With a reluctant squeeze, we left our little puppy friend to frolic in the flowers and sleep in the shade. We packed our LRC, and headed back the way we'd come, driving past the same scenery for the fourth time at least. This time, though, we really felt we'd done the area justice.

We drove until we were back on track, heading to Mongolia. Around midday I spotted a faded sign for a hotel that boasted free wi-fi. It looked dubious, and the rutted dirt road it pointed to seemed even more unlikely, but I followed it anyhow. Tyler needed to continue working, and we were eager to upload photos, talk with family, and publish some entries.

Sure enough, there was a surprisingly nice riverside hotel with wi-fi at the end of the winding road. We worked from the car for a bit, then went into their cafe and sprung for some glasses of fruit juice to accompany our internet usage. Photos uploaded, journals posted, work addressed for another day, we got back into the car and drove into the night.

Close to our free-camping spot from a few days ago, we stopped in as good a place as any – a roadside riverside picnic area. Another day behind us, we pitched the tent and tried to call it a night. Instead of sleeping, we spent several hours talking and talking and talking, as if we were catching up after a long separation.

Tomorrow we head down the Chuisky Trakt once more.