We were keen to get here today so that we could have a chat with Ben and Tom on Skype to wish Tom good luck with his Graduation ceremony today. We are really sorry we missed it!
With no time for lunch Graham was getting pretty peckish (and silly) by the time we arrived at the outskirts of the city and so decided to stop for a bite! Not for the first time I asked myself how I ended up with him!
We had read about bath houses that they have in the Mongolian towns, for use by anyone who does not have facilities. For 40p you can have a hot shower, just what we needed! We have obviously washed in between using water heated in the fire, stove or solar shower, had banyas, but have only had two proper showers since entering Russia in Pskov!! When we got there they told us it was closed …. Oh no! Next stop hotel to ask if we could use theirs. They said no water until 6.00pm. The Gobi is obviously short of it.
We headed out to the river and got the pot out to heat the river water and got busy with the washing. Graham was too impatient and decided to get in the river. It was so cold it made his head hurt. Stupid boy!
Through the afternoon people came down to the river to wash their cars, bathe or drive their cars across (not sure why). Some got stuck, and so we had something to look at as we drank our tea and read the guidebooks, planning our next move.
Again this spot is only just outside the town.
Tomorrow we will stay in this valley, but head upstream where the river is not split. A days fishing and relaxing is planned ….. no driving.
troopytracks 