In the cities of tents

We wondered how moving works in this country, because the land is owned by everybody or by nobody. In the countryside people agree with their neighbors on the ground they use. In the cities, we assume, people just find a empty place, build a fence around and set a ger up. Therefore the map of all cities look as if they are growing organically.

The growing tentacles of UB.

Ulanbaatar, by everybody lovingly called UB (YouBe) is by far the biggest city in Mongolia and by far the city with the worst air pollution in the world. We could already see the dirty cloud hanging over the city when we arrived by bus (the city is lucky the be surrounded by mountains so smog is also hardly blown away). A lot if this pollution is actually not caused by industry but by thousands of gers (mongolian tents) that are still heated by coal, but beautiful coat the hills surrounding the city.

UB covered by a layer of coal particles seen from the immigration agency.

In this city you will find everything. Numerous tour agencies bringing you out in the country side, a big state department store (said to by an attraction, actually very similar to a big European shopping store like galleria Kaufhof or Magasin), shops to stock up on trekking gear, the black market were you will find everything, mongolian and international cusine but beds in hostel are sometimes hard to find.

Microfraction of the farbic selection on the black market.

Schachlik snack made in UB.

We stayed in the Sunpath that is a cosy hostel also organizing tours. It’s owner is friendly, unbelievable patient (explaining for an hour a crazy Spanish guy that he want come far without a Chinese visa ) speaks fluent English, the only thing that was lacking during the whole time that we stayed there was warm water.

The smaller cities work the same way with a little city center and a large ger area around, and a little market very you can do your shopping. There you really stick out as a foreigner and kids will have fun coming to you shouting „hello“ and hurry to run away.

View on the ger areas in Tsetserleg (after a while or with increasing income people also start to build houses inside their fences).

Fences in Tsetserleg (not as white and as straight as in Europe).

Steffi and Tom on the Road

With Tommy traveling in the trains of this World.

Schreibe einen Kommentar Antworten abbrechen