Camels and sand dunes. And rain.

As we set out this morning it was already a bit gloomy, and the further we went the greyer it got. A quick flash of lights from an oncoming car was enough of a signal for a toilet break (on the side of the road, naturally), and it was just in time too, as we then ran into some decent rain. Apparently quite unusual for this time of year, if I haven't said that before, and a reason for how green the desert appears to be. After a decent drive on the sealed road it was again time to go on to the dirt. We headed through a little town that specialises in making traditional silver cups (they don't have anywhere to watch or buy, trade secrets are closely kept and they are all sold well in advance) and then out the back towards to Khongor sand dunes. 

We crossed over a narrow part of the dune system and moved onwards towards our ger camp for the night. This is a fascinating feature of the desert, a long strip of dunes, up to 25 km wide (usually a fair bit less) and hard up against the bottom of a mountain range. There is a fantastic view of the dunes sitting above the landscape from the camp, and after lunch we headed in that direction. 

First up was a camel ride, supervised by a nomad family. As we arrived after a bunch of other tourists, we were invited into the family ger to wait. It was really a lovely setup inside (including a TV), with buckets of milk and a big leather pouch hanging by the door. This was, of course, the famous fermented mare's milk, which we were given in the tradition of Mongolian hospitality (as well as the time honoured tradition of making tourists try things they wouldn't normally touch with a 10-foot pole. It turns out it's a pretty refreshing drink, very sour and not really that milky tasting. Which is not to say that we asked for seconds... 

It was on to the camels after that, where we were given no autonomy - not that you'd trust us to guide the camels around ourselves - and were led by a friendly woman up the standard track and back. The view on the way back to the camp was spectacular from camel back, with the dunes featuring in all their glory. no photos, as neither of us were secure enough in our balance to be confident of taking a picture without losing the phone. Or ourselves.

After camel riding it was on to sand dune climbing, which was really the most spectacular part of the day. Up close, the dunes are just as striking as from afar, with a river and wetlands just underneath, providing truly remarkable contrast. The ascent was relatively easy, for the most part, thanks to the recent rain. However, it also meant that we did not get to hear the "singing sand" which they are famous for. A reason to come back... We were compensated by fantastic views of the landscape  (again!), which we took full advantage of. Finally it was time to go back to camp for dinner, and anticipate the new adventure coming the next day.