Day 1: Bantoring in Ulaanbaator! 

 

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One Loooong Ass Flight!!

For a couple of old-timers a 22 hour flight, consisting of a contentious fight errrr, flight! from Detroit to Chicago, then a scramble from United to Turkish Air, 11 hours to Istanbul, then 9 more to Ulaanbaatar, very groggy, the Boys were met by their two new best friends for the entirety of their Mongolian experience, Sinhee (pronounced Sinead), their English-speaking guide and Bataar, their Mongolian-only speaking driver!  A long hour later they reached the suburbs of Ulaanbaator, with the smoggy yellow skyline in view. Riding in Mike and Bone were struck at the hundreds of round, felt tents the Mongolians call "Gers" (most westerners call Yurts) throughout the suburbs and even into the city.  It turns out that Mongolia has a huge reserve of coal and it is burned throughout Ulaanbaator in the modern building and in the Ger tents, creating a permanent yellow haze of smog right out 1850's London or Detroit in the 1960's! After 30 minutes more weaving through a heavily congested city, Sinhee and Baator dropped the Boys off at a very nice Novatel to the familiar sounds of "Go Blue!?"

 

Go Blue!? In Ulaanbaator Too!?!

One of the Novatel check in agents was a young women that ran up all excited to see Bone's U of M polo shirt. She started to tell the Boys in perfect English that she is an engineering student and was waiting to hear if she would be accepted to the University of Michigan's Engineering School!. With a warm Meeechingan welcome the Boys dropped their luggage and decided to make the most of the first day. The loooong trip had made the Boys a little punchy, so what better way to shake off the flight and jet lag than a walk around the Capital and a few beers!

 

Mike & Bone with Chinggis at Mongolia's Government Palace !

The Novatel was only a few blocks from the Hotel and Mike had a watch to fix, so the Boys headed out to check out city and hopefully find a watch repair store. As soon as the Boys left the Hotel into the hot, smoggy streets, Mike and Bone noticed that those streets and sidewalks were pretty much a mess brick strewn about and concrete washed away throughout the streets. Apparently Mongolia (as the Boys were about to find out!) had been experiencing torrential rains and Ulaanbaator never built storm sewers, so that heavy rains simply washes away the roads an walkways. Deftly dodging the bricks and mortar, Mike and Bone investigated (and discretely castigated!) the very strange shopping malls they walked through looking for a jeweler with a simple pin for Mike's watch. Eventually they stumbled on the Government Palace, which is located on the north side of Sükhbaatar Square (formerly Chinggis Square, from 2013 to 2016). It houses various state organs such as the State Great Khural and offices of its members, as well as the offices of the President and Prime Minister. It is sometimes referred to by Ulaanbaatar residents as the "Saaral Ordon," or "Gray Palace" in the Mongolian language due to the exterior's former color (it was painted white in 2007). Walking into the middle of the Square, Mike and Bone came face to face with the "father" of the Mongolians, Temüjin himself!

 

Another View of Government Palace Square

The statue of Chinggis regally sitting is something the Boys would find through out Mongolia in the coming days. The Square it turns out has been an interesting place in Mongolian history, the grounds of the present day Government Palace and Sükhbaatar Square were largely occupied by the monastery of Ikh Khüree, the central temple-palace complex of the city up until the early part of the 20th century. The monastery was established in 1639 and was a moveable site that changed location nearly thirty times before finally settling in present-day Ulaanbaatar in 1855.

It was famous for its high-level monastic education, ten monastic schools, numerous temples, 15 000 lamas, thirty lama districts, spectacular religious festivals, and wealthy treasuries. Originally called Züün Khüree (East Monastery), the complex was the largest and oldest section of what was to become Ulaanbaatar. The monastery had a large open area (later the main city square) which was surrounded on all sides by temples, residences of the nobility and clergy as well as the Baruun Damnuurchin market. Here, Mongolian wrestling and Tsam dances took place in the presence of nobles and clergy. Later, the area became a dumping ground for refuse that the Bogd Khan would pass on his royal procession to the Yellow Palace interestingly enough! Across the Square was the Mongol Communist of hero of the Russians Damdiny Sühbaatar!  

 

The Mongolian Hero of the 1921 Chinese Revolution

Damdiny Sühbaatar was a cofounder and leader of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, who was the major force in the founding of the communist Mongolian People's Republic. So in 1691 northern Mongolia was colonized by Qing (Manchu) China. With the collapse of Qing rule in Mongolia in 1912, the Bogd Gegeen, Mongolia’s religious leader, was proclaimed Bogd Khan, or head of state.

He declared Mongolia’s independence, but only limited autonomy under China was accomplished. From 1919, nationalist revolutionaries such as Damdiny Sühbaatar, with Soviet assistance, drove out Chinese troops attempting to reoccupy Mongolia, then in 1921 they expelled the invading White Russian cavalry. July 11, 1921, then became celebrated as the anniversary of the revolution. The Mongolian People’s Republic was proclaimed in November 1924, and the Mongolian capital, centered on the main monastery of the Bogd Gegeen, was renamed Ulaanbaatar (“Red Hero”).

Walking out of the Square Mike and Bone looking for another mall for a watch repair shop, they came across a European that the Boys needed to "pool" their memories to remember who it was!

 

Marco !!!?!!! Polo!!!!

Every American kid with a pool remembers walking around with their friends with their eyes closed essentially playing "hide and seek" in the water with the calls of Marco! With their friend screaming "Polo!" With no one really understand who Marco Polo was! Venetian merchant and adventurer Marco Polo traveled from Europe to Asia from 1271 to 1295. He wrote 'Il Milione,' known in English as 'The Travels of Marco Polo.

He was arguably the most famous Western traveler to have journeyed on the Silk Road. As a young merchant, he began his journey to China in 1271 and his travels lasted for 24 years. During this time he became the confidant of Kublai Khan (1214-1294), Grandson of Chinggis, who ruled from today's Beijing. Despite spending most of his 17 years in China, the Mongols paid tribute to the Westerner that gets credit for putting Mongolia on the map!

After Mike and Bone checked two more Malls for a watch repair with no luck, the Boys were thirsty! So it was a good time to get acquainted with Chinggis!

 

Mike and Bone at their best, with beers in the Street!

The Boys found a quaint little side street with open tables for street dining and drinking, which is exactly what the Boys needed! At a quant little restaurant, Mike and Bone were exposed to the frothier side of Chinggis! Well Chinggis Lager Beer!

Mike and Bone indulged in what Mike and Bone do everywhere they have done for the past 40 years, moving from one outdoor place to the next, till Bone decided he did not like the Turkish Airline food and returned it to a sink in one of the outdoor restaurants!

Time for dinner!

 

Beers in the Novatel!

Going back to the Novatel Mike and Bone had something that someone called Beef Bourginon, more likely boiled beef over grits! However the Chinggis Dark Beers were tasty as the Boys ended their first night in Mongolia!