Western Mongolia - Mongolia - page 521

bumps along the way. With a bit of patience, care and planning, you should be able to
handle just about anything.
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a problem in Mongolia and you are bound to encounter drunks in both the
city and countryside. Drunks (sogtuu khun) are more annoying than dangerous, except
when they are driving your vehicle. Drivers who work for tour companies have been dis-
ciplined to hold their alcohol on trips, but hitchhikers may encounter drunk drivers.
Trains Drinking is pretty common on the trains, which is another reason to travel in coupe
class or 'soft seat' (you can close your cabin door). If the offending drunk happens to be in
your cabin, ask the attendant to move you to another cabin.
Camping If camping, always make sure that you pitch your tent somewhere secluded,
and that no drunks see you set up camp; otherwise, they will invariably visit you during
the night.
Dogs
Stray dogs in the cities and domestic dogs around gers in the countryside can be vicious
and possibly rabid. In the countryside, some dogs are so damn lazy that you wouldn't get
a whimper if 100 lame cats hobbled past; others will almost head-butt your vehicle and
chase it for a kilometre or two.
Before approaching any ger, especially in the countryside, make sure the dogs are
friendly or under control and shout the phrase Nokhoi khor, which roughly translates as
'Can I come in?' but literally means 'Hold the dog!'. Getting rabies shots is no fun; it's
easier to just stay away from dogs, even if they appear friendly.
If you need to walk in the dark in the countryside, perhaps for a midnight trip to the toi-
let, locals have suggested that if you swing a torch in front of you it will stop any possible
dog attacks.
Scams
Professional scamming is not common; the main thing to be aware of is dodgy tour com-
panies that don't deliver on their promises. We've had letters from readers who booked
tours where the promised accommodation, food and service standards fell short of ex-
pectations. It might be good to get in writing exactly what is offered, and ask about com-
pensation if things don't work out as planned. The riskiest tour companies are the ones
operated by guesthouses and the ones that specialise in onward trips to Russia.