Days 18,19,20

Three days in Mongolia, now. This is my second stay in the country. Last time I was at a hostel, and this time I staying at the apartment of my old friend Tselmeg.

I'm in the capital, Ulaanbaator. Since this is my second time here, I'm just sort of hanging out. I'm not exploring much this time, and I'm not really thinking critically.

So I don't have much to write about. Regardless, here are a few notes:

Ulaanbaator has a population of about 1.5 million (another 1.2 million people inhabit the Mongolian countryside). The city is a sprawling low-rise affair. In true ex-soviet fashion, the center of town is dominated by a huge public square. Most of the buildings in town are of the soviet style - there are a few grandiose (sort of...) government buildings and a whole lot of concrete block apartment buildings for the populace. And there is one statue of Lenin, of course.

The center of town suggests a certain amount of wealth and economic development. There are a few decently made buildings, and a whole lot of stuff for the tourists, of which there are many more than in Russia. Away from the city center, though, we find the ger districts - ghetto quarters where most of the local population lives in the traditional style of housing... a sort of yurt/teepee home called (of course) a "ger."

There is nothing particularly old in town. Before communism hit in the early 1920s, the capital of the Mongolian state would often move. I don't mean that different cities would be named capital, but rather that the capital city would physically move - a rather simple thing because pre-communist Mongolian cities consisted mostly of gers. Accordingly, nothing in this town is more than 100 years old.

So, yeah. That's the history of the town. More on that later, when I can find the words to write more about the overall history of Mongolia.

At the present, the weather is very cool, but not cold. It's nice. Tselmeg and I have spent all of today sitting outside of "Dave's Place," which is a very nice Irish bar located right off of the main square. The titular Dave is a neat guy, and has run this business for a number of years (four? five? I can't remember). He's lived in the city even longer (seven years? eight?). His bar is a popular ex-pat hangout.

Incidentally, there's a whole lot of Korean influence in this city. Lots of Korean restaurants and hotels, lots of beauty salons and a whole lot of Hyundai Cars. I noticed last time I was in the city that even the arcade games at the local cinema are Korean cast-offs.

Oh, and fuck... it's also a very dusty city. No one has thought to plant grass or flowers around the streets, so whenever the wind picks up the dust gets everywhere.

So, I'm not sure when I'll leave here. Maybe I'll stay for a week. Maybe two. Maybe I'll venture into the countryside. Maybe not.

Ulaanbaator