Day Eighteen 15.08.2012 Orkhon Gol

Julie is still unwell this morning as we bid farewell to our campsite and head to Bulgan aimag (province or area.)  The road is quite good…it IS an actual road!...and we move into farming land with crops of barley and wheat almost ready to harvest.  Some fields, laid fallow this year, are ploughed already for the new planting, and grass cutting is underway to lay in feed for the winter.

We come across more roadworks, making ready for the new main road.  The thing about these new roads is that many different companies are contracted to do sections, so if one company does a great job, their road will last, but if another company does a not-so-good job, the consequences are …hmmm!  Sand dunes here, isolated from the Gobi and gold-mining activity is also in evidence.  There are new bridges being built to cross the many rivers, but it’s mainly the winding Selenge as it makes its way to Lake Baikal that flows in the way of the road.

A stop is made at a medicinal natural spring where the water is said to be beneficial to folk with diabetes to collect a container of water for Sandag, who is a diabetic.  A ‘resort’ has been built on land adjoining the spring and appears to be doing good business…an impromptu camping area has also been set up along the perimeter fence of the ‘resort’ in the general area of the spring. 

Still the hills surround the steppe and, due to the close proximity of the forest area, timber buildings are replacing some gers as family homes, although there are still many gers in the area.  It seems that some families have built timber ‘houses’ to live in and use the gers as B & B’s to make a bit of extra money from the tourists.  As we’ve said before, education is a huge expense for families because the children eventually have to go away to school and/or university, to say nothing of the fees required at some schools and all universities.

An “essential” stop along the asphalt road reveals a wildflower field, and on returning to the truck, we are joined by a bumble bee.  Not content with being a photographic model and video star, he bites John on the finger before escaping through the open window!

The agricultura centre of Mongolia

The wildflower field

Finally arrive in the aimag (town) of Bulgan. The weather here is notoriously unpredictable and the storm clouds are gathering but with what intent is unknown.  Camping can be a bit wet and miserable at the Orkhon River site so we are staying at the (in)famous “Fawlty Towers” aka Bulgan Hotel.   Jess has upgraded us to “rooms with shower and toilet.”  We are booked into the ‘Honeymoon Suite,” a room with one bed…that’s one single bed!!  However, unlike our 2009 experience here, the mattress doesn’t hit the floor when you sit on the bed!  The toilet has to be refilled after flushing by lifting the cistern lid and manipulating the mechanisms, the shower is electric, and the water is hot but must be treated with respect.  We feel a little put out because in every other room, when the hot water service is heated, the unit breaks into a rendition of either “Jingle Bells, or “We wish you a Merry Christmas!”….I kid you not!!

'Faulty Towers'

Dragonfly

We give Jess a hand with supply shopping, buy beer for John and stock up on OMO for our laundry…shower gel doesn’t really do such a great job.

Dinner is at a local restaurant – cheap, very tasty and traditional.  Happily, Julie is feeling a bit better tonight…maybe singing in the shower is what’s done it!  We head back to our ’suite’ and have a quick shower…just in case we get a song, but alas!!  We only have one pillow and use our double silk liner so we don’t fall out of bed…Sweet Dreams!!

Steppe eagle

Lunch