People were encouraged to feed the pigeons because people sold packs of pigeon food for only 40 cents. Word had gotten out to the pigeon community of the free chow!

Finally, here is a view past the horde of pigeons: The Megjid Janraiseg Temple
Inside is a 25.6 meter and 20 ton Avalokiteshvara-Janraiseg statue, a Buddhist deity. The statue is amazing, but it was impossible to take a good photo of such a huge statue from up close. Plus, it was $10 just to take a photo inside.

Spinning the wheel three times is supposed to give good luck.
Gandan monastery, Ulaan Baatar.

On the second night we went to dinner here in what is thought to be Mongolia's largest ger.

The place of honor was reserved for a portrait of Chingis Khan.

There was traditional Mongolian entertainment.

Dinner was mutton with a hot stone. The stone was to be held in our hands to increase circulation.

U.B. has many Soviet style old apartment buildings.

Tiger beer (a Singaporean beer) has been brewed in Mongolia since 2005. Seeing this truck was like being in Singapore.

This monument lists the sister cities of U.B. Denver is the representative in the U.S., and has the largest Mongolian population in the U.S., probably because the weather at least partly resembles Mongolia, with changes from Summer to Winter weather in the same day.



Mongolians start riding horses at a very young age, so almost everyone can ride well, although some of the younger generation who have grown up in U.B. don't know how to ride.

Some photos of Ulaan Baatar, the capitol of Mongolia.

A statue of Lenin in front of the Ulaan Baatar Hotel.

Sukhbaatar square, the location of demonstrations that lead to the downfall of the communist government in 1990 and the emergence of democracy in Mongolia. In the background is the parliament building.

A statue of Sukhbaatar, a Mongolian military hero who helped the country get independence in 1921.

Graduating students standing in front of the statue of Chingis Khan to get their photo.

The airport was beautiful in Beijing, but customs is still slow. It was the first time I've ever gotten stamps in my passport for just transitting through an airport.

Temples at the Beijing airport.


Shopping is one of the main religions in China.

On the way to Mongolia I had to transfer in Beijing. The new Beijing airport to me looks like smokestacks belching out polluted skies, although it also has an undeniable beauty.