FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Steppe, Beaches and Rainforest: Mongolia and East Africa

Jul 30, 19, 9:20 am

#7

swingaling

Join Date: Apr 2017

Location: PVD, BOS

Programs: AA EXP

Posts: 1,664

Ulan Bator, Mongolia

Ulan Bator, Mongolia

I met up with the guide and we set off for the day. Traffic was pretty light, as it was a Saturday morning. Due to some roadwork on the road heading east of of UB, we had to go west and then south before finally heading east toward our destinations. It added some additional driving time, but I had the entire day.

Ulan Bator, Mongolia

Ulan Bator, Mongolia

Nomads

Pee Break

Steppe

Our Vehicle

A Ball

After escaping the city, the first stop was the Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex. It's a pretty big draw for foreign and domestic tourists alike. It was worth a stop, but I didn't spend much time there. Perhaps 30-40 minutes.

Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex

Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex

There's a museum in the basement.

Evolution of the Yurt

Evolution of the Yurt

Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex

There was also the opportunity to hold a golden eagle, ride a camel or horse and shoot a bow.

Golden Eagle

Roadside Horses

Next stop was lunch, but we stopped at a roadside Buddhist shrine along the way. Obligatory bird trainers set up shop there.

Golden Eagle

Vulture of some kind

Roadside Shrine View

We entered the Gorkhi Terelj National Park for lunch and sightseeing. The park itself was incredibly built up for a national park. Basically, people were building all sorts of structures in the park, both private homes and businesses. It didn't really feel like a park whatsoever.

Gorkhi Terelj National Park