Marvellous Mongolia: Tsagaan Suvarga

Today we only have a 4 hour drive to our next camp and will be there in time for lunch. Consequently we aren't making any stops so there'll only be a few snaps as we drive along.

This ceremonial city gate welcomes travellers to Dalanzadgad, the capital of the South Gobi Province where we stopped to get petrol and also visit another supermarket for essentials snacks.

Sometimes we pass little ger camps.

But often there's absolutely nothing but the horizon.

Or a few curious camels.

Absolutely in the middle of nowhere we came across this futuristic looking building which is our home for tonight. Obviously it's been designed to blend into the landscape and it certainly does, you're almost on top of it before you notice the buildings. The only downside is that the original buildings were built without bathrooms (there is a new wing under construction which will have ensuites).

Inside the communal area was a huge wall map and I've added the bits in blue to give you an idea of where we are.

There were some female plasterers working on the outside of some of the buildings, I think there had been a sandstorm which had damaged the external rendering. I love the blob this stuff has made.

Unfortunately this poor bird isn't a Lammergeier but a Eurasian Black Vulture

Our rooms are in little blocks of 3 and only a few minute's walk from the main facilities.

This is the view from our terrace and obviously it's not considered worth providing patio furniture so we can sit and enjoy it. I'm going to try for some astro photography tonight as there should be virtually no light pollution.

I've already decided that I won't bother with a shower tomorrow morning which is just as well as we will be leaving at 07:30 so I would have had to chose between food and washing!

From the communal area I noticed this sculpture and so after lunch persuaded Ian to walk out to it with me.

It is called "Consciousness" and was created by Mongolian artist Orchirbold Ayurzana and won the public choice prize in the 2019 NordArt contemporary art festival.

Another Toad-headed Agama

Whilst we were out at the sculpture I noticed a large herd of camel approaching. I haven't really got any good shots yet so while Ian went in for a rest, I headed out towards the string. It's a lot further than it looks and I had to go at an angle otherwise by the time I'd reached them they would have passed by.

Unfortunately they're not looking at their best as they're in the midst of their annual moult. The shedding process which begins in Spring takes around 6-8 weeks and an adult can shed up to 5 lbs of hair each year in ragged clumps leaving it looking patchy and bald in certain areas before the lighter summer coat takes over.

I was very mindful to not turn my back on them or to get too close as I have no idea how they might behave towards me and I had no wish to get trampled should they not want me near.

Looking back at the camp, it took about 20 mins to reach it.

I haven't been able to reliably identify this beetle but it's likely to be of the darkling beetle family which are known for living in arid environments. They have prominent legs for navigating sandy soil and have a habit of "playing dead" when disturbed.

This sculpture is just outside the restaurant.

The primary reason for staying at this hotel is that it's only about 5kms to Tsagaan Survarga a remarkably colourful sedimentary limestone formation 30-60m high and 400m long which was once the ocean bed. It gets its name White Stupa as the shapes resemble the Buddhist structures.

Around 15:30 we drove out to it and the light was lovely on the rocks.