We camped by a small shack last night, the only shelter from the winds across the steppe. A herd of Yak joined us, lying down to sleep in the lee of our tents. I’m not sure if the heavy breathing I could hear was Chip, Ken or the Yaks.

Early in the morning two guys on a bike turned up to run the noisiest generator in Mongolia. They used it to lift pump a few gallons of water for the trough, which the Yaks lapped up followed by a herd of cows.

They weren’t at all bothered about us being there, but we’re very interested in the gear we had. They liked my Kelly kettle and helped me find fire wood (not easy in Mongolia – no trees!). I gave them a cup of coffee each from a Korean hotel instant sachet. It was like I’d given them a gold watch!

They left a pale of water outside, which a family of three turned up on a bike to collect. Yes, a family of three plus a full pale of water on a tiny bike. Outstanding! Maybe I’m not so overloaded after all?