Reindeer Family and Horseback Riding

Khövsgöl Lake.

Our hike along the shore to the reindeer family.

Can-US friendship despite Trump's trade war.

A reindeer.

The reindeer family and their home.

A yak on the way back.

Horseback riding take two.

Our guides chillaxing while we had the yak treats.

Friday, July 6^th.

After breakfast a group of us headed out on a three-kilometre hike to see a reindeer herding family. The hike was through a beautiful pine forest, along the shore of the lake. Parts of it were a little boggy and we got damp feet. We arrived at a clearing where there was one tepee with a family of five, man, wife and their three kids who were about 15, 10 and 1. The man was carving reindeer antlers into items to sell to tourists and the 15- year-old boy went out into the woods to bring back six reindeer that were feeding in the forest. It was interesting to see the reindeer up close and they were quite tame. We were invited into the family tepee. We stayed for about an hour watching and sampling but everything we wanted to ask had to be translated by Buhuu. Then we hiked back and I went slowly at the back enjoying the woods. I came across an yak carcass and a total of six lower jaw bones, for a total of three animals. Not sure what happened to them, but they probably died during the last winter.

When we got back we had lunch before heading out for another horse back riding adventure. There were about 10 of us, and after finally getting us all kitted up we set off. I went by myself this time and we walked for about three kilometres to a nomadic family’s home. It turned out to be the ger of one of our horse guides. We were invited into the ger which had a solar panel, a satellite, an old small TV and a telephone. The women feed us some yak yogurt and yak butter on bread. Another great opportunity to see the local lifestyle. Then we saddled up again and rode back. I had a lot of fun trying to get my horse to canter and singing yippee yay oh songs. It was a good laugh.

We got back in time for a short rest before dinner. The food at this ger camp has been excellent and tonight was no exception. Most people wandered off back to their ger by about 8:30, when it was still light. The temperature is usually in the teens during the day and about ten at night, so the camp comes around and lights a fire in our stoves in the ger. I got talking to another guide from England named Ian, who works for an Australian travel company based in Vietnam and he lives in Thailand. Then Tony came back and we had a beer together before bed.