(The content of the previous issue can be viewed here)
The souvenir shop mainly sells some Outer Mongolian handicrafts, which are not much different from what I saw in Erenhot, but the quality is slightly average.
However, the staff can speak some English and there is no problem with communication.
He greeted us while playing CS games and didn't even stand up to greet us.
The clerk said: "We sell traditional Mongolian souvenirs here, all handmade by simple and kind herders, which are great value for money and affordable prices. By buying these souvenirs, you are not only doing charity, but also helping these poor herders living in Ulaanbaatar. ”
Ulaanbaatar slum, this picture is a screenshot related to the Internet, and no photos were taken at the scene at that time for safety reasons
This is the first time I've heard this kind of moral kidnapping sales pitch, but then I've heard similar rhetoric in Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and other countries, but that's off topic.
Curious, I asked the clerk, "Why do these kind herders choose to live in Ulaanbaatar?"
After sniping the head of an enemy with a big sniper in the CS game, the clerk replied, "Ulaanbaatar, as our capital, is a prosperous city with a rich life. Herders are often reluctant to leave when they arrive, so the population is growing and now almost half of the country's population is gathered. However, this has also led to the formation of many slums. You should be able to see a lot of yurts in the city? Those places are actually slums. ”
I nodded and continued to ask, "Are they still grazing?"
The clerk replied, "Of course not, sir." They don't have stable jobs, live in considerable poverty, and have even lost their livestock. They can't even afford a yurt and have to rely on loans. However, we are a democratic country, and the government allows them to live here and provides them with shelter. If they can't afford a yurt, they will even choose to live in a sewer.
I don't know exactly how they live, but what is certain is that Mongolia is a country with a Western model of democracy with one person, one vote, and is as democratic as yours. Mongolians are very grateful to the Koreans, the Japanese and their NGO charity teams. Our deity, the Immortal Heaven (Tengger), will bless all great nations and their peoples, including Korea, Japan, and all friendly neighbors!"
Ulaanbaatar poor people living in sewers, from the news network picture, we have seen it, but also did not take pictures for safety
Hearing this, I really couldn't listen anymore, and responded coldly: "I am Chinese! Chinese have been helping you!"
The smile on the clerk's face disappeared instantly, and he tried to ease the awkward atmosphere and said, "Hahaha, Mongolia is a peace-loving country. We love the world and don't hate any country, including you. ”
I didn't say anything, turned around and left the store. I replied in Russian, which I only knew: "Thank you, goodbye!"
After the clerk watched me leave, I went straight back to my room. At this time, Lao Feng just woke up. I told him what had just happened, and his expression turned serious. So we decided to dive into our next travel plans.
The two of us opened two packets of potato chips and chatted while eating. Lao Feng was the first to speak: "Old wolf, it's been more than a week since you traveled, are you homesick?"
I replied, "Why don't you want to? Although I had made all the preparations before leaving, I still encountered a lot of twists and turns. Thankfully, it's all been resolved now, but what will happen next is unknown. ”
"That's right," Lao Feng continued, "so we have to be mentally prepared for whatever may happen next." Of course, safety always comes first. ”
"I understand that, after all, we are in a foreign country and need to be extra careful. I replied.
Lao Feng showed a solemn expression, and after pondering for a moment, he responded: "I always feel that this place still feels like a part of the country, and it still belongs to our former homeland. Even if there is no trace of China here, it is different from those foreign countries that have nothing to do with us. ”
When we hear that, we smile. Lao Feng continued: "The journey to Kusugul Lake is said to be very difficult, and it is not recommended to take a bus to go there in the travel guide. But I think if you choose to fly there, you will lose a lot of the joy of traveling. We still need to agree on this matter, and I respect your choice. ”
I immediately said, "Of course, we still choose the long-distance bus, which we have discussed from the beginning." In the evening I will explain our decision to the tour guide Enhyuk. ”
After hearing this, Lao Feng said happily: "Maybe in the future, we will feel scared or even regret when we recall this trip, but we will definitely not leave any regrets." I hope that the next trip to the Northeast will also be so smooth. ”
With that, we toasted each other and drank it all.
The next day, we didn't wake up until 11. As planned, we will return to Ulaanbaatar at 7 p.m. that night. After waking up, the two of us went to see the tour guide Enhyuk. Before coming to his yurt room, Lao Feng knocked lightly on the door, but there was no response.
So I stepped forward and knocked the door. At this time, a female voice came from inside the door, saying something in Mongolian, and the voice should be Jiya. After a while, we heard Eunhyuk shouting, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, we played too late last night for too long, please wait a few minutes." ”
After a few more moments, the door finally opened. Unhyuk, still sleepy-eyed, wears a tank top and shorts, while Kiya combs her hair in front of the mirror wrapped in a bath towel.
Eun-hyuk laughs and explains that they had too much fun last night. Lao Feng and I looked at each other and felt a little embarrassed. I hurriedly changed the subject and asked, "By the way, does the hotel provide meals?"
"Yes, yes!" replied Enhyuk, "you can go to the biggest yurt in the middle of the hotel." Unfortunately, though, it's past breakfast time. Originally, you paid for breakfast, but now you have to pay for yourself. Lao Feng immediately responded: "No problem, then the two of us will go first." ”
(Just to be clear: the photo below was taken at the entrance of the hotel's banquet hall.) After shooting, the camera ran out of battery, and Lao Feng's camera had a problem. So for the rest of the journey, there were no photos for a long time, which is a pity)
To be continued
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Wolf Skywalk VVL
A prairie man who loves adventure and cooking Western food,
Share a little bit of delicious spiritual mustard every now and then
Senior self-media practitioners!