In England you get a sense of impatient anticipation when you get off the motor way and start driving along narrow/ twisty village roads close to your destination. There was none of that here. When we were close to the ranch we simply pulled off the single road we had been on for the last 5 3/4 hours and drove along a dirt track over the hill to the gers in the next valley. We were in the centre of the world and quite literally in the middle of nowhere! It was just our gers, the mountains and roughly 400 horse; I was in heaven.
Our welcoming party was out in full force including the very friendly hunting dogs. We had a snack in the trainers ger, I was a bit suspicious of food after the mare’s milk, which consisted of a square doughnut and dried milk curd; which tasted like dried goats’ cheese.
Gers are cylindrical huts with a squat cone roof. The walls are insulated with wool creating a cosy atmosphere and the front door is always south facing, ornate and brightly coloured. Inside are intricately patterned orange and blue beams which fan across the ceiling and terminate in the centre leaving a hole in the roof which can be covered by an elegant tapestry. Opposite the door is the most sacred part of the ger. In the trainers ger an elaborate gold coloured chest of draws sits here. On top of the chest of draws is a shrine containing photos of all the champion horses and his family as well as a beautiful incredibly detailed box of incense. Hanging above the chest are the numerous medals that the trainer has won.
On the west side of the ger is a single bed and on the east, a sofa which doubles up as a bed. in the centre is a table about 0.5m tall which we sat around on stools to eat. Each ger is set up this way.
We then drove on over the next hill to the ger and house we would be staying in; there were two beds in each, so we would have to split up. Dinner was provided back at the trainers ger; again a broth with shredded beef, noodles and potatoes. It was around 9.30pm by this time and I was utterly exhausted.
Our last drive of the day was back to our ger; or so I thought. It was there that we were told that the ger next to the house was not our ger. Half of us would be sleeping in a ger in the next ranch over (10 min walk). So, Carol and I hastily got together what we need to sleep that night and jumped in the car again.
I must admit I was losing it by this point. Feeling like I was leaving all comforts behind as my bag stayed in the house, I said a quite goodbye. Off we went again, in the dark, further into the countryside.
We arrived at our ger to find a group of men surrounding an old lorry with what looked like a small static caravan on top. They were observing the angle grinding that was currently taking place on the underside of the lorry. We were told to wait and at this point Carol and I looked at each other thinking is that where we are staying. Already tired and on the edge, this was not helping.
Fortunately, we were not staying in the caravan but the ger next to it. True to the endless Mongolian hospitality the lady who lived in the ger had given up her bed and sofa for us. She didn't speak a word of English, but we were assured that she would show us where the toilet was.
Carol and I unpacked our sleeping bags as the lady set about putting sheets on our beds. We then thought about how we were going to tackle the toilet issue. When we got a blank look after saying the word ‘toilet’ the next port of call was, obviously, to mime the action. Squatting in the middle of the ger miming the action of going to the toilet this poor woman was looking even more confused. Tired and overwhelmed with the day I was starting to see the funny side of the situation. After that we decided that, as Uyasakh had pointed in the general direction of the toilet, we would just start walking a hope she would understand.
Pointing outside the tent, the expression on this poor woman face turned from confusion and bewilderment to mild alarm. She have been feeling a bit un-nerved by her guests which were asking her to leave her ger at 11pm to walk across the ranch in the pitch black. Fortunately, we found the toilet, a hole in the ground shielded by a concrete cubicle, and I don't think we scared our host too much!
