Ulaanbaatar - watch out for man holes!!

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I've been in Ulaanbaatar 5 days now which has been enough time to have good look around the city. Today i spent the day out in the countryside with a local guide and another traveller, from Spain.

Being Mongolia's capital, Ulaanbaatar (UB) is a busy place although it is small by international standards at under one million people. I suppose it just seems rather busy due to chaotic traffic with aggressive drivers in very old cars emitting toxic fumes. I can't believe what a kamakaze road-crosser i've become.

The architecture in UB reflects much of its socialist past during Soviet rule with huge appartment blocks, traces of centralised departments stores and public buildings and narrow streets due to low car numbers in the past. Old monastries and temples have been destroyed with the exception of a few which have been recently restored. New buildings are being erected and those being built by Chinese construction companies appear to be of good standard whereas those built by local trades look pretty ordinary. From what i can see, building code compliance and OH&S are yet to be promoted here. I suspect their nomadic past sometimes lends their approach to construction as temporary.

UB is quite a polluted city due to dirty exhausts, coal being burnt for heating especially in winter, lots of unsealed footpaths and power plants in close proximity to the city. The locals love to salvage anything they can for re-use in just about any type of construction. Pipes for example that are no longer needed make great fences, or posts, or playground equipment... One particular hazard here is the risk of falling into uncovered manholes. That's right, manhole covers are a great salvage score. This was Peter's number one warning to me which i would never forget. I've already returned the favour when i warned him of a hole when getting out of a taxi. Some areas are poory lit at night so the degree of difficuly in spotting the hazard trebles when it's dark.

The day trip today was to a national park called Terelj, east of UB. It's a very beautiful National Park although it is now quite dry due the winter season. We then drove to different areas in the central province to meet traditional nomadic families who live in Gers (large round tents lined with layers of felt which can be disassembled/erected in about an hour). I rode a horse for a short time thanks to a random goat herder we met who agreed to let me ride his horse. I couldn't remember whether my travel insurance covered "riding wild horses" so i decided no to chance going for a gallop. It was a very enjoyable day and it allowed me to see the daily duties of some real Mongolians.

I am trying to get over a very bad cold but other than thay i am well and enjoying my travels. We are planning to get out of the city this weekend, staying overnight in a ger camp and i'm trying to sort out a 4-5 day tour to the countryside before i depart on Mon. 13 Nov.

I hope you are all well. Thanks for your emails.

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Photos

Entrance to Gandan Khiid
The largest monastery in Mongolia and once home to the 13th Dalia Lama

Nearby town of Nalaikh
A predominently Kazakh town and former coal mining area. The mine has officially closed but 'private' operators are still mining at their own risk.