The director and party leader

(Photos of the diary entry can be found at the end of the text).

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We have decided to spend three nights in this paradisiacally beautiful place. Writing is out of the question because of the heat. This is how we spend a relaxing time. We sleep late, have breakfast with the muesli we brought with us and eat lunch and dinner in the restaurant. The resort is almost fully booked at weekends. Almost all the guests are Mongolians who travel from Ulan Bator, some 110 kilometers away, to escape the stress and bad air there. Because of the relatively high prices, the city’s rich flock here. There are embassy staff from all over the world, business people, many lawyers, doctors, engineers from gold, copper and other mines, politicians and directors.

On our last evening, we stroll from our yurt into the wooden main house. The restaurant is full with a group of students who have gathered here for a graduation party. “If you like, you can dine in our VIP room tonight,” the friendly waitress offers us a seat. Tanja and I are the only guests at the table of 12 when there is a knock at the door. “May we join you?” asks a gray-haired, good-looking Mongolian, accompanied by a tall woman, in perfect English. “We would be happy to. As you can see, we have plenty of room,” I reply cheerfully. We start talking after the meal. “And you’re really here by bike? And you’ve been traveling for 25 years? That’s incredible. And what about children when you lead such a nomadic life?” “We have decided not to have children in this life. We work for the children of the world. For their future. We want them to still see trees and hear birds chirping tomorrow. Our journey is a journey with depth. A mission, we are following our destiny, if you know what I mean.” “I think I understand you. We have three children and I would like to have ten,” he replies, which is why I’m not really convinced that my counterpart has understood me. “And you’re spending your vacation here?” I change the subject. “Oh, we only decided to come here today. We actually wanted to go to another resort but the prices doubled within a year. They now charge over a million tugrik (€447) for a room. “One million? And that in Mongolia? That must be an extraordinary luxury hotel?” “It’s a six-star hotel. Really fantastic there, but it was too expensive for us this time.” “You speak very good English. Where did you learn the language?” “I spent many years in Holland and am constantly traveling the world,” replies the pleasant-looking man. “And how long are you staying?” I ask. “Just for the weekend. We need to recover a little from our children and the stress.” “What do you do, if you don’t mind me asking?” “I’m the director of an international gold mine. It’s a stressful job.” As the suave-looking director looks quite young despite his gray hair, I inquire about his age. “I’m only 31 years old. You know, my father is an influential politician in Ulan Bator. He got me the job as director. That’s how it works in Mongolia. I actually wanted to be a musician and now I’m a director.” “You wanted to be a musician? That’s quite a change of heart.” “Yes, I’m an artist by nature. We made a lot of music. Especially rap music. I love music but you can’t earn money as an artist in our country. Absolutely impossible. My wife was a model and she couldn’t make a living either. The only way to earn money here is in top management, as a businessman or in politics. My father always wanted me to go into politics. That’s why I’ve been in it for a few years and am now the head of a party.” “Well, I hope you become a minister or maybe even president and do something about the corruption in your country,” I allow myself to say, even though I now know that my counterpart got a directorship through corruption. “But yes, that’s my main concern. I will fight corruption. That’s for sure. We need honesty and transparency in our country again,” he replies with conviction. “It’s amazing that Mongolia is one of the richest countries in the world because of its many natural resources and that the population gets absolutely nothing out of it. That the international mining companies, which are currently up to mischief here, are contaminating entire areas for decades or even longer, that they are responsible for the disappearance of entire rivers, so that the local nomads are forced to carry their drinking water from great distances and that mining companies are mainly responsible for the fact that large areas of one of the most beautiful countries on our mother earth will no longer be habitable in the future. It is incomprehensible to me that the Mongolian government is standing by while a handful of people line their pockets. If they come into power with their political office, they will have a Mount Everest of responsibility on their shoulders,” I say. “I agree with them. But we can do it,” he replies thoughtfully and confidently at the same time. “What did the Mongols do wrong as a former superpower to lose everything they once had?” I ask. “I think the problem was that Genghis Khan’s power was personal. When he died, he left behind a huge vacuum from which we never recovered,” he replies, proudly telling me the long story of how the former world empire came into being. It is late when I say goodbye to the young, rich and certainly influential couple. “You know. I once had the opportunity to become the deputy sales director of a global company. I was offered so much money that I would have become rich within a few years. The best decision of my life was undoubtedly to turn down that offer and follow my dream of traveling. Amazingly, I actually became filthy rich, even a millionaire. A millionaire in experiences and stories. Isn’t that what really counts in a person’s life? Isn’t that what life is all about? Shouldn’t we listen to our inner voice and follow it? In my experience, it always leads us to where it is best for us and our fellow human beings. If you really want to become a politician from the bottom of your heart and are convinced that you are one of the few who can really do something positive for your people, then follow this path. I wish you good luck and energy,” I say, shaking hands with him and his wife.

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