After catching the plane in Perth and three flights in total we arrived in UB (Ulaanbaatar), Mongolia. Our bags arrived in one piece and we headed to the guest apartment that Ben had been staying in.
The weather has been really good as its summer here so leaving the cold weather in Perth we have been enjoying the sunshine and sometimes rain here in UB. I am not taking the weather for grated as I know it will be winter here soon enough.
As I post this blog we have been in UB (Ulaanbaatar) for just over two weeks and I feel like we have achieved a lot and we are settling in quite well. We have found some where to live, thanks to Ben house hunting so when our items arrive from Indonesia we can move straight in. When that will be I just don't know and we are hoping it will be not to far away.
Since we where last here I have been able to see many of the changes that have occurred in the city. There are a lot more buildings that have gone up in the city, the traffic seems to have gotten worse. I think that is due to people being able to buy cars. The prices for rentals have gone up as the demand due to the increase in mining activity has increased. There are a lot more westerners roaming around and this is due to being summer here and also of the influx of the work force coming for mining activity. There is a lot more choice in the supermarkets but once again you can not do the one shop shopping. There are also a number of products you can not find but in time I hope I will be able to in time. We have been gone three years and somethings seems as they have never changed and its a weird feeling to be somewhere that seems so familiar.
This is the first of many blogs that I will post while we are here in Mongolia and to some up this blog "SO FAR SO GOOD".
Ben and Paige standing in front of the big Chinggis Khan statue in Sukhbaatar Square
Paige enjoying a strawberry milkshake
Old friends catch up, Paige and Tsenguun with some playtime
Nothing changes, a homeless person by the parliament building
Two young girls waiting to enter the parliament building
View from the 8th floor of the Monnis building
Another view from the 8th floor of the Monnis building
Outside view of the Sunday Plaza Shopping Centre,
a range of small shops selling clothes, home goods, and other items
a range of small shops selling clothes, home goods, and other items
Ben buying a Kvass drink
Ben drinking a Kvass drink
Entrance to the Naran Tuul Market also know as The Black Market
Kvass is a fermented beverage made from black or regular rye bread. The colour of the bread used contributes to the colour of the resulting drink. It is a very low alcoholic drink (0.7 to 2.2%) and can come in apple or raspberry flavour. The drink is from Russia and is sold on the street here in small trailer type stands. It didn't taste to bad, it was across between an apple and yeast taste.
The Naran Tuul Market or also know as the Black Market we visited the market to try and start finding some items for the town house we will be moving into. Ben likes this market as he sometimes finds some camouflage items for his collection. The market is very large. On some web sites say its the biggest market in Asia and in summer can have anywhere up to 60,000 people visiting it per day.
You can find just about anything at this market if you look hard enough and the prices are a lot cheaper then in some of the city shops, hence that's why so many people come to this market.
Shoppers beware many pick pockets roam this market so I never take a hand bag and I usually wear a money belt to make sure we are not targeted.
Having lunch with some old friends Tracy, Andrea, Oko and also some new friends Sue and Donna
