9 - 9. TO THE BORDER

We had cold goat for breakfast. The old woman in the ger had been up before sunrise to prepare blood-sausage. Then she quickly milked 50 goats before she put on her best town-dress. On the road we made a stop to photograph ourselves by the last OVO, the traditional pile of stones where you ask for luck on the journey. Hjalte and I walked three times around the luck-bringing pole and half an hour later we were all well and safe at the border town of Zamin-Uud. After a last common meal with Mugdi he got a bonus worth a goat before he began his trek back to Ulan Bator. Claus and Karen Elise got tickets to the night train to Beijing, for the price of four goats. Hjalte and I congratulated ourselves by crossing the Gobi by electric car and reaching the border of China.

Nina