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Mongolia
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'''Mongolia''' in [[Asia]] is good for hitchhiking in terms of the rate of people stopping for you; it is bad in terms of the actual number of drivers (some roads are very isolated) and road conditions. Like in Iran, there is a culture of using private cars like taxis (especially in the capital, Ulaanbaatar), so most drivers will expect to be paid at first. Before entering the car make it clear that you have no money, unless you don't mind shelling out a few bucks for every ride. Some will just turn forward and continue driving, leaving you in the dust, but most will say or gesture not to worry about it and tell you to get in anyway. Also expect a jam-packed car, packed with amazingly friendly people, food and house invitations!
In Mongolia is good for hitchhiking in terms , half of the rate of people stopping for you; it is bad population lives in terms of Ulaanbataar and the actual number of drivers (some roads are other half has a very isolated) and road conditionsgood reason to go to Ulaanbataar. Like in IranTherefore, there it is a culture common to find direct rides to Ulaanbataar from all parts of using private cars like taxis (especially in the capital, Ulaanbaatar), so most drivers will expect country. From Ulaanbataar to be paid at first. Before entering the car make it clear that elsewhere however you will have no money, unless you don't mind shelling out a few bucks for every ride. Some will just turn forward and continue driving, leaving you in the dust, but most will say or gesture not to worry about it and tell you put up with village to get in anywayvillage hitchhing. Also expect a jam-packed car, packed with amazingly friendly people, food and house invitations!
== Cities ==
* [[Ulan Bator|Ulaanbaatar]] (capital)
* [[Erdenet]]
* [[Darkhan]]
* [[Mörön]]
* [[Khovd]]
* [[Choibalsan]]
== Climate ==
Due to the extreme weather differences between summer and winter, hitchhiking in Mongolia seems to be a completely different experience depending on the season. Instead of talking about hitchhiking in Mongolia, it would make more sense to talk about hitchhiking in Mongolia in the summer or in winter as if it were two different countries.
=== Summer ===
=== Winter ===
Expect also flat tires and very occasional overheating. The distances covered are considerably higher since vehicles don't get stuck in mud, the frozen ground provides a good riding platform. It is common to hitch 1000 kilometer rides, especially if you are going to the capital.
== Hitchability ==
Due to the economic situation in the country, everyone with a car in Mongolia is a taxi driver. '''Always ask if the ride is free before getting in!''' I assumed one of my rides was free and had a rather large Mongolian woman tugging on my left arm refusing to let me go at a toll booth when I got out.
'''Hitchhiking in the eastfar west: Similarly''' [[Bayan-Ölgii]], the further you are from the capital, the harder things get. It is very very difficult hard to hitch after Khentii, where the paved road ends and random parallel dirt roads begin. It took a few days for [[User:CanaydemirWorldhitch|Worldhitch]] to reach Choibalsan and it was impossible to go to 2 weeks from the Russian border at Erentsav by means of hitchhikingin [[Bayan-Ölgii]] to Ulaanbaatar. Getting a Chinese visa is easy in Ulaanbaatar, Russian is not so easy – like in any other place.
'''Money'''
In the countryside, money is very strongly expected whereas in more "densely" populated areas it is not. When hitching in the countryside, you should prepare yourself for a discussion and a series of explanations that you really don't have money, no tugriks, no dollars, no whatever. They might ask you an insane amount of times. It can get tiring but even though some people will look like they will only take you for money, do not give up until they actually ride away. Mongolians are kind and helpful people, if you do not have money, they will take you for free.
There is an effective way how to get rides in Mongolia. However it is not a way anyone should recommend. In Mongolia, it is very easy to put yourself into danger. If you really want a ride, especially a free long one, walk to the middle of nowhere and wait for someone to drive by. It is very easy to stage your suicide in Mongolia, be careful to make it make-believe only. There are thousands of Yurts spread across the countryside, especially by the main roads. Position yourself somewhere a few kilometers from such yurt and wait. If someone drives by, you will appear as an irresponsible stupid tourist who will die if not save. And the Mongolian people will save you. Be careful with this tactic, you should always consider the risks when you play with your life. Unexpected weather conditions may occur, temperature can drop very fast, what you thought to be make-believe may become reality very fast. So be very careful!
Be even more careful if you try these stunts when approaching the Chinese border. While you can almost be sure that Mongolians will help you, the Chinese will not. The same stunt performed in a Chinese-influenced region may just leave you to freeze in the desert with nobody caring. Also, do not mistake Inner-Mongolia inhabitants for Mongolians, they are not! Inner Mongolia is more China than Mongolia and such a mistake would be a fatal one.
=== Roads ===
There are many paved roads in Mongolia. When there are no paved roads, there are also very good dirt roads. You should not be worried about road quality if you are going from UB to Teserleg (North-West), Bayankhongor (South-West) and Zamiin-Uud (South). Further west, the quality of road varies from "OK" to "just disastrous or inexistant". Sometimes you just drive through snow tracks. However vehicles do not get stuck in snow that often. Expect a flat tire every 400 kilometers, even on paved roads. From Ölgii (in the West) to the direction South-East there was a pretty new paved road in 2019 for the first bit. There are just a couple hundred km of paved road from [[Ulan Bator|Ulaanbaatar]] in every geographical directions (exactly one per direction) and that's it. No roads, no signs. The trunk roads out of Ulaanbaatar are paved and reasonably trafficked. Be careful if you walk out of the cities, along the ''roads'' so you don't get lost, and take water with you. Confusingly, names of cities equal names of states, so make sure city and state match.
=== Alcohol ===
Nothing to be alarmed from this side. Mongolians drink occasionally; however they are peaceful drinkers at least compared to their neighbors. It is difficult to refuse a drink though as most Mongolians will insist and think you are being rude or wussy if you don't accept.
== Language ==
Most Mongolians, in the south, don't speak English, and only have the slightest understanding of Russian, but you can get along with hand gestures and correct pronunciation of the name of the place you are trying to get to (if you know how to pronounce it correctly).
However not so few Mongolians speak either English, German or Russian so if you know those languages you should find common speakers quite often.
== Cities Resources==* [[Ulan Bator|Ulaanbaatar]] (capital)* [[Erdenet]]* [[Bayan-Ölgii]] == Border Crossing == === From Ulaanbataar to [[China]] ===The main border crossing with China is in the South-East at Zamyn Uud. Hitchhiking there from Ulaan Baatar is not difficult, as of 2013 the paved road is basically completed. However, do not expect a direct ride from UB to the border, you will probably stop at every major city. Expect 2 days to get to your destination. It follows the Transmongolian Railway and gives you the security not to die of thirst. [[User:Worldhitch|Worldhitch]] also got a lift by the great Defektoskop train. === From the border to the capital ===Hitching from Zamyn Uud to Ulaanbaatar is very easy. The capital is always easier to hitchhike than any other city and this section is completly paved and has a lot of traffic in all times of year; mongolians love to do their shopping in china. Expect a one day ride. === Russian Border at Kyakhta/Altanbulag === This is probably the easiest border crossing in Mongolia as there is a paved road all the way to Ulaanbaatar. Decline all taxis and walk for a few minutes after you cross the border and start hitching. It is not always obvious someone is running a taxi. Double-check before you get in. If you do end up getting into a taxi, expect a hefty fee to be charged (such as US$150) when arriving at your destination. Should you get into this problem, then be sure to take it up with the police. They seem to be cracking down on illegal taxis. Don't expect that this will mean you can avoid paying at least something, though. === Russian Border at Erentsav === This Northeastern border is a terrible idea unless you have a good reason to go there. Hitchhiking from Ulaanbaatar to Khenti is pretty straightforward but things get tricky after that as there is no paved road. If you are lucky enough to find a ride to Choibalsan, you won't be so lucky when you try to hitch to Erentsav. There is almost no traffic and you are likely to take the train which leaves twice a week (on Mondays and Thursdays from Choibalsan to Erentsav). === Crossing the border === '''Crossing the border''' itself can be quite tricky as you need to have transportation to cross three separate checkpoints. Usually the soldiers will help you to find a ride if you first just try to walk -- but that won't be a guarantee that the ride will be for free. Keep trying until you get a ride (or too frustrated, with the Chinese border terminal looming in the distance, guards not allowing you to simply cover the 500 meters by foot). Keep your morals up and be very persistent. Explain that your visa will expire if they don't take you. They will insist that it's impossible, they will try to get your money by every means but keep your head up until they realize that the energy put into convincing you to pay is greater than the energy they would put into convincing the taxis to take you for free. November 2015 I walked straight to the guards on the Chinese side with my passport in hand as if I was going to cross the border on foot. When I was stopped I showed a piece of paper saying something along the lines of "Can I get a ride for free?"'. The soldier wrote me "I will help you through a translator". A higher commanding officer was brought over and I was in a jeep for free in about 5 minutes. Source and detailed information for this paragraph: [http://takemeeast.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-way-to-mongolia.html here] This border is very strange. Only some special type of cars are allowed to cross. Only chinese cars and old soviet jeeps. That is why mongolian people usually leave their car on one side of the border and take a taxi even if they have their own vehicle (!).The border processing is also somewhat complicated. Here is the detailed description from Mongolia to China:1) You take a taxi from before the border to the mongolian checkpoint. The price is about 10 yuan but you can avoid it (described above)2) You buy some kind of border pass for 1000 MNT which allows you to get to the mongolian passport check3) You get a stamp, you take the jeep again, you show your stamp to the guards you pass by (they don't stop the car, they check your stamp while driving in order to not lose time)4) You arrive at the chinese checkpoint, you buy another border pass for 5 yuan5) You drive from the checkpoint to Erlian, you show your stamp to the guards you pass by.6) That's it, you are in China{{nomadwiki}}
{{IsIn|Eastern Asia}}
[[Category:Mongolia| ]]
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