Breakfast.
Gotta keep your phones charged. Thankfully our vehicle has chargers built in.
A karaoke machine downstairs.
This market was open very late last night and is open very early this morning.
Hmm, my internet isn't working.
I guess 3 GB is my max.
2 GB is $1.
20 GB is $6. That seems like a pretty good idea.
I couldn't tell what the different prompts and questions were, but I guessed my way through.
This part I understand.
Now it's working again.
I couldn't even use Google Translate on the previous screens because I need to the internet for Google Translate to work. At least I'll have it for next time, if there is a next time.
Uh oh; that's a problem. I have to enter a SIM card PIN after restarting the phone. I don't know what it is, but guessing 0000 worked.
Although we only got signal in town, which was rarely...
... since most of the time we were out on roads in the middle of nowhere, dodging animals.
No signal, internet nor phone, from either cell service provider. Hope there's no emergency.
A river beside the road.
Pretty.
Some people camping.
A huge shrine.
A marmot hanging out on it.
Me throwing some milk. You're supposed to wear a hat while you do it.
A smaller shrine up the hill.
A dog sitting around.
Tsogt gave him a bone.
He seems used to taking food from random humans.
A happy dog.
A bathroom.
We had a roll of toilet paper, but I kept some in a ziplock in my pocket in case I ever needed it at some point.
Sometimes there was barely any road, so we'd follow the power lines.
Some birds.
A little shrine.
A town.
Small gas station.
A bridge.
Although the bridge was pretty busted up; I wonder if you could even drive over it. We went around to be safe.
A marmot.
Some long-horned bigger goats.
Sheep.
Driving through different animal herds.
Many different roads, all following the power lines.
A winter home for someone.
According to the map, we're still on a major road, but then we turned south, and it was even less of one.
Horses.
Driving through fields.
A hawk.
Flying.
The vehicles got pretty muddy.
A nice place to stop for lunch.
Cutting up the food.
Preparing sandwiches.
Lots of meat.
It started to rain, so we pulled out the canopy.
It worked well.
Cracking a bone...
... with a knife.
Marrow inside.
A little plant.
A rock with some lichen.
Muddy path; thankfully we never got stuck.
Passing over a small stream.
A bit more of a road.
Although it doesn't show up on Google Maps.
And finally back onto a paved road. Good job finding their way through the fields.
Another province.
Back onto the dirt roads.
Storm clouds above a hill.
Driving around a shrine.
Ogii with offerings to throw to it.
A small rainbow.
We had to stop and ask directions.
A couple of times. We were told to ask again at the yurt with the red truck.
That looks like it.
This man told us where we needed to go.
More pretty clouds over hills.
And we finally got to our destination: the yurt of Batsuren and Angaalhagva, although Batsuren was in the hospital.
We also bet Angaalhagva's parents, Jantsandorji and Otgoo, who is Ogii's grandfather's nephew.
There is always lots of food when we arrive.
Gift exchange.
They have multiple solar panels facing different directions.
Along with a motorcycle, a truck for larger loads, and a satellite dish for TV.
And a dog, of course.
Some baby cows.
Sunset.
Rainbow over the dog.
Rainbow over Ogii.
Rainbow over sheep.
A bit closer.
You can see the rain falling.
Lots of wool on the ground.
Exchanging snuff bottles.
Helping them carry water.
The we drove over to another yurt. One common greeting when arriving at a yurt is "hold the dog."
Some of the others in our group stayed with Ulziitogtoh and Dorjisuren; Dorjisuren is Angaalhagva's sister.
It was Turuu's birthday, so we had champagne.
Opening.
A video.
Toasting and drinking.
Chatting afterwards.
It was very dark at night, and we were driving through fields with no markings. It's amazing they were able to find where they needed to go.