Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake and Mt Khorgo

 The volcano hike.

 Buhuu, Fred and I at the rim.

 Scenes on the valley floor with camels and yaks.

The stone piles a the edge of the lake.

Horseback riding.

Ride 'em cowboy.

Milking yaks.

 On my walk at dusk.

Tuesday, July 3^rd.

We had a bit more relaxed morning today because we are staying here again tonight. We had our breakfast at 8 and set out at 9. We drove to the bottom of the extinct Khorgo Volcano and took a short hike up to the rim where we had a good view down into the crater which last erupted 8000 years ago. The crater measures 200 metres in diameter and 70 to 80 metres in depth and is surrounded with small copses of trees. It has been protected as a park since 1965. Then we headed back down and to one side of the volcano where there was a second crater further down the slope of the volcano.

From there we drove to Terkhiin Tsagaan (Great White) Lake which is the largest lake, at 16 kilometres in length, in this area. Along the shore there were hundreds of man-made stacks of volcanic rock that very impressive. Then it started to rain, and we headed back to camp in the vehicles for lunch.

After lunch, when it stopped raining, six of us went horseback riding. I hadn’t been riding for about thirty years. Buhuu and two local men took us for an hour and half ride. At first one of the locals had the rein of mine and Susie’s horse and led us along, but after a while I became quite confident riding and guiding my horse left and right, so I asked for the rein and he gave it to me. I happily followed along in the pack of horses but on the way back I decided to find out if the horse would listen to my commands or stay close to his buddies. I lead him left but parallel to the group and he cooperated. We walked along about forty metres to the left of the group where it was quiet and I could just enjoy. I felt relaxed and confident.

When we got back I decided to have a beer and invited Tony to join me. We sat outside at a table and talked. Fred and Phyllis joined us and we had another beer. Everyone in this group is so well travelled and is just busting at the seams to tell their stories, one leads to another and another.

We had another great three course yak meal for dinner. We had yak milk yogurt for dessert. After dinner, the weather had cleared, and the sky was mostly blue and I decided to go for a walk. I went the opposite direction from the horse ride and walked up the valley. I followed along the edge of a creek that was running and burbling along swiftly swollen by the rain and its path kept pushing me over to the one side of the valley. I walked through a herd of yak who just eyed me and didn’t react to my presence. I came to a nomad ger and saw a lady milking a yak and a young girl corralling the yak calves into a fenced enclosure to protect them during the night. Apparently, they do have wolves here. Then I walked up the hill to a rocky outcrop and just sat and watched the clouds turn pink and the locals herding the goats, sheep and yaks to their night pasture. It was great to listen to the various animal calls and smell the aromas of the valley including all of that poo. It was a great way to enjoy a bit of quiet time. This is a beautiful valley and I wouldn’t mind staying another couple of days. When it was dark I wandered back to the ger and Tony and Bryan for the night. We had a fire in the stove and the place was toasty.