Way Out West

We were supposed to have a leisurely morning with an early afternoon flight to the west.  However, things are always a little fluid here and our flight was moved up several hours, which meant no sleeping in.  I guess the wind conditions have an effect on the flights so it’s important to check early or you might be left behind.  If you think you can just catch the next flight, think again.  There are two flights a week out west so you can definitely throw a wrench into your adventure if you miss your flight.

We arrived in Uugli midday.  Our drivers were waiting for us at the one gate airport (small, very small).  This trip our transportation was Soviet UAZ vans, six cylinder 4x4's that reminds you of a Volkswagen bus from the 60’s.  They are perfect for the rugged terrain waiting for us.

We stopped for lunch at a Turkish restaurant which would turn out to be our last chance at the internet for the next 3 days.  We then went to a grocery store/liquor store to stock up on wine for our next three nights.  While this region is predominantly Muslim, they practice a gentler version than what we hear about on the news.  Lucky for us, wine was available and very reasonable.

Off we set for our next adventure.  We started out on a paved road but that quickly changed to a dirt road filled with rocks and challenging terrain.  The landscape was amazing with vast expanses of prairie and mountains rising up around us.  Again, sheep, goats and yak were grazing on the sparse grassland, allowed to roam by their owners who kept an eye on their flocks.

Our evening’s accommodations was a tent camp that had been erected for us before our arrival.  We also rented a nomadic family’s ger that served as our dining hall.  Perched on the edge of a lake, our surroundings were both remote and spectacular.  In the late afternoon, the yaks proceeded to the lake for their afternoon bath.  What a great setup for pictures with the lake and mountains as a background for this woolly, wet creatures.

We also witnessed the nomadic family milking the yak.  Dairy is the major source of food for them, so the yak milk will be made into cheese and yogurt.  This family consisted of the parents, three children and a grandmother that could have been straight out of Central Casting.  Bent over from years of hard work, grandma was full of character and also wasn’t too shy about posing for the camera. 

After dinner, we setup for our second night of Milky Way photography.  With the lake in front of us and mountains as a backdrop, this night session went much smoother than the first one in the Gobi.  Everyone was much more prepared, already knowing what settings were needed on our cameras.  The lake served to reflect the glow from the stars.  This was another night of amazing shooting.

Tomorrow: Eagle Hunters Await