Aching limbs and heat

In the morning I feel dog-tired. Because of the night shift which has torn me from my usual rhythm I only did sleep few hours. Nevertheless, I welcome the wonderful morning with a smile. Ulzii and Bilgee went away one hour ago to get water from a ger. When they are back again it is already shortly before 12:00 o’clock. We have late breakfast and saddle the horses. Again it goes above long pulled grass hills in the direction of north-east. It becomes more and more tiring and we support Sharga our draught horse at his heavy work. Ulzii and I rise from the saddle and help to pull the carriage up the mountain.
Today the temperature is approx. 35 degrees. It is muggy and storm clouds gather. Even if we are of good things and at the moment everything runs freely of friction it is a strenuous day. By now every muscle and bone of our body hurts. Knees start to hurt because of the unusual position in the saddle. The Mongols ride with quite short stirrups and sit like Jockeys in the saddle. “Behind this hill lies my home“, says Bilgee about a green barrier interpreting. Again we push the carriage. On top of the hill we look in a valley with a little stream. Animal herds of all kind graze in groups in the juicy green. „Looks like paradise“, believes Tanja. Tired and exhausted we reach at 20:00 o’clock the two ger from Bilgee. His ten-year-old son Orgiltenger, (meaning of the name: top of mountain in sky) Orgio and the nine-year-old Sarnai (meaning of the name: rose) already waves to us from far. Friendly we are received from the family. Everybody helps us to build up the tents. „Come to the ger having food“, Bilgees sister Baatar invites us. We follow her friendly request and go to the big ger. Fire crackles in the small stove. We get a Mongolian national food. Tanja who is a relaxed vegetarian fishes the meat out. „Do you help me to eat the rest?“, she asks. „If it must be unconditional“, I answer, because this food corresponds not exactly to my favourite dish. Orgio and his cousin Sarnai jump playfully around. For them our visit is something special. After the meal we get tea. The water for this comes from the little stream of the valley in which many animals relieve themselves and in which the people wash laundry. Thank God the tea water is cooked. Because we are at 1,400-metre height it is important to cook the water long enough for killing germs and bacteria.

Even if it was today again a long day for everybody we should not neglect the awake layers. Up to now we did have too many warnings. I torment myself from the tent to watch from 2:00 o’clock to 4:00 o’clock over our horses. And, nevertheless, it is again a wonderful night I would not experience without this guard.