From Sogino, we rode northeast past Oygon Lake over a couple of passes (davaas) and through a lot of boggy ground, mud, and water. Upon our arrival in Tsetserleg (Khalban on some maps), we found that the locals who were to set up our temporary ger camp thought it was to be the next day. They promptly began setting up the camp, which gave us the chance to see how the gers came together (shown in an earlier entry).

A word about traveling conditions: Since most traveling in western Mongolia is over dirt, rocky, sandy, or muddy tracks, speeds are very slow--20-40 mph due to the need to negotiate water hazards, muddy bogs, rocks, or washboard . The story is quite different on paved roads, which we shall see in a few days.

Leaving Tsetserleg the next day (July 11), we rode over several significant passes (Doloodyn, Hoh Hotol, and Ulaan Bogochiyn) after we reached A1102, a principal track into Murun, the administrative center of Hovsgol (Khovsgol) Aimag (population 36,000). We stayed in the 50 Degree 100 Degree Hotel, so named because of the town's intersection of 50 degrees latitude north and 100 degrees longitude east. Having spent the last four nights in camps without showers, we were disappointed to find that the hotel had no hot water on our arrival.

Google Maps link to Tsetserleg camp:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=49.52846,97.72521&ll=49.528

Google Maps link to Murun hotel:


http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=49.63722,100.15955&ll=49.63