We had a super night's sleep in our new ger and luckily it didn't leak as when we awoke a howling gale was blowing across the steppe and wet snow/sleet was falling! We'd read in advance how "exchangeable" to quote Oogii the weather is in Mongolia so we were prepared with thermal layers, woolly hats and gloves but we hadn't brought umbrellas which was a mistake. Never mind, the new ger was also closer to the restaurant so we scuttled along for breakfast.
We're now heading south across the Gobi steppes and I have no idea how Sotto and Bridget manage to navigate across the land as there are no discernible roads. As you can see there was a considerable layer of snow settling on higher ground.
Our first activity this morning is visiting a nomad family, but not these ones.
We seemed to be just driving around aimlessly when suddenly a truck appeared and we followed it for 10 mins or so to arrive at the winter camp of this family whose names I never did catch. First to greet us were father and son.
I don't know what I expected him to look like but it certainly wasn't as handsome as he is.
His daughter was an absolute cutie - and she knew it!
Through Pudu, I asked if the lady would mind me taking her photo, she agreed but explained she didn't like too many being taken.
We were then taken to watch her milk a cow and her calf was brought out too as the sight, sound, or touch of the calf triggers the release of oxytocin, a hormone that causes milk letdown.
It wasn't best pleased to be pulled away as soon as the milk started to flow. One of our group took up the offer to milk the cow, although you can only just see an extra pair of hands behind Oogii. She was one of the two ladies from Dudley and was always immaculately made up and very girly so I was really surprised she wanted to get her hands and clothes soiled.
But she clearly didn't have the knack and the lady nomad had to take over.
Finally the calf was allowed back in to finish its meal.
I don't recall this chap arriving but what a smashing character!
All 14 of us (including the drivers) then trooped back into the ger and watched whilst a type of fried bread was cooked
Before a large pot of boiled milk was produced and we shown how kaymak (a creamy dairy food) is made by simmering and cooling milk slowly to collect the dense layer of cream on top.
We were all given some bread to try and it was delicious, of course I declined the cream but Pudu couldn't get enough of it - he was practically drooling waiting for his turn and happily had seconds!
She then popped a new dried cow dung patty into the stove and heated up the milk once more.
The little girl had her own cuttings gallery and was very proud of it.
Someone in the group had bought a glove puppet for the girl which amused her for a few moments. I suppose it was better than sweets but somehow not appropriate I felt as the other children (two older boys) got nothing.
I asked Oogii how they found nomad families like this who are prepared to let tourists into their camp and he said usually through the drivers who, I suppose, stop from time to time and ask directions and generally just get chatting. Despite the intrusion it must be a good revenue stream for them though.
Having spent around 1 hour there we drove on and the weather cleared up a little.
This is a Corsac fox and it was quite a way away from us so not the best of shots. Corsac foxes live across the vast steppes often taking over underground burrows dug by other animals like marmots. They hunt rodents, birds, reptiles, and large amounts of insects, especially beetles. Mongolia also has the larger red fox which tend to live on higher ground, although their territories do overlap.
The itinerary said we were due to stop at the Smoke and Steppe Restaurant for lunch along the way as though it was a famous name we should have heard of. We hadn't a clue but it was actually a couple of shipping containers plonked down miles from anywhere.
As usual everyone made a beeline to the loo.
A few more photos on the way to Ongi. Plenty of sheep and goats around.
Google tells me this is an ancient deer stone (a tall, weathered stone pillar carved with stylized leaping deer and other symbols) standing upright in the vast, green Mongolian steppe under a cloudy sky – well it definitely got that last bit right, so on the basis I don't actually remember I’ll add the rest of its description: Deer Stones are megalithic stone pillars carved by Bronze Age nomadic tribes, built roughly 3,000 to 4,000 years ago (between 1200 and 600 BCE) and found mostly across Mongolia and parts of southern Siberia. They appear to serve as sacred ritual monuments, memorials for great leaders, or parts of ancient burial complexes.
Stupendous scenery!
Finally we arrived at the Secret of Ongi Camp which is one of many in the Ongi Valley and without a doubt the worst we've camp we’ve come across so far.
You can't see it from this photo but the wooden door is actually rotten and in fact the two ladies, who were in the next tent, managed to pull theirs off its hinges. I'd read that extra blankets were provided on request so when our suitcases arrived I ask for them for all of us and everyone was very happy to have them.
Inside it's not too bad at all and acceptably clean. The only downside is we don't have a loo and will have to go to the main area which luckily is only a couple of minutes walk so actually not too bad.
I love the sophistication!
The whole set up is very strange, it seems to be run by children and reminds me of a 1970s holiday camp. Dinner was a bit of a rugby scrum basically; the food was served buffet style and kept running out so it was a bit of a lottery whether you found something edible. After dinner a costume show was put on but we didn't stay long as we didn't have a particularly good view (if we could have stayed where we ate dinner it'd have been perfect but we got shooed away).
Our ger was at the end of the row and so Ian decided he'd simply go outside the tent if necessary.