Mongolia- Arrival and Ulaanbaatar!

The flight to Mongolia left from Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C.  I drove to the airport with Ken.  The other members of the team had their own arrangements, and we were all meeting in Ulaanbaatar (the capital and largest city in Mongolia) on June 4-5.  We met up with R.D. at Dulles and together we flew via Beijing and then on to Ulaanbaatar.  Wow, Mongolia!!

This would be my first time to Asia.  We had a 6 hour layover in Beijing and that was long enough to rest a little (the flight from Dulles was 11 hours) and grab some food.  I was already thoroughly thrilled with the time in Beijing Airport.  It was a huge place, appropriate for the enormous country of China.  I successfully (didn't get sick) experimented with some funky looking frog's leg type dish before we headed to the gate for our flight to Ulaanbaatar.

We arrived late at night and were met by Nergui Dorj and another driver. Below is a photo of the main airport terminal entrance during the day time when other group members arrived. 

Below is the hotel where we stayed for 5 nights. During that time, the rest of our team convened and we met with local officials to discuss the project while gathering construction supplies.

The hotel had open access to its roof. From there we had a 360 degree view showing adjacent settlements, hotels, and office buildings.  Down the street, there was a Buddhist temple which gave us an peek into the Mongolian religious life.

Just outside the hotel, there was a mixture of traditional gers (yurts as we call them) and houses constructed using locally sourced materials.  With our modern and freshly renovated hotel next door, the scene offered a clear illustration of the colliding and evolving cultures and economies in this country.

There were only a few principal and paved thoroughfares in Ulaanbaatar.  These avenues were regularly clogged with cars, and the pavement was often filled potholes and frost heaves.

The next posting will provide more discussion and photos of our time in Ulaanbaatar including images of meetings and the local markets where we gathered construction supplies.