Arrival

I still wait for Tanja and Bilgee. They wanted to be actually yesterday here. Although to me it is absolutely clear that time in this region of the world is relative and there are thousand reasons for delays. Yesterday the Tuwa tried to annoy me while they said; “I have seen Tanja and Bilgee while they have ridden in the direction of Renchinlkhumbe. Ha, ha, ha”, everybody laughed decently and observed me whether this joke signs an emotion in my face. The Tuwa make with pleasure jokes on cost of others. Of course has their joke not touched me. I think of the still frozen over rivers Bilgee and I have crossed days before. Meanwhile, it could be difficult with heavy loaded packhorses and a foal to reach over. “What should happen?”, has asked Tsayaa yesterday. “One never knows what the destiny to one in the wilderness offers”, I answered thoughtfully.

At 13:00 o’clock I hear dog barking. Immediately I jump up. They come. “I am so happy to see you, I love you”, I say and take Tanja in the arms. Moments later I help unloading the horses. “Everything is okay. No problems. It was a good trip. Yesterday, actually, we would already have been here. But there was the big river we could not cross. Because of big grass humps there, it was not possibility to build up our tent, so we had to go back the whole distance. Because the ice has not properly carried any more we used the time the same evening to ride about it without packhorses. We made our horses to kick at the state so long till the ice completely broke. Thus we could see as deeply the water was. Because it tearing and more than 1-metre depth it would be impossible for Tuya to be able to cross it. The poor guy would have been simply torn away. Bilgee planed to hold him next morning in his arms and ride him about the river. This morning thank God the level had sunk. The water reached only up to the belly of the horses. Tuya followed his mummy courageously and came well troughì, reports Tanja. ÑHow is our foal?ì, I ask. ÑHe has diarrhoea. Naraa does not own enough milk. The grass is too bad in these height situations and the night frost. She can not build up strength. So Tuya already starts to eat snow and grass. The problem is simply that he not gets enough mother’s milk and has bitten the nipples of Naraa already sore”. “Humph, hopefully we can solve this problem”, I say thoughtfully while helping unloading the horses.

“You have furnished the tent really nicely Denis.” “I was standing in mud. So I have put the round timbers in the tent”. “I am glad to be with you again”, she smiles. “I am also glad to know you unscratched with me”, I answer very well tempered. “Here we will spend a nice time. It will be a good conclusion of our winter time. Nevertheless, I am glad if we, finally, again on the move. Six months of Tuwa and their hard winter are completely sufficient for me”, I say laughing.