Day #76: Khentii Province

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Today I set off on a shorter tour to the East of the country. The scenery is very different from the Gobi, with fields full of wildflowers, lakes and patches of forest on the hills. Because of the relative abundance of trees, the nomads here make greater use of wood than those in the Gobi. Many live in gers during the winter but in summer move into small wooden homes, which are cooler than gers. They also build wooden shelters for the animals to live in during winter snows. We saw these dotted across the landscape, looking abandoned, although of course the families will return to them in winter. Firewood is also easy to come by. We did wonder about the replenishment of the trees, however, as the forests are small and there do not seem to be any attempts to re-plant.

Agriculture is also possible in this part of the country, and we saw fields of rice or wheat, with many families owning a small tractor to cultivate their own crops. Overall, life for the nomadic families seems easier than in the Gobi: at the most basic level, it is easier to find food for the animals because there is much more grass here, and there is also much more fresh water. However, one downside is the number of flies and mosquitoes at this time of year: at the worst, I counted that I had been bitten about 30 times, and neither insect repellant or clothing puts them off (we were bitten through jeans).

The roads are also generally easier than in the Gobi, though here we often drive through streams and the risk is getting stuck in the boggy ground (the car didn't need any repairs during the trip, though). We have a different car for this trip, which is comfortable but doesn't have the character of the van I had for the last tour. I also miss the smokers: they were the majority on the Gobi tour but there are none on this one. Not that I particularly like the smoking, but it meant we had a natural break on the road every so often, when I could get up and walk around, it's not the same when you have to request it.

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