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 s we took our first steps seventy days ago it was difficult to comprehend all the miles and difficulties we would face. Lately we have seen more gazelle and even a few wild donkeys called khulan. The khulan stop to check us out then race away. The gazelle disappear with long leaping bounds on stick thin legs.  Blazing speed is their best defense against wolves that roam the desert. We have seen several wolves at various times throughout our trek. They are no danger to us but we have to be careful at night when they might attack our camels. There have been at least two occasions when wolves have circled us trying to get at the camels and we have had to fend them off. The nomads keep dogs to guard their herds of sheep, goats, and camels, but even then a wolf will sometimes steal an animal.
Today there were more mirages of lakes and even trees that teased our sun baked minds. By day we struggle on one step at a time, our bodies gradually losing the battle against fatigue and dehydration. Our highest temperature has been 126 degrees in the shade. The lower nighttime temperatures give us welcome relief. The intense heat that accumulates in a hot desert such as the Gobi escapes at night due to the extremely low humidity. Only about 10% is deflected back to the earth by dust particles.
The heat that stays over 120 degrees most of the time saps our strength by noon. We have little appetite for food that is now liberally laced with sand. The persistent heat destroys our appetites. All we crave now is water. We carry our day’s water in one-quart bottles for easy access and tie them on the shady side of the camels. By noon the water is almost too hot to drink. We’re consuming one and a half gallons each per day and still losing ground to dehydration. The Chinese border is very close. As we look south across the sparsely marked border we see an endless desolation that is a continuation of the terrain we are walking through. The two camels are doing well. We included grain in our resupply to make sure they have enough to eat. The desert is so dry from the burning sun and hot wind that we cross long stretches where there is little forage. They have become docile pets and enjoy their cookie treats each day.
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