Farewell to emptiness

Today in Mongolia I alone am going for a horse ride. I decide to leave camera and backpack behind and gallop as far as I can.

I pass a small group of gers and their flock of sheep and goats. I head further down the steppe. I guess the length of this plane is about 4 miles with no obstacles. But I come across another flock of sheep and don’t want to startle them or in any way “herd” them so I reign in my horse. An old man rides up to me and we have a conversation.

I can count to 10, say hello and thank you and goat, horse, and sheep. Actually that is more than I can say in Cantonese!

We discuss how the neighbor herders just slaughtered 40 sheep for sale (a huge amount and a great income for them). He indicates that he is the one who killed 40 sheep (we both use the universal sign of slitting the throat).
I am completely confused but smile appreciatively.
He tells me to go look at something over yonder.
When I get there I see a deep well. Interesting. But not much.

I go up to another level of the steppe and then head back home. I come across a big herd of sheep and goats and stop to take photos. The herder comes up on a motorbike to see what I am up to. The modern horse.

Tonight I am leaving Mongolia and I try to soak in the emptiness and expansiveness.