This panorama of Mongolia's capital city (pop. 600,000) shows much of downtown from the Southwest. (We live somewhere in the background on the left of the picture)
Sukhbaatar is Mongolia's national hero who liberated Mongolia from Chinese
rule and called in the Soviet Red Army in the early 1920s. His statue still adorns
Ulaanbaatar's central square. In the background stands the Opera House, where during
the winter season one can watch excellent ballet and opera performances. If you are
a fan of the performing Atrs, you are likely to see more performances here than in most
western countries! And they won't break break the bank either.
This one of the few capital cities where rush doesn't start 'till lunch time, and cows
still graze in the centre of town! During the past years things have been changing
rapidly, and that includes the traffic. In a country where a few years ago one'd
hardly saw a vehicle, you can actually witness the odd traffic jam now!
UB boasts one of the most efficient taxi systems in the world. Once you put out your hand,
virtually every car turns into a taxi! With rates set at Tg.200/km (US$0.25), and drivers
who labourishly set their trip odometers to zero, one doesn't have to bargain either.
One of the monuments honouring Soviet accomplishments in days gone by. It's still a popular site for visitors because of the good view over UB.
Although Ulaanbaatar is big, one is never far from nature. Take one of the city buses to its terminus and start walking (bus 18 for this mountain, 7 for Bogd Khan on the south side). Chingeltei is one of the four holy mountains surrounding Ulaanbaatar, and has enjoyed protection for many centuries.
Last updated on March 21, 1999
Copyright ©1997- 1999, Rogier Gruys Rgruys@compuserve.com