Ulaanbaatar

Have finally arrived in Mongolia & woke way too early because of the 2 hour time difference. This is what I saw in the early morning light, as I looked out of the 9th floor apartment window. Note there is no traffic, but later when peak hour started, the noise level rose & I have been serenaded by car horns ever since!

The large image of Chinggis Khaan has been carved into the hillside & overlooks the capital. The National Symbol from the flag, is also carved into another hillside to the right of this image.

Went out walking with Bob, to get some groceries & have been snapping away. This Grand Khaan Irish Pub is going to be our dinner destination. We had Japanese for lunch & will be eating a lot of Mongolian food on our long trips on the Steppes. It was a beautiful Spring day, sunny with a light breeze. The streets were busy & crossing the road is interesting as cars don't stop for pedestrians on the crossings if at all possible!

The capital has a Russian era feel to it, as the 2 nations have had close ties for many years. More modern buildings are beginning to dot the skyline, but as far as capital cities go, this one is quite manageable with 1 million inhabitants.  The Cyrillic alphabet is used, so I'm having trouble reading signs, but that won't stop me shopping.