Arvayheer, Aug 25

Our camp was in quite a nice spot if not for the pack of dogs that barked and scrapped all night long; however, we had planned on an early morning in the hot springs regardless. All excited about the hot springs following a cold nights sleep we pack up and head on down to find the little tub-holding gers remain locked. Asking around we finally find someone who speaks a bit of English and he shows us to a building where we are to shower. Assuming the shower is the prerequisite to the tub we hop in, hop out and stare at the lady in charge with the hope that she will give us a key and point us to a ger-tub. What we get us a bunch of ackward laughter. We stand there for a while and the staff ignores us. We try desperately to communicate that we wish to get in the ger-tubs but they say no, even when we offer money. Eventually we leave with the impression that the ger-tubs are either privately owned or out of season. We were supposed to spend an hour in the spring water showers. On the way out we run into some guys in a Fiat that wont run, likely plagued by fuel problems. We try and help, but locals (who all seem to be able to ‘fix’ cars) are in control so we leave them to it, but it doesn’t look promising for the little Fiat. A couple hours of driving and we are out of the hot springs detour and back on track. On the main road we run into a bus at the gas station and packed inside with 16 other Mongolians is one of the Danes from the ambulance that had pulled water into the engine at our last river crossing. Apparently it never did fire up and they are having to get it towed to Ulaanbaatar. Farther down the road the Peugeot’s (team Signature) oil pressure light goes off. Earlier in the trip their plastic dipstick tip broke off and has been floating around in their oil pan; we fear that it has plugged up the strainer in the pan. Planning on an oil change at first chance we carry on. Pale horse blows the rear tire that we just had a tube put in and we are down to 2 crappy spares. While we are changing the tire we see the previously dead Fiat driving by on the adjacent ridge!