Here are some favorite photos from Jonna's time in Mongolia:
1) Flag raising in UB's Sukhbaatar square.
2) Performance with traditional costumes on the stairs of the new Parliament building in UB. A large statue of Chengghis Khaan looms far in the background looking like "Jabba the Hut" from Star Wars.
3) Zaisan memorial was built by the Russians to honor those who fought in WWII.
4) Ovoo at the Zaisan memorial.
5) Buddha statue between smoke stacks and Zaisan Memorial.
6) Lotus symbol on traditional drum with graffiti. Graffiti was quite common around UB.
7) Yes, they have hot dogs in Mongolia. They were pretty darn good.
One with everything.
Buddha and hot dog vendor.
Statue and smokestacks.
8) They are kind of like corn dogs with chunks of potato in the batter.
9) I think his name was Zoldar. He was very happy to have a cab full of American girls. We were his new friends and he wanted to take our pictures with his phone.
Taxi ride with friends.
"call me if you need a ride"
Zoldar brings us home.
10) Little girls dance on lotus flowers for the Naadam opening ceremony. Preview for the Beijing opening ceremony?
11) Chegghis Khaan banners carried by horsemen in Naadam opening ceremony.
12) Traditional costumes in Naadam opening ceremony. Note the cell phone - a common reminder of Mongolia's value on both the traditional and the modern.
13) Souvenirs at the Naadam festival with blue thermos.
14) Archery competition at the Naadam festival. The target is in a basket that sits on the ground.
15) Bone flicking contest at the Naadam festival. Here is the flicker preparing to shoot his bone about 20 feet to the target. As he is doing this he is surrounded by men heckling him.
16) The target in bone flicking.
17) This little boy aspires to be a champion bone flicker someday.
18) Girl on her scooter riding around Sukhbaatar square.
19) Passed out...man taking a "nap" near Sukhbaatar square. Not an uncommon sight.
20) View of "man camp". A large group of Chinese construction workers took up residence in the empty lot next to our hotel. From the window of our hotel we could see them smoking cigarettes and playing mah jong in their underwear every night.
The UB man camp
Is a mystery to me.
Young men in wood shack.
21) Nighttime fireworks were common in UB. They startled me at first but then I got used to the noise. I made myself get up around midnight to take fireworks photos near the end of the trip.
22) The wrestling finals at the national Naadam. Sitting in the stands of a big stadium is quite different than sitting at the feet of the wrestlers (as we did at the country Naadam).
Sunny stadium.
Wrestling is like baseball.
Slow moving action.
23) I was considered quite crazy for riding the public bus in UB. Evidently this is a no-no for tourists. But is was so cheap and easy. I never had a problem and loved acting like a local.
Go back to the fifth '08 Mongolia
Trip Photo Page.
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Project Photo Page.
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