"You are the first Indian to conquer these sandy hills in Gobi," Max was yelling loudly as I crossed 4th hill in my first 3 miles today morning. Max, was trying to bike with me to alleviate the loneliness in this hot Gobi. The excitement that I started off in Gobi today kept me going. Bike had flat tires couple of times in first three miles because of sharp small stones all over the place and pilot car hung the bike on the back side of the van and said "no more bike in Gobi."

It was an interesting feeling at a point when I was all alone running in this desert with dry mud and sand in every direction as long as I could glance. I felt insignificant in front of the enormity of nature. Tire marks ahead were guiding me to the pilot car. I ran next to a copper mine around 8th mile and it seems Gobi is one of the rare places in Asia with huge deposits of copper ore. Russia helped Mongolia keep Gobi from China in past couple of decades.

I felt great running next to wild camels today and it made me really feel that I am in desert. After my run, we saw a well in this desert and a boy was feeding his sheep and cattle from this well. I was excited to see the well and dared to pass thru those rams with huge horns to the well and fed the water to them.

Feeding water from a well to the thirsty sheep in Gobi

Our journey in Mongolia has been a great so far with its beautiful northern mountains, rolling hill landscapes, rich culture and much awaited Gobi. We have passed thru Durchan, Ulaan Bataar, Saynshand in Mongolia. It was ironic to run next to Lake Baikal, world’s biggest fresh water body, last week and one of the driest places on earth, Gobi desert, this week. Well, our journey continues along these various differences giving food for thought for us and spread our message about the same to millions of minds we pass thru.

Already our minds are looking forward for China ...