We set off for round 2 with the most confusing train system in the universe and somehow we managed to find our way through the scramble of irrationally coloured lines and maze-like stations, emerging in the LED rich electric area of Alhibara station. After a short walk we ended up exactly where we wanted to be, outside Ruogoku, the sumo stadium, and by some stroke of luck (genius) it was a fight day! The whole place was packed, with no hope of getting a ticket bu...

It wouldn't be a proper early morning Mongolian travel experience without a tannoy call for Bob to descend into the bowels of the airport where the X-ray machine had found an irregularity with her bag. As the sniffer dog paced on the conveyor belt Bob rifled through the contents of her bag to try and explain Chris's thoughtful leaving gift of a lead cast of Banter's paw to yet another set of airport officials... Having choked down the worlds worst attempt at hot ...

It was almost eerie waking up without the smell of rancid mutton or stale smoke in the air but we coped. The day was spent doing busy work, washing clothes, writing post cards, booking flights and trying to work out exactly what on earth to expect in Japan! We did tour the Mongolian equivalent of the Natural History Museum though in my opinion it was a little too focused on grave robbing, or 'archaeology' as they termed it. How far posthumously does it become acc...

We all slept surprisingly well, packed in like muttony sardines until the youngest nappyless child decreed that it was time to get up. The felt of the ger ensured that none of the human alarm clock's wailing was lost and after half an hour Mum upped and exited the ger leaving the screaming fungus laiden child to its misery. After a few choice words from a semi-comatose Victor, silence returned and we managed another half hour in our sleeping bags before the pare...

We left the family and headed back out of the valley the same way we had arrived 2 days previously. The route was winding, bumping between the aggressive rocky outcrops and with the Eurovision playlist in full unstoppable glow we realised what a luxury it had been to stay 2 nights with the last family. We passed a mare and very new born foal which Eegii diligently stopped to check, trying to get it to latch on, which was surprisingly well tolerated by the wild, i...