Huvsgul III

Huvsgul

Horseback riding tour A one-hour ride along the lake gives us a sense of freedom, which is made even more evocative by the sound of the wrangler singing in his traditional attire. We have lunch at exactly 12:00 to be ready for departure at 14:00. Another two hours on horseback, what a wonderful morning experience! This time, we are also accompanied by the wrangler's son. He is 7 years old and when he is riding, he demonstrates such skill as if he were born on the horse. He uses adult gestures to tell the horse what to do, but then when he gets off, he becomes just like any other child.

This helps us understand the reason for Genghis Khan's success. But it is also true that the saying reminds us that kingdoms conquered on horseback cannot be effectively governed while still riding. We once again follow the lake shore and We return, passing through the forest.

He invites us to his place. The accommodation was exceptionally clean and welcoming, with no bottles of vodka in sight. We were offered yak yogurt (tarag or tarikh), and we happily indulged whenever possible. They have a small black-and-white television with an attached satellite dish outside the ger, powered by a solar panel connected to a car battery. When it's time, they connect the wires, a spark appears, and the TV turns on. We get acquainted with the owner and his wife, communicating through gestures and the little English she knows, while her husband goes out to chop wood. We learn that he holds the title of "Elephant" of the Khuvsgul aimag, the highest honor awarded in freestyle wrestling competitions. His impressive physique initially made us think he wasn't a classical dancer, but seeing his photos showing his muscles after a competition earns him our utmost respect. The medals are displayed on the wall to show the pride of the owner, who is 37 years old. He belongs to the Dharkad ethnic group. The wife, who is 43 years old but looks even older, tells us that this is their summer camp; in winter they will go to the mountains. Despite seeming counterintuitive and fearing we hadn't understood correctly, we ask them to repeat the statement, and it's exactly as they say. In winter, they go to the mountains where it's a bit colder but there is less snow, and the yaks can more easily find grass. They have a farm with 49 yaks and 89 sheep. Their son will start school in Khatgal in September and stay until June, when he will join his parents in the summer pastures along the lake. Unfortunately, he has a minor accident that evening: while moving some horses, others pass him by, and they tend to follow him. At this point, the little boy tries unsuccessfully to stop them, sliding on the ground and getting scratched. Only a small scratch, but the attentive, strict, yet loving father forbids him from crying in front of others. It's not appropriate for a man! In fact, pride and self-respect should be virtues, but we tend to see them as outdated values in a relativistic world.

We take the horses and return to our camp, aware that we have experienced a day of true freedom. In the evening, we meet an American woman, but originally from East Germany, who tells us she escaped 40 years ago from Turingia. The escape took place amidst many difficulties together with her father, leaving behind everything they had. Her parents had made her promise never to return to that ungrateful land. But after the fall of the Wall and without her father, she returned to visit relatives and places where she had lived as a child.

The chef proposes a risotto with meat and vegetables, carrot and garlic salad. A little trick will help us start the stove! For dinner we'll taste the yogurt again that we already enjoyed in the afternoon, this time with blueberry jam: it's always a pleasure. This is the best answer to those who still claim that you can't eat well in Mongolia. A clear and fresh sky accompanies the end of the evening.