It is getting to cold for Ulzii

We get up only at 8:30 o’clock. Everybody is of good mood. Probably because we will reach today our first stage aim, the city of Mörön. Bilgee cooks to my joy noodle soup with sheep and Dumplings. Tanja and I prepare a big pot of oats with raisins which we eat immediately everybody together. Then I eat two big cups of noodle soup and afterwards Dumplings with jam coated. In addition three cups of milk tea. Completely full I would best creep away in the tent again. Now a little sleep would be good for me. With such a thick belly it is difficult to ride. But, to tell the truth, I prefer this as to starve, I laugh.

Because of our big cooking we only did start at 12:30 o’clock. Again we cross two mountains. Bilgee and Ulzii support our horse Bor again with fastened ropes in the shaft of the horse carriage. In the saddle seated they lead the rope under the thigh and arrest it with the fist and pull. Coming to the Ovoo (home of protective divinities), cold wind blows against us as usual. Today, nevertheless, I do not freeze. Maybe because I have eaten so much, I say to Tanja who protects here self with moving her hood deeper in the face. We look in a gigantic valley. The pastureland looks completely dried and testifies already like the last weeks the strong overgrazing. Behind this mountain there is the city of Mörön, says Ulzii ecstatically. We are amazed, knowing we are already before our stage aim. In a good mood we shoot a few photos of the imposing scenery. Bilgee and Ulzii talk long time standing next to the horse carriage. About what they speak so long?, Tanja is surprised. No notion. Maybe they are also overpowered by the sight, I answer.

On the way in the valley we speak to built up camp a few kilometer before the town. Therefore we can be sure not to be guaranteed by the darkness. From our experience it makes no sense to ride in the late afternoon with horses in a town. Still is not cleared where we find accommodation and how we get feed for our horses. What does Bilgee mean where we should built up our camp in this valley? I ask Ulzii. I have already asked him, however, he does not answer. How he does not answer? , I would like to know surprised. Do not know, I hear the unconventional words from Ulzii. Nevertheless, I hope they did not have argued shortly before the aim, it goes for me by the head. In the course of the last months I have learnt to wait first. It will already be regulated, I consider. However, half an hour later I ask once more. “No water,” answers Bilgee the country before us interpreting.” Nevertheless, Ulzii, you live here. Is there no water before the town?” I ask. “Nevertheless, we can camp behind Mörön on the river”, he recommends. “Behind Mörön? Then we drink the sewage of the town. This is not a good idea. We should camp before the town!”, I suggest. Ulzii reacts with a deep silence. Bilgee stops the horse carriage and searches the valley with his binoculars. In a mountain slope he discovers a glitter. “Water”, he says and gives me his field glasses. “Looks good. Only the question whether it is enough for us?”, I say. “What do you mean? Should we ride to the town or should we camp in the watering place in the mountain slope?”, I understand Bilgee. Ulzii rides for not understandable reason remotely a few hundred meter away from us. “What is he doing?”, asks Tanja. ”He has not said anything, like so often”, I answer my GPS switching on to ascertain the distance to town. Even we are able to recognize from here already the outskirts the GPS indicates ten kilometer. We take the watering place over here, I decide pointing to the mountain slope.

“Where do you ride there?”, asks Ulzii unexpectedly happy riding towards us. “We spend the night in the brook over here”, I tell him and his initial smile disappears again. “Probably he thought we ride even today in the town”, says Tanja. “Then he sees tomorrow his family. This is no problem”, I reply. After reaching camp Ulzii comes up with serious expression up to me “I have just called up my family. My father lies in the hospital, he explains surely glumly”. “What does he have?”, I would like to know. “I do not know. The connection has broken off. I must visit him even today”. “This is okay. However, please come back to hold your night guard”, I answer what he reacts again with lasting silence . Because during our trip Ulzii often seemed to us like a small spoilt boy who always is getting what he just feels like, his silence is not difficult to indicate. After several try Tanja gets a connection with Saraa. „Hello Saraa. We are about ten kilometer before Mörön.“ „Oh, this is nice. Then you come tomorrow?“ „Yes tomorrow we will be there. Do you think we can stay at your place?“ „Maybe. I speak to my husband. We would have to build up a Ger for you.“ „This sounds good“, Tanja answers. When she would still like to ask whether it is possible to get feed for our horses in town, the connection breaks off again. It does not last long till we receive a SMS of her. „Tanja, Denis! Please, this night pay attention especially well to your horses. In the surroundings around Mörön there are many horse thieves!!!“ „I thought we can see it with our night shifts a little more laxly, but under these conditions we must be especially watchful“, I say. Meanwhile Ulzii has had phone contact with one of his brothers again. His father has injured himself with a car accident in the knee. It has swelled. Otherwise he is in good health. „If you visit today your father, come please back again. We need you for the awake layers. You have read the SMS of Saraa. It is very important. It is also not to be handed over your layers on Bilgee. Four hours are after such a hard day too much for one man“, I explain him. „I do not know whether my brother is coming and getting me with his car from here“, he answers. „But if he is coming, come also back please“, I say with a nasty notion feeling.

Because Ulzii is occupied with phoning we come along without him on the search for fire wood. Because we are here close to town it is difficult to find fuel material. With the binoculars Bilgee finds on a hill two horse posts. „Tomorrow we get them. Today we manage with a little bit of wood lying around here and also we have a little wood in the horse carriage“, he suggests.

Happy that we have made it up to our first stage aim we sit around our fireplace and tell ourselves amusing episodes we have experienced together during our trip. Besides, Ulzii tells over and over how coldly it was. On the trip he did mostly say the opposite. Hüjten, hüjten, hüjten“, („Coldly, coldly, coldly“) he repeats my joke on which we keep the bellies before laughter because of my unconventional language. „You mean today he goes visit his father?“, asks Tanja later. „I do not know. He is aware of the urgency of his presence. He will not let us down“, I answer confidently.

After a strong noodle soup with onions prepared by Tanja we go to bed. Because Ulzii has the first layer from 22:00 o’clock to 24:00 o’clock he sits in front of his tent and watches with his flashlight the area.„He makes his job today especially conscientious“, I say glad to Tanja. Just about to slip in our sleeping-bags we hear the engine of a car. „Does it come to us?“ Tanja is surprised. „Seems like Ulzii`s brother is here to bring him to town.“ I think. The car hardly holds in our camp Ulzii comes to our tent and calls me. „What is Ulzii?“ „My brother is here. Now I go to town“. „Is okay. When do you come again?“ „I do not come again.“ „What? And what is with your awake layer?“ „Bilgee takes it over for me.“ „ Ulzii, we have told you a double awake layer is to long.“ This is not fair compared with Bilgee. Today he had a hard day with the horse carriages and two mountains.“ „I also had a hard day“. „You know that especially today the awake layer is important. You have read Saraas SMS. You must come back.“ „I do not come back. Except you pay the taxi to me.“ „The taxi? If you go then you must also come again from own strength. Nevertheless, your father is not dying. He has a swollen knee.“ „Denis, Denis, Denis. You have said I can go.“ „Yes. However, we have also said that you must come back again.“ „I do not come again.“ „Ulzii, we need you.“ „Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!“, frightens us his annoyed sudden swearing. „My trip is here finished. This is a much bigger problem for you. I do not come with you to Tsagaan Nuur. For me it gets a lot to cold“, he says, turns round and rises to his brother in the car. Shaking from cold I sit there and have to digest what Ulzii just has hit us around the ears. Because we have treated him during the whole time like a brother we can not understand his behaviour. It’s hard on me. I was thinking we are a team. I thought one for everybody, everybody for one. But I was thinking wrong. Ulzii has seen the hometown and has properly run away. Psychically understandably, humanely, however, a disaster. „We create it also without him“, believes Tanja confidently. „If Bilgee is not going as well away.“ „This is not his kind.“ Believes Tanja again confidently. „Think you are right.“ „We should split the awake layer among ourselves“, Tanja suggests.„ Yes, we should“, I say still shaking before cold. Before Ulzii has insulted us and has left it was still really warm to me. Now, however, I feel as I would be one single icicle. Quite interesting as the psyche can influence the physical feeling.

„I go out and explain Bilgee that we share the awake layers between us“, Tanja suggests and slips in the cold. Because I still have to write something I take over the time from 21:00 to 00:30 o’clock. Tanja from 00:30 o’clock to 3:20 o’clock. Bilgee from 3:20 o’clock to 6:00 o’clock. From 6:00 no thief may simply show up.