Official's Ger

Mutton hanging from ger rafters

Day 2. Left camp at 10:20. Made camp at 4:30. Stopped an hour to repack the packhorse. This will be a recurring problem. Also, I fell off my horse when trying to mount. The cinches were loose.

I woke at 7 and made fire. Not easy to even light the candle in the wind. I made noodles with dried meat, which we will eat often.

I had to stop to retie my sleeping bag on my saddle. Rule: when you are sure you have tied your knots as tiight as possible, tighten them some more.

The official rode out to meet us as Bamba retied the baggage. Nearby was a river where we watered the horses, then we rode to the official's ger, where he lived with his wife and two daughters. M mused how they would ever find husbands in such a remote location.

This official logged the passing of people headed north along this route. We signed in, ate bread and curds, fotoed all we wanted and rode on.

Today I rode with my camera sitting in my chest harness. This worked well.

Three of the horses all got that bouncy, jerky head movement during today's ride. I wonder what causes that. It's annoying.

Yesterday I finished mending the tent bag. It was severely torn by the frightened pack horse the second day out of Khatgal.

Horse bite! I held the pack horse steady as B. and E. readied the baggage. I talked to her the whole while, more to ease my tension than hers. All was going fine until the end, when she suddenly turned her head and nipped my inner thigh. But no skin broken.

I show the map to B. As the crow flies today's distance looks much shorter than that of yesterday. But E. says we made about 30 km today.