Lama Taxi

It was rather difficult finding a ride from the provincial capital of Ulaangom to the provincial capital of Olgii. On the third day I managed to get a ride with the lama of Khovd Sum (a small desert outpost). Here is a portrait of the lama's Russian jeep, while we were patching the second flat tire.

The City of Ulaangom

Ulaangom must be one of tne of the least photogenic cities in the world. To make matters worse, it could be dangerous to take pictures of locals without their permission. On the other hand, Ulaangom has some interesting train car diners.

This one is out of service.

Diners or cheap local restaurants like this one are known as 'guanz.'

An apartment block.

The grafitti here, whether intentional or not, is sheer genius. The Mongol hordes led by Chinggis Khaan were known in the west as the 'Tatars' or 'Tartars,' though the 'Tatars' were in fact a completely separate clan.

Kharkiraa Valley

Here are a couple of pictures of the mountain valley of Kharkiraa, about 30 km south of Ulaangom, Mongolia.

The remains of a sheep on the still-frozen stream into the valley.

The Largest Lake in Mongolia - Uvs Nuur

From the city of Ulaangom, I was able to make a day trip to Uvs Nuur, a very salty inland sea in western Mongolia. My guide/driver was a local police officer. Little did I know that he would bring his family along as well as an old Russian rifle. I should mention that as one of the great bird sanctuaries of Central Asia, Uvs Nuur has been listed as a UN World Heritage Site. I would like to stress that I did not take any shots at the wild fowl, though I did manage to shoot a picture or two of the poachers.

This is the lake itself.


My guide's son. Note: the rifle was not loaded at this time.

Salty patches.

This gentleman was a great hunter - he felled two big geese (this is the first one). The other hunters were unsuccessful.

The most impressive of the Russian rifles.

1,300 kms and 40 hours in a Cramped Russian Van

To get from Ulaanbaatar to Ulaangom on the other side of the country, near the Tuva region of the Russian Federation, and not far from the border of Kazakhstan, I opted on taking a Russian van from the Naran Tuul market. Passenger count: 15.
I'll post a link of the full grisly story when/if it gets published. For now, here are a few pics.

The driver - who I believe to be an offroad genius.

A holy tree.

A mural of a Mongolian wrestler on the wall of a small town diner.

View of Khyrgas Lake on the last morning of the trip.

Read More about Ulaanbaatar at The Asia Times

If you've liked the pictures I've been posting on Ulaanbaatar you may want to read more about this unusual city. Here's my article in The Asia Times (Online Edition, April 24).

http://http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/KD24Ad02.html

More Random Sights of Ulaanbaatar

Here is the final installment of pictures on the wonderfully strange city of Ulaanbaatar.

Yesterday, April 20, would have been S. Zorig's birthday if he were still alive today. Zorig was one of the great democracy leaders during Mongolia's post-Soviet era. He was stabbed to death in his apartment in 1998 and the crime remains unsolved to this day.

The State Department Store! 1921-2009.

Why is there a Beatles monument in the heart of Ulaanbaatar? This question has been eating away at me for more than a year now. When I asked a local resident her answer was, 'Because everyone loves the Beatles.' There also seems to be an esoteric link between the Beatles and Mongolia's democratic movement. Why, I wonder, is Paul standing alone, with George, John, and Ringo sidestepping away?