The third day, closer to evening, the group arrives Tuva. It's amazing that as soon as the bus crosses the frontiers of the republic, even the landscape leaps. It seems, that you are on the other planet and in the other time. There are just five towns in Tuva, there are almost no any signs of the modern civilization on the most part of the territory, steppes stretch on the hundreds of kilometers, they are interrupted by the mountain break-ups with sharp ridges. The group stops in 22 kilometers from the capital of Tuva in the town of Kizyl, on the banks of the river Biy-Khem (in translation from Tuvinian - "BigYenisei"), in the travel camp "Ai"(in Tuvinian -Luna). The camp is a jurt complex, that was built hereby accompany "Paradise" specially for accepting tourists from a tour "The Great Sayan Ring".
These jurst are the real, of the natural size, made of felt, with low door headed to the East as it should be, the floor is covered also with felt, in the center - a fireplace, though decorative. As for the rest, the inner decoration is partly different from the interior of the Tuvinians-nomads' dwellings. They are furnished not the large family, but for one-two people. It's quite ample and cosy in a jurt. There are wooden beds, a small wardrobe, a bedside-table, and a stand for a suitcase. A wash-hand-stand and a sink-tulip near the door. The other facilities - biotoilets and shower cabins with hot water - are in the separate big jurt. The club-canteen is in the other big jurt. The meal is cooked by the known cook in the special outhouse-kitchen fully equipped for the organization of the catering of a big group of people. Evidently, for evaluating fully all of this comfort, the next day we were taken to the "operating" jurt of nomads cattle farmers. When we approached it and went out of the bus, the awful spate with the torrent started. The group rushed to the jurt, trying to hide from the rain, but the old patched-overpatched jurt was badly leaking. Still, the hospitable hosts were not embarrassed with that. "The sun will rise - and all will dry", - told us the daughter of the host. The acquaintance with the way of living of the traditional tuvunian family makes a strong impression. They have cows, horses and camels, from milk of which they cook the tastiest cheese and sour cream - we were treated. The big fire place in the centre of the jurt serves as a kitchen, it also heats the space. Nomads live without the electricity, but they have a car, they have subsistence farming, and when they need money, for example, for buying wood, they go to Kizyl and make money by giving a ride to the city kids on a camel and a horse. At that, a camel walks to the city for three hours. In winter nomads migrate from steppescloser to mountains, where cattle can pasture. It was a fantastic to face this exotic in the 20th century and not in the TV, not in movie, but in real life.

To be continued.
Irina Tyurina