First Impressions

I arrived in Ulaan Baatar this morning after an overnight flight from Moscow. I was met at the airport by a representative from the tour company. She had me through immigration and customs and into a car in under 30 minutes. Twenty minutes later we arrived at the hotel. The rest of the group isn't arriving until late tonight so I have the day to explore U.B. (as the locals call it) by myself.\r

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First, I'm surprised by the number of Westerners here. I had thought the U.B. was a pretty remote place and didn't realize that so many Western expats would be living here. I guess lots of Western companies are interested in opening up the Mongolian market, particularly the natural resources. Whatever the reason, there are plenty of signs in English and more than a few restaurants/pubs that seem to cater to foreigners.\r

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Second, the central section of U.B. is exactly what I expected from a former Soviet capital. There is an enormous (and I mean truly 'enormous') square right in the center of the city. The square is obviously too big for any civic purpose other than military parades. All the buildings surrounding the square also have the touch of Soviet architecture - big, blocky, and concrete. The net effect was to make me feel small as I walked across the empty space surrounded by those monolithic buildings. I guess that is partly what they were trying to achieve.\r

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Third, globalization has reach U.B. The teenages all wear the same styles of clothing I've been seeing in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. I would bet they are watching the same movies and listening to the same music too. The billboards advertise the same products and services as in Cairo, Prague and Beirut. I wonder what I'll find when we get out to the Mongolian countryside. Will the Backstreet Boys be there to greet us??\r

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Photo album: Mongolia\r

http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=c931oof.6yy31t0v&x=0&y=-h2vxir