Read about Ron & Viv's journey so far - Ulaanbaatar to Russian Border.
A good view of the heart of UB from the Lookout.
The girls outside the Gandantegchinlen Khiid Monastery.
The Winter Palace of Bogd Khaan.
2nd to 6th September 2008
MONGOLIA
Ulaanbaatar to Russian Border
Back to Ulaanbaatar
Back again at the Oasis Guesthouse (ph: +976 1146 3693; web: www.intergram-oasis.com) which is located at the eastern end of town, just off Narny (Sun) Gudamj Road (GPS 47°54'41”N 106°58'52”E) and behind a fuel servo and a group of shops which included a supermarket or two and a good internet café (not wireless), all of which proved to be very handy.
However it is not the most salubrious part of town with a lot of light industry going on behind wooden fences. Don't be put off though, the guesthouse is quite good with rooms and gers as a range of clean and comfortable accommodation, friendly staff and a small café which has good meals although a limited menu. The owners – Renee (in pic) and Sybillie Poeschko, are friendly and informative. There is secure parking with a locked gate and a watchhouse and watch keeper as well.
We spent a few days around UB waiting for a spring to arrive for Rod's truck and while we were there we did a city tour, the girls went shopping and the boys played with their cars.
Our City Tour – the guide and driver organized thru the Oasis – was a little cheaper and longer in duration than a normal one. It turned out to be pretty good and lasted nearly all day.
We went to the Gandantegchinlen Khiid Monastery, which is in the heart of UB. Most of the temples and monasteries, along with their belongings, were destroyed during the Stalinist purges of the 1930s. This monastery survived probably so the communists could keep it as a showcase to impress any foreigners. Roughly meaning 'the great place of complete joy' , Gandan is one of UB's most amazing sights. Within it are several glorious temples including one that houses a giant Buddha, the Avalokiteshvara (Migjid Janraising), which stands 26.5 meters high, and is gold-plated. Upon entering the temple, the immense size of the statue …. and all that gold … hits you straight away. About 150 or so monks now live here and do their best to bring the temples back to life with plenty of chanting and church services. We wandered thru one while it was on – the young monks – kids really who are in training for over 7 years – were like kids everywhere; some were paying attention and reading from their wood cased scripture books, while others were surreptitiously talking between themselves or dozing. They were much more animated when let out – as we were when set free into the school yard!
We went to the Museum of Natural History which is worth a long visit especially if you're heading into the countryside. There are exhibits about Mongolia's geography, flora and fauna and some displays about recent Mongolian history. The most impressive collection though is the floor devoted to dinosaurs. Very impressive are the two complete dinosaur skeletons which were found in the Gobi - the giant flesh eating Tarbosaurus and its first cousin, the little duckbilled plant-eating Saurolophus . Also the two dinosaurs fighting to the death (obviously?) is a beauty while the collection of nests and eggs is impressive.
The centre of the city is Sükhbaatar Square . From this spot in July 1921 Damdiny Sükhbaatar, the 'hero of the revolution' , declared Mongolia's independence from the Chinese (there's a statue of him in the heart of the square). The square was also where the first protests were held in 1989 which eventually led to the fall of communism. On normal days, it's a serene place where only pigeons, peddling photographers and pedestrians do much of anything, but more lately it seems every rock concert wants to perform here, while any festivals wants to parade through its heart.
The impressive light coloured sandstone and glass fronted Parliament House with its statues of a giant Genhis Khan faces the square, as does a number of other nationally important buildings including Government House, the State Opera House, the tall, modern Palace of Culture and the impressive Mongolian Art Gallery .
We had lunch nearby at ‘The Mongolian Restaurant' – and it wasn't bad before we headed to the obligatory souvineer shops. We then headed to the south side of the city and the Lookout - near the …?????? Monument - which gives good views of the valley and the heart of UB. From there we went to another shop besides what was once the Winter Palace of Bogd Khaan which was also spared the wrath of Stalin. Built between 1893 and 1903, it's where Mongolia's 8th Bogd Khaan (Living Buddha) and last king, lived for 20 years. When he died in 1924, the Soviet-led communist government of Mongolia prohibited any future reincarnations, so there were no further Mongolian Buddhist leaders. There are 6 temples on the grounds of the Winter Palace.
North to the Russian Border
On the last day, Gay, with her suitcase bulging with souvenirs, headed for the airport for her flight home and we headed for ARB Mongolia to see if Rod's spring had arrived and to fit a shock to the rear of my Patrol. Rod's spring finally got to the store at about 3.30pm and Neil and Rod fitted it. We left Ulaanbaatar at about 5.30pm into heavy peak hour traffic which was a bit of a nightmare but we got out of town and camped about 65km north of the city (in the dark) at GPS 48°10'16”N 106°24'45”E. It turned out to be a good camp but it was very cold!
The road north to the border was pretty good and we reached there (GPS 50°19'14”N 106°29'23”E) the next day and took the 3 to 4 hours to get thru both border posts. We camped just north of the border town of Kyakhta in amongst the pine forest (GPS 50°23'01”N 106°30'32”E).
Next Siberia Russia.
Return to main Trip diary page
Link to Picture Gallery Page for Ulaanbaatar, Mongoliar
The café at the Oasis Guesthouse is a great place to get together and have a good meal; you can opt to stay in a ‘ger' or in the guesthouse.
The Museum of Natural History houses a great collection of dinosaurs.
Sukhbaatar Square and the statue of the ‘hero of the revolution' Damdiny Sukhbaatar .The impressive Parliament House with its statues of a giant Genhis Khan faces the square.
