Today was a welcome surprise. I feel like we're totally cheating with this field work thing. I went two nights without a shower and now we're in a hotel with hot water (I know! A SHOWER!!).
Totally welcome though.
It was suppose to be a 200km drive and it wasn't. I also don't mind. It was maybe 100km and the road was in much better condition. We stopped a few times along the way - once along a river. There was a herd of wild horses chilling out in the river. I got some cool photos, and then sat and watched. They're so beautiful. There were some foals as well.
So cute!
I slept so well last night. I got about 10hours sleep. Amazing!
Last night was more mutton for dinner. I wasn't really hungry anyway so just ate a tiny bit. The cooking ladies hate me for it, I'm sure. They have given me so many dirty looks since then. Nevermind. I bet they'd prefer to throw out a little bit of food than have to clean it up off the floor.
The local kids put on a performance for us. It was great! Traditional dancing and singing. The kids were about 14-16 and most were super keen. I loved it! I filmed it but don't have enough internet to upload right now. I'll make a whole blog on photos and films and stuff when I get back to UB.
The kids are attending a competition in Russia, so we donated a bit of money towards their travel. I gave them 20000tugs, because it was all I had (stuffed in my bra, for 'justin) and was also what most others were giving. It was a lot more than I could afford but it was that or nothing. And these kids have way less opportunities than I ever had, and are so much more remote than I ever was. They deserved it.
It seems such a waste - to write words without being able to show you the photos. The landscape is spectacular, the horses and gazelles are SO cool and the river we saw today was just in the middle of no where!
There was a grass fire last night too. Most of the town was out fighting it. I can't seem to understand the concept of a grass fire in Mongolian steppes. I understand fire, and grass fire, and Mongolia. Even if the fire was anthropogenic, why is it such a bad thing? Gers can be moved withing 30minutes, animals are not fenced in and therefore can be driven away from the fire, and a fire in native grass would encourage fresh, more nutrient rich grass to grow. I guess it just seems funny, for it to be such a big deal - where in a non-nomadic country, there is so much more at risk. In particular, there are highly flammable trees, static homes, animals in paddocks and lots of things in the way to burn.
hmmmmmmmmmmmmm
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