The morning dawned with a beautiful sunrise in Ulaanbaatar. Finally, I can see the city! My first impression is that the capital city of Mongolia is a urban center in transition. Old Soviet-style architecture meets modern 21st century high-rise.
September is "windy" season and the wind was blowing today as I walked from the hotel to Sukhbaatar Square - about a 20 minute trek. On the way, I met Hatnaa at Cafe Amsterdam for lunch. Cafe Amsterdam is a very popular restaurant with ex-pats and international travelers. We saw a lot of back-packers. The staff was friendly, and we enjoyed a Greek salad and paninis. A great start for my first adventure out into the city.
In August, the newly elected government decided to open the Government Palace which houses national treasures from the rule of Chengis Khan and his sons to the public marking the 850th anniversay of the birth of Chinggis Khaan. The public has rarely been permitted into the Palace which also houses the Great State Hural (Parliament). Read more here: Government Palace Opens to the Public.
September is "windy" season and the wind was blowing today as I walked from the hotel to Sukhbaatar Square - about a 20 minute trek. On the way, I met Hatnaa at Cafe Amsterdam for lunch. Cafe Amsterdam is a very popular restaurant with ex-pats and international travelers. We saw a lot of back-packers. The staff was friendly, and we enjoyed a Greek salad and paninis. A great start for my first adventure out into the city.
In August, the newly elected government decided to open the Government Palace which houses national treasures from the rule of Chengis Khan and his sons to the public marking the 850th anniversay of the birth of Chinggis Khaan. The public has rarely been permitted into the Palace which also houses the Great State Hural (Parliament). Read more here: Government Palace Opens to the Public.
Mongolian State Palace on Sukhbaatar Square
Here are a few photos from inside the Palace!
The Nine Base White Banners made of horse hair!
The Medal of Chinggis Khan
The White Peace Banner and the Black War Banner
displayed at the Government Palace
The Mongolian people are very proud of these historic symbols of the the empire of the Khans. I'm so glad that the palace is open to the public. An incredible display of Mongol artifacts. I felt very fortunate to be here shortly after the palace was opened.
Hatnaa and I had a chance to review our meetings of the week. Monday we will discuss the development of democracy and policy with the director of the State Policy Analysis Institute (NGO), the vice-director of the Mongolian Academy of Governance, the director of the School of Public Services and Administration at the Academy of Governance, and the Director of the School of Governance and Management.
Today, I got my own Mongolian telephone number, experienced the money exchange facility and shopped at the State Department Store market for some basic staples like food and bottled water. I'll post more about the city and its people in another post. I learned a lot about Ulaanbaatar and Mongolia today. And, my education is just beginning!
'Til tomorrow! Good night.
Sounds very interesting but a little scary. That ger-ing trip may be tricky.
ReplyDeleteHaha! It gets tricky, but people here are really friendly and welcoming. I'm actually looking forward to the Ger camp. Don't know about riding the camels though! I'll take a lot pictures and let you know how it goes. Thanks for reading and posting!
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