RAINDROPS ARE SPATTERING ON THE ROOF OF THE GER while a haunting melody drifts from Zorigoo’s two-string horsehead fiddle from next door. We've opted out of this afternoon’s radio-tracking exercise, blaming the cold rain. Tracking is one of the Earthwatch activities with the emphasis on “watch.” The tracking is actually done by the Mongolian students, one on the antenna and the other with the GPS. This is the ideal time to reflect on our time in the Gobi and catch up on our journals.
The fire guy gets things going early
The days tend to blur together. Someone, perhaps the Mongolian fire elf? stokes the fire around 6:20 and I snuggle under my blankets until the ger becomes toasty warm. There is seldom a wait at the toilets before breakfast, usually served at eight o’clock. Then there is time for a wash-up and shave. The Mongolian students use the free time for a game of full-contact basketball accompanied by much groaning. Jump shots are hard to make in an ankle-length deel.
The CKBA aka the Chingis Kahn Basketball Association
The vans fill rapidly and we leave for the capture site around nine and re-set the nets. We gringos can do it ourselves by now but the job goes faster when the horsemen pitch in. Then we hunker down behind a rock or next to a bush and wait, either lizarding in the sun or shivering in the cold wind, waiting for the horsemen to push argali to the nets. We drop the nets again for lunch then repeat the process in the afternoon.
Connie waits patiently in the cold sunshine
The food is simple and tasty — unless you have an aversion to lamb and goat. Eggs, hotdogs, pancakes, cream of wheat and hot coffee for breakfast. Soup, salad, leftovers or optional PB&J for lunch. Dinner is at seven; more salad, pasta or stew, meat dumplings and fruit for desert. There is always a snack or chocolate. Sometimes there is an after-dinner slide show. Most of us have learned each other’s stories by now and we’re pretty talked out so it’s off to the ger to read until sleep overtakes us.
The Snowflake eater
Taks just returned covered in snow and Muugii is trying to catch snowflakes on his tongue. It seems we made the right decision after all.
