Azaa is hung-over. She says she drank too much red wine at my birthday last night. I don’t share her pain, except that I found a giant scratch on my leg – from my knee to my ankle. I assume I got it when I tripped over a prickly bush the night before. Ah yes, I was racing from my tent to go pee. We tend to go anywhere, but I had a spot at the top of a nearby sand dune. I really had to pee so I probably wasn’t looking where I was going when I slashed the side of my leg.
Back to Azaa’s hangover. I hand her a pill. It’s the magical “Advil Extra Strength Gel Cap” … fast-acting relief for hangovers. She looks relieved. I tell her she should eat something greasy. We fry up the stale bread in some olive oil and also some of the smoked sausages. Tastes just like fried salami and rye bread if I close my eyes and pretend.
We pack up, say our goodbyes and begin the drive back to the more populated part of the Gobi from which we s
tarted. Bugin Tsav’s bumpy terrain, along with the smoked sausage (which I was sure had run its course), made my stomach start to churn. I got them to pull over. I found a bush and got a bit sick. Then came back and lay in the back of the truck. Azaa and the drivers make lunch and insist I eat a noodle bowl. I didn’t really feel like eating anything, but did as I was told. Soon I felt better and we drove on. We saw these nomads en route. Their motorcycle had broken down and we stopped to help them. They posed for me! I love the sky in the background of this photo. It perfectly depicts the "big sky" feel of the Gobi. Makes me feel really small.I was really tired that day. Just kept dozing off. Energy was low. I had forgotten that it was my birthday until at dinnertime, when Azaa pulled out a
bottle of vodka. She says it will help clear my system and make me feel better. I guess I still looked pale. We drink it with peach juice as we watch the orange sun fade away.
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