Down the Mountain Day 2

This day started off nice and early with another great breakfast cooked by the wonderful staff. We all gathered at the top of the hill near a shaman structure for a photo opportunity. The plan for today was to walk the horses, as in we walk with them, down the hill because it was too dangerous for us to ride them. I did pack some hiking boots but didn't realize we were walking so quickly and consequently my riding boots and not fit for walking that distance.

At the bottom of the hill we mounted our horses and began to ride. We started off with the gentle walk which progressed into a Mongolian trot.  Following the dry river bed for some time, we eventually came across  some flowing water and had a few small river crossings. At one point it seemed the water was coming straight out of the ground to start the river. We stopped for a morning break and then further down the road stopped for lunch. The local park ranger caught up with us there and we paid our entry fee to the park. Money from the entry fee goes towards the conservation of the area and the cleaning up where people leave their rubbish all through it. This part of Mongolia is one of the most isolated areas, although it would be hard to believe with the amount of people we saw riding horses and four-wheel driving through the area. 

Khan and I were getting used to each other now and he was reacting to my commands. We had several canters which progress almost into a gallop. He was also starting to get a little bit cuddly, rubbing his head up against me and accepting scratches on his head and cheeks. We came across a big open area and our guide Shuree suggested we have a race to the top of the hill. It was on for young and old Khan gave it is best, but we were cut off and had to divert to avoid collision. At the top of the hill both horses and riders had a well deserved rest. The view from the top of the hill is absolutely stunning. It was now just a short ride of about 10 kilometers into the town where we were staying in cabins. About 200 m from our cabins one of the horses was spooked by some kids screaming at all the white horses coming down the road. Unfortunately one of our riders came off as the horse swerved sideways to avoid the kids. Fortunately she checked out ok from the doctors. The Cabins were very basic with simple power and simple shower facilities and long drop toilets book were very welcome relief at the end of a long day. We rode about 37.6km this day. 

After dinner we all went through a walk into the Township for some supplies but mostly for an ice cream and some chocolate. We finished the night with a drink and settled in for a very long sleep.