Ulaanbaatar!

I have arrived in Chinggis Khan country .... .great warrior emperor and founder of the Mongol Nation ..... a hero it would be dangerous to say anything negative about anywhere in Mongolia, as the ferocious wrath of a proud nation would come down on you rather quickly with, well, ferocity :)!! All subsequent Mongolian Khan successors were chosen from Chinggis's bloodline. To say he is revered here, is an understatement! The city, as well as the countryside, has numerous statues dedicated to this fierce, proud, popular historical ruler. The warrior foundation is evident in the very distinct Mongolian character. I don't think I have ever in my life met people so distinctly, distinct!!.... they appear Asian, yet are nothing like the Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese,Thai, Malaysian ..... if I could describe the essence of the Mongolian, it would be a mixture of rugged, gentle strength, the strength part something one might not wish to cross. A country rich and vibrant in a history that I have only touched on, but captivates me beyond measure. A country bordering China and Russia (actually, sits in the middle somewhere)!! ..... they share the Russian cyrillic alphabet, yet Mongolian and Russian are each a distinct language, but to my ears, sound similar. I walk along streets, dotted with potholes, livestock lining the roads leaving the airport...... my taxi driver, Bodgul, artfully dodged cows and goats in equal measure, before reaching the downtown core. Ger settlements (circular wood-framed felt tents) dot the landscape around Ulaanbaatar's tall modern hotels and buildings. Cars are mostly Russian jeeps and trucks, Korean or Japanese cars, with a few American vehicles thrown into the mix. Steering can be either on the left or ride side, depending on what country they came from!! Driving however, is on the right side, regardless. Smoke is constantly in the air ...... gers are wood/coal/dung heated and factories (actually not sure what they are, but huge smoke stacks on the periphery of the city), burn coal, spewing black fumes into the air. So many old cars on the streets creates it's own little world of pollution. It may all accurately be considered third worldy to most westerners but is very evidently in the throes of intense development. I always ponder how a culture with a with such a strong and vibrant 5,000 year old history full of conquests and power, is now a somewhat backward country. In the ebb and flow of power, perhaps historically many countries have had their time in the sun as the king pins. Everyone takes a turn ..... power keeps circling the globe.



China, Japan and Korea and to a lesser degree, Americans and Europeans, are all represented here ...... trade missions or individual businessmen arrive daily, all scrambling to get in on the ground floor development of a country, or perhaps by now, it is into the third and fourth floors! ...... the tourism industry, not to mention the huge mineral mining potential, are the main focus for economic development. Corruption is rampant, creating new millionaires in an economy where everyone was pretty much on an equal footing financially, only a dozen or so years ago. The rich and poor are planets apart here, creating concerns all the way around ..... sadly, pickpocketing and bag slashing is becoming more common ..... vigilance regarding packs and purses is essential when in crowded situations. For the same distance via taxi (and I say taxi loosely here, as anyone within the mishmash of cars on the road, can be a potential taxi driver) ..... in all fact, including my first ride from the airport, I have not really seen a true taxi, with a running meter yet, although the guide books say they do exist!!) ..... but back to charges, I have paid anywhere from the equivalent of CDN $2 to $25 for the same distance ...... the arguments can be heated if you fail to pay what is asked. I have learned that if I just hand over the equivalent of what I think the ride is worth, there will be no argument .... so another lesson learned :) Hopping the bus is okay too, and have started to feel comfortable using them. Mongolia, just a short two decades ago, was a communist country, with Russian as it's main support. Now a declared independent democratic nation!! Progress .......

Ulaanbaatar, capital city, of almost a million, in a country that only numbers three million. The only international airport in the country is located on the outskirts ...... Mongolia remains one of the world's emptiest countries ..... 1.5 people to a square kilometer and in some remote parts, 0.3 people per square kilometer!! A little less than 50% percent of the population are still nomadic livestock herders but that is changing fast as more and more move into the city and towns for financial opportunities. The gers can apparently be taken down and assembled again in under an hour ..... hard to believe, as the wooden framing looks rather complex, but the nomads of Mongolia have lived this way for thousands of years, so imagine they have it down pat by now ..... camels are used to transport the gers to their next location. I imagine the summers are when most of the nomadic activity happens ..... winters are brutal, with temps hitting as high as minus 50 in some parts ..... those fur hats and coats are a necessity here! There are people who travel here in the winter (tourists if you can believe this??!!) just to experience the winter cold and solitude!! Hawaii anyone?? Somewhat sadly, I think the landscape of this country will be vastly changed in ten years. While wondering along on the main street, Peace Avenue, I met Irene, a Brit, selling antique Mongolian tapestries, a few of which I purchased ..... prices so reasonable I could not resist :) ...... She happily shared her stories of the "old days of Ulaanbaatar" ..... a mere eight years ago, when livestock ..... cows, yaks, goats, sheep were what you dodged, not cars, as is the case today! May I add that in Mongolia, pedestrians have absolutely no right of way! ...... I had my elbow scraped by a car on day one ..... rather a quick and painful way to learn that fact! A two lane road can easily become a three or four lane, with sidewalks used regularly to gain a bit of advantage over the car beside you or perhaps to avoid a pothole ...... traffic circles become a race to see who can get that extra inch ahead, ignoring any Western style road rules ....... the cell phone adds a whole new dimension to all this craziness ..... totally reminded me of my early days of learning to drive in Kuwait .... even today, I can get out of a traffic jam faster than anyone I know, having learned to expertly maneouver in just these kinds of driving conditions .....


Did I say how much I am enjoying being here??!!! Totally and absolutely!! ..... When Brian and I moved back to Canada from the Middle East in 1980, it was primarily I who missed the insanity that was the Middle East in the 1970's. Now what does that say about me?? :) I love the contrast of old and new, chaos and silence, beauty (the hilly countryside) and homely (the smoke stacks and resultant pollution) ..... Mongolia resonates deeply! However ....... Ulaanbaatar's pollution is a bit of a concern! While wondering through the History Museum, I discovered that Mongolia's religious roots lie in Shamanism, differing significantly from that of Buddhism or Christianity!! It was the main religion during the early Mongol Empire days ..... sometime in the 13th century Buddhism gained in popularity and remains the main religion today. There is a small ethnic group from the Northern regions, the Tsaatan, also called the reindeer people, still practicing ritualistic magic, nature worship, meditation and natural healing as part of their shamanistic heritage. Are they perhaps related to the Finnish Laplanders, also known as reindeer herders to this day, that my parents spoke of so many years ago??? ..... a mythical reference perhaps, that thousands of years ago, certain tribes broke away from the Mongolian Empire, some settling in modern day Korea, Turkey, Hungary and Finland ...... My immagination takes a happy hold here!


My first Mongolian word ...... Bayarlaa ..... "Thank" you for listening/reading in on my journal :)