from the ger arrived by motorbike and after much discussing we drove across a field here, where we're trying to determine what's going on.  We're sitting in the jeep, staring across a river at some gers.  There's no one in sight.

Waiting

Finally, after about half an hour, someone approaches on a horse.  Chris's driver?!  Interesting place this.  This must be the real way things are done in Mongolia, like the little girl passenger a few days ago.  Random contacts and communications and transport.  Or like the two Quebecoise at the UB Guesthouse who were waiting an entire day for their drive to the village they were going to work in...  

So we finally get on our way at about quarter to 12. And Mishka wanted to make up for lost time, so we flew.  We ate lunch at Fairfield (the British place in Tsetserleg), just after we were stopped at a roadblock for the car to be inspected - not for contraband or anything, but just to make sure everything worked on the car.  Sure.

After lunch (at around 4), we drove off to Kharkhorin and joined up with a couple of other groups just arriving from UB today.  We had potato and pasta (and mutton, or course), for dinner.  I drank up my vodka with my juice and during the freezing windstorm that night I had to go out twice!  GAAA!

It was funny, actually.  The family came in and lit the fire, told us to shut the door and then immediately the wind came up.  And what a wind it was!  The bottom of the ger came up to let it in.  Brrrr.  Anyway.  They gave us lots of hot water for tea so we stayed warm on the inside.