Tracks
In regards to directions, there are some aspects unique to Mongolia. When getting directions from locals, some time they will give you directions as the crow flies i.e. the straightest route possible. Many times this will not correspond to the map which shows the "main" route. The locals route maybe a lot better, or it may be a lot worse.
We tried to figure this out and best we could do was they seem to intepret the request for directions as "which direction is this village" instead of "which way to follow the main route to this village". Once we figured this out and asked both questions, we would get directions for both options.
Best theory we could come up was that this how things were done after generations on the steppes. By horeseback, you ride pretty much straight. Vehicles foul up this process by getting stuck and not climbing ravines well so they end up going around things more than over them. Bikes go over things well, if you have the time, take some of the shortcuts and they will lead to unbelieveable, out of the way spots. Knowing a bit of Russian will be helpful in finding your way out
(Great shot Edde, takes you back when you look at it.)
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