Meet our future companion Ulzii

We sleep like unconscious persons. At 10:00 o’clock (4:00 German time) the phone rings. An Mongolian man who is speaking broken English would like to accompany us on the expedition. It turns out that he is the brother of Sarras husband Saraa has threaded the contact. She believes that it is very dangerous without companions to be on the move. „During the last years the horse thieves have got out of control. ”A French couple which are my friends were on the move the last year on an excursion with horses. Already after seven days one has stolen from them all horses. The police has undertaken nothing. You must pay attention very much“, had warned Saraa in an email few weeks ago. “We meet at the Sükhbaatar Place”, I say to the man with the name Ulzii.

It does not last long and a young man comes towards us. „I am Ulzii“, he fancies and shakes smiling our hands. We sit down in a Mongolian Fast food restaurant and talk. It turns out that Ulzii is teacher and has at the moment no work. „When have you sat the last time on a horse?“, I would like to know. „Oh, as a small boy I have ridden every day“. „And are you able to do horse riding?“, he is interested. In 1996 we have ridden 1,600 km through Mongolia. Since that time we have gained rather experience with elephants and above all camels“, we explain laughing.

The visa marathon goes on

Then the mobile phone rings once more. It is an employee of Saraa it took him two days by the coach to travel here. He should bring the necessary papers which we still need for our working visa. We go with Ulzii to the agreed meeting place not far from the Sükhbaatar place. “Hello, my name is Tagi”, he fancies into rather good English. „Do you have the necessary documents?“, asks Tanya. „Yes I have“, he says and indicates at a yellow envelope he has stuck under the arm.
„We agree on the conversation for tomorrow with our possible future companion Ulzii.

„Let us go by the coach to the foreign authority. This is cheaper“, suggests Tagi. We walk a few minutes through the town and get in a coach. 20 minutes later we reach the foreign authority. Many people stand before the door and wait. „Let us go in. Who knows on what these people wait“, says Tanya. „It was a good decision“, I give her right because in the building we go straight to one of many counters and ask an official where we now there have to go. We meet some foreigners here to extend their visa „My God! I understand nothing at all. What they everything want to know? Is unbelievable“, an Italian curses rather impatiently. Now Tagi is also sent by counter to counter. We must fill forms on those the same questions we stand in connection with the visa application in Germany have already more often answered.„ Maybe this is a provided. Nevertheless, we have filled long time ago all papers and have answered the questions. We would have to get here, actually, only our stamp and further nothing. I call Saraa and ask here. Certainly is sure“, I think. „This is absolutely normally Denis. No, this is not free of charge. Please, answer everything what they want to know and submit the forms there. No fear, this will work out “, she explains and calms us at the same time.

After one hour the Italian and an Australian couple walk past smiling. „Do you have your visas lengthening?“, I ask. „Yes, finally. We may remain up to maximum four weeks longer. It is a crazy authority mania to get this little lengthening“, they answer. „If they knew that we already work for 1 ½ years for oue visa“, I whisper. Finally, after one more hour and many telephone calls with Saraa we get a renewed stamp in our passports.

„Now we can stay for 21 days“, says Tagi. „21 days?! We need 365 days“, answers Tanya.„ The official has said that we do not have yet all papers together. We need a few more documents of Saraa. It is about a mutual signing of the provincial government in Khövsgöl, there where Saraa lives, and the government in Ulan Bator. If the papers are signed by Khövsgöl Saraa sends the papers to Ulan Bator. Then with these documents we have to go to another authority in the capital. There the paper is countersigned. If the documents from Khövsgöl are there you get a work permit. It is a sort of identity card. With this identity card we have to go again here and if everything goes well you also get your working visa“, explains the 25-year-old Tagi.

We are not irritated about the bureaucracy in Mongolia. We have heard that it has become as difficult for Mongols to enter Europe. According to statement of many people whom we have met in the eastern countries the increased visa regulation is a reaction of the respective governments on the Europeans. After the motto if you do not let us we also do not want to make it easy for you.

Everywhere in the world it becomes more difficult with the conditions to entry a country. Many countries try to protect themselves from unlawful immigration. This makes our planet, our mother earth, more and more to a big prison for all people
The freedom of own will traveling is limited by different conflicts. Unfortunately, it has become nearly impossible, to remain in the different countries as long one would want