Deception and the exploit

Already before breakfast there comes Ulaanaa and his friend. They bring the nice tan horses, the mare and the deep brown we have bought three and two days ago. Tanja is just at the bank to get more money. No miracle with the constant demands and issues. I am glad, because, finally, the nomads have kept this time to our arrangement and have brought the horses on time. „I sell my horse only for 500,000 Tugrik“, tells Ulaanaas friend. (286 €). „What? Why this? Nevertheless, we have put out 450,000 per horse and have sealed the business with slap. Does nothing at all count then with you? What is with your word of honour?“, I let Taagii translate my torrent of words. „We are the descendants of Dschingis Khan“, the impertinent man smiles at me. „Now, then the descendant of Dschingis Khan can take his horse again with him home“, I say. „I sell the horse for the agreed price“ to you, he yields immediately and the murky cloud of the bad mood vanishes so fast as she would be unprecedented. Meanwhile Tanja also is there again and has a look at the horses. „Nice animals“, she confirms my purchase. „Unfortunately, I have no time. I have to go on the country“, the shepherd tells me. „In Mongolia?“, I say. „Nevertheless, I always thought here in Mongolia is no time problem?“, everybody laughs. Because he seems to bee really in a great hurry I count to him his 450,000 Tugrik in the hands. His money hardly in the pocket, he would like to disappear „Just! We take one more photo of you and Ulaanaa“, I shout. We position ourselves before Naraas small block house shoot the photo and then he has already disappeared. As well as the carters with the two draught horses appear. Then we pay the carters. „Here are the horseshoes you wanted“, says the small woman. Also here we become disappointed once more, they should be included in the price. „Taagii? You were present. If the horseshoes were included or not“, I ask by constant There and Here unnerved. „They were included. I know this exactly.“ „Now the woman wants 24,000 Tugrik (14€) for it“, I wheeze unnerved. „You must not take them. We can use them ourselves well“, says the horse woman. Also here is arguing absolutely pointlessly. The carters are in a group of four. Each of them states that the horseshoes specially are to be calculated. We pay a set of horseshoes extra and give her the other set back.

After all horse owners have hardly left Nartaas garden Taagi draws the attention of me to one of the both tan horses. „I believe the nomad who has disappeared so fast, has left a wrong horse to us“ „This cannot be. It just looks like the horse we have ridden on the pasture “, I say and would best cry from annoyance, disappointment and fury. Naraa who is also in the garden shakes indignant the head. I go with Tanja and Taagii to the deliberate changed horse to examine it even more exactly. Really it did not have pressure points when we saw it first. „It looks tiredly“, I think. „Ulaanaa, the nomad, has told me about the deception of his friend. He has brought you an old not suitable horse for the expedition“, explains Taagii. „And why has Ulaanaa said it not to us before the monetary handing over?“ „He was not able to do this. He is afraid of his friend. It is a strong man.“ „I do not know whether I should believe this. These people here are incredibly inventive cheating money out of the pockets of a credulous foreigner. “Is this the mentality of the Mongols or why do these people cheat by nearly every business?“ I do ask our translator. He does not really know what to answer on this. „Nevertheless, Ulaanaa still wanted to sell to us iron pegs for the horses?“ „Yes, he will soon bring them“, answers Taagii. „Well, call him please and say him his friend, the swindler, should bring the right horse“, I instruct Taagii knowing how ridiculously my demand is.

Already one hour later Ulaanaa really appears and apologizeses for the deception of his companion. „Here are the iron pegs“, then he says and passes to me the sticks we need to tie up our horses on the trip at night. I give him agreed 20,000 Tugrik (13€) „Why do you simply not fetch back your horse?“, says Ulaanaa more than both cheeks cheeky grinning. „How? We should steal our horse back?“, I ask amazed. „No, this is not stealing. It is your horse. So you can get it“, answers the endowed rider. „If we appear there to get our horse, he and his family will beat us up“, I consider. „There are only the women in the camp. He himself is for two days on the country“, Taagii translates on which I feel like my adrenalin mirror rises upwards. „Should we venture it really?“, I ask Tanja. „Who knows, maybe it is usual here. I could already fancy this“, she believes relatively calmly. „I would do it“, Taagii interrupts my thoughts. „What would you do?“ „If you wanted I get the horse for you“, he suggests and my esteem before him rises immensely. „You would really do this?“ “Yes”. „And who catches the tan again. I have seen like Ulaanaa has caught him. It was the purest masterpiece.“ I make „This for you“, offers Ulaanaa unexpectedly his help. ”Okay Taagii, you take the old horse, my saddle and ride with Ulaanaa to the Ger camp. Ulaanaa will catch our horse again. Then you leave the old horse there and bring our animal here“, I decide. It does not last long and Ulaanaa and Taagii are swallowed by a cloud of dust. Only the hoofs of the horses galloping be heard for a while.

20 minutes later there rings my mobile phone. „Denis?“ „Yes.“ „The woman of the swindler is very irritating. She would not like to give the horse.“ „Is clear to me. Why do you tell me this?“ „I wanted to know whether should I bring it, nevertheless? Finally, it is our horse.“ „Bring it“, I say resolutely. Five minutes later my phone rings again. „Yes Taagii what there is now?“ „I have called up just the owner of the horse. He is very much, very angry. He wants to give his horse under no circumstances. Only if you pay 500,000 Tugrik (285,- €).“ „Say him it is not his horse anymore. He cannot sell it twice. He has agreed on the purchase price. If he makes difficulties I go to the police. We have taken a photo of the monetary handing over and of the good horse“ „Okay I will tell him everything. And if he still did not like to give it?“ „Then bring it, nevertheless.“ „Is a good decision Denis. I bring it anyway“, answers Taagii and finishes the conversation

One hour later Taagii appears with the nice horse in Naaraas garden. All gathered celebrate this young man like a hero. We clap as if he had won the tennis match of Wimbledon. „And what has he said as you told him to talk to the police?“ „This made no difference to him. He would want, nevertheless, 500,000 Tugrik.“ „Well. Then call him immediately once more. If he brings back to us tomorrow our money he can have his horse back“, I decide. „Shortly after we find out that tomorrow the swindler likes to come really to get his horse. „Maybe he does not come at all“, believes Taagii.

After lunch we go once more to the market still we need horse equipment. Above all we need castles and chains for Naraas garden. It is not lockable. We need to protect now six horses, a dog and a horse carriage. Our companions agree about the theft risk. The sordid front door and the corroded gate is to be bolted unavoidably to the garden. At the market we have arranged to meet Bilgee. Really he appears in the horse store and helps us to put together the still missing equipment. Before he leaves us again we agree on a conversation appointment for tonight at 21:00 o’clock.

Bilgee as a companion

At 21:00 o’clock Bilgee appears with a relative who speaks well English. Quick there is the subject money on the table. „With less than 500,000 Tugrik I cannot go along“, says the 51 year-old experienced nomad. „Sorry, however, this we cannot pay. Why have you expressed in our first conversation not already your salary image?“, I ask. „Because I knew that you still had the second man in the play. I wanted to see for the moment as far you come with him.“ „However, we also have this time another man who would like to come with us”, I say thinking off the carter we talked to this morning. „We would like to go with pleasure with you“, I say. We pay 250,000 Tugrik per month and would give you a bonus of 50,000 Tugrik. That means if you are working well then you become extra 50,000 Tugrik every month. If everything runs after plan, we need the next year after the winter again a companion for about three to four months. So you have not only a paid-up activity with regulated incomes for this year but for a total of five to six months“, I explain on which he thinks about the words. „This sounds for me in order. I would want the money, however, in advance“, he demands. „I am sorry, in advance we pay nothing at all. However, nothing to do with you we have gained bad experience. The last pre-payment has simply cleared out“, I answer on which he laughs. „Well, then you pay me after the trip. I go with you. However, we should buy a goat. I will preserve the meat to dry meat for the trip“, he suggests. „No problem. Tomorrow we can still discuss the details.“ Well then we are a team“, I say and shake his hand. Even if in the past a hand shake did not mean a lot I would not like to give up seeing the good in people. Maybe Bilgee is the man who is not a disappointment for us and maybe he saves the honour of the Mongols. For fairness reasons we still decide to raise in the same evening also Ulziis salary on 300,000 Tugrik. He has been up to now as steadfast and loyal. We immediately pay him for the first week 75,000 Tugrik. He is contented.

Then we distribute the trill whistle we have shopped in a toys shop. They should serve in addition to draw the attention of all team members to the situation in a possible emergency. In this connection we appeal to the night guards. „Each of us must keep a night watch of two hours to protect the horses against theft. That is, for example: Tanja watches from 10:00 o’clock to 12:00. I from 12:00 to 2:00 o’clock. Bilgee from 2:00 o’clock to 4:00 o’clock and Ulzii of from 4:00 to 6:00 o’clock. Whole of course rotary. The whistles also are for it if something with the horses is“, we explain. Bilgee agrees with it. „We must clear this from beginning. Who is loosing an animal during his layer gets no salary“, adds Tanja. Also with this point there is no argumentation. „What do you mean? Should we begin today already with the night guard?“ I ask Bilgee. „It is a full moon. To steal ideal light around horses“, confirms our new man.