4th – 25th July 2014
Mongolia’s capital city holds about 2 million people, that’s two thirds of the entire country’s population! In the centre are uninspiring grey or sandy coloured buildings, whilst on the outskirts are the poorer districts where people live in gers, crammed in an estate kind of style.
A cemetery scattered behind the outskirts of the city
A local pub
Some local 3D street art, dotted around the city
And some not so impressive street art!
I have become used to seeing vehicles coming head on at you! They always managed to avoid each other, just at the last minute!
There are many restaurants in the city, and we managed to sample a few good ones, although between tours we did sway towards the non-Mongolian restaurants (there’s only so much mutton one can stomach!)
After booking my trip, I discovered that my dates fell when the national yearly festival would be held in Mongolia – The Naadam Festival. I got a ticket to the opening ceremony which was absolutely amazing, I felt a real buzz as all the dancers performed in unison to some traditional Mongolian music. I did do some short videos but it wasn’t until afterwards I realised I had accidentally turned the sound off, so there’s not much point in me putting them up!
However I did get some good photos with the boys, Stefan and Sebastien.
The acquisition of our tickets!
Il pleut!
Some colourful pictures from the opening ceremony
A rather impressive firework display signalled the closing of the festival
On my last day in Mongolia, we went to the famous black market. Hundreds of stalls selling everything you can imagine, and notorious for pickpockets! The stalls gathered in type of item being sold, so you’d have hundreds of clothes stalls together, then there’d be make-up and toiletries, and what seemed like hundreds of tool stalls, bikes, fabrics, furniture, stoves, even whole ger kits, it was a sight to see in itself!
I bought some essential items such as new laces, for my stupidly nearly-ruined shoes!
Battered sausage and chips please…
Coming right up!
Map image of our entire trip through Mongolia
ontheroadwithclaire 
Ahhhhh – the wrestlers 🙂 He he he
Bums!
Ah Claire, I guessed the boys would like the bums. PS. You could have photographed the bike stalls for me! Daddykins XXX