At the top is the memorial itself , of which this is a part.
At the bottom of the
hill is this
immense Buddha and drum
Sukhbaatar
square in the center of the city was named for the hero who defeated the Chinese and
re-established
Mongolia's independence.
It has
monuments to
Genghis Khan and other warriors and rulers who were central to the
founding of the Mongolian empire.
Not
long before
we visited Mongolia
there had been political protests which had led to torching the
Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party's headquarters. Concerned about
potential
reoccurrence we
had inquired if the riots were near out hotel and we were told that it
wasn't far. When we arrived we found
it was very
close, across a very narrow street from the Ulaanbataar Hotel where we
stayed.
Glad we weren't there at the time.
Our hotel is in the foreground of the first picture and directly behind the statue of
Lenin in the
third.
The youngest monk we saw
during our
visit.
Some of the gers we saw
in town,
The
wrestling arena, a reproduction of a war command wagon, a "mobile home"
sales display and the interior of one we saw in a museum.
As we took off we could
see that many
of the homes in the city were gers.
Around the city A Mongolian Rally car in
front of the
State Department Store, this structure of unknown purpose in a small
park in the middle of a highway.
Open air pool tables
Mongolian
barbecue had some
items you aren't likely to find in the US (horse meat, and fatty
sheep's tail for grilling and cow stomach/intestine soup).
Wagon loads of wool and
hot water
distribution pipes near the railroad into town.
Music and dance shows
These young
contortionists assumed
some unbelievable positions.
Museums We saw gold, and
intricately carved
ivory.
Games and puzzles still
common in
Mongolia.
Dinosaurs found in the
country.
Some of the vehicles we
saw at at
their war museum.
The International
Intellectual Museum is also worth a visit.
See the link at the top or bottom of the page.
Monasteries and temples The entrance to the
Gandan monastery
Brass and huge wooden
prayer wheels
must be spun clockwise.
A huge Buddha.
Around the grounds
If spinning prayer
wheels isn't
enough, scarves of various colors can be offered to add to any request. We inquired and were
told that a
yellow scarf would be the best to
insure a clear day for the eclipse we wanted to see here in Mongolia.
At the end of our trip
we returned to
Ulaanbataar and visited Bogd Khan's temple/museum.
Many
thanks to our friends from the trip for sharing their good company,
videos, and pictures with us and with you.
Thanks again Alice, Lee, Eleanor, Michael, Joyce, David, Juliana, Tom,
Stu, and Tanner.