Sometimes It's Tough Being a Tourist

(Terror at Dalanzadgad.)

One morning in UB (Ulaan Baatar) we went into a small pharmacy. Our Mongolian friend, Ariun, had agreed to act as interpreter so Pacey could ask about treatments for arthritis and rheumatism. Pacey’s a rheumatologist with many years’ experience in the US, and she was curious about the nature of treatment in Mongolia. 

We approached the glass case that served as a sales counter. The young woman behind it was helping another customer. Or trying to. It was a Frenchman with gray hair, trying to communicate his request. The attendant turned to us and held out a scrap of paper, asking if we could help. Ariun accepted it, and started to explain to her what it said. But the customer was gone out the door in an instant. 

Ariun chuckled and said,”Poor guy…” She showed us the paper. On it, the man had written, “Viagra.”

Sometimes it’s tough being a tourist. It’s hard to communicate your needs and wants, and, when you try, you risk its becoming public information. If you depend on a guide, he ends up knowing so much about you that he’s like a family member. We were lucky that our guide and his employees knew how to handle things in a professional way.