Mongolia, Redux

Our next stop on the train was Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia. 

I'm not sure why it came as such a surprise to me that this was a Buddhist past of Russia, but it did...

...they didn't let us take pictures inside the temple - there was a service going on - but I have to tell you that all the young, saffron-clad monks were on their cell phones...

.....this wonderful, modern building seemed out of place, at first, but in truth it is a big, modern city, traffic jams and all...

...our local Mongolian guide...

.....we gawked at a wedding taking place on the central square....

.......and finished the day with a Mongolian bar-b-que....

....the next day saw us visiting a monastery...

.....and broadened our cultural engagement by visiting a grocery store, in a corner of which I saw this reminder of home....

.......we saw this immense statue of Ghengis Khan.....

......tucked away in a national park full of whatever the plural of ibis is, and black bear and deer...

......you can see we finally found the rain....

... one third of the country's occupants are still nomadic, and move their gurs (those round, white tent like structures) about four times a year....

........we are lunch in a permanent round house in the park...

....and participated in a show of native costumes, which we all got to try.  (Below, right, is our guide in traditional dress...)

.......the nomads run cattle, ponies, and sometimes yaks and camels..

.....above were members of the family whose gur we visited.  Although it was a cold day, it was quite cozy, and through an interpreter, managed quite an interesting conversation...

Back to the city, and more Buddhist sites.....

Next stop, Ulan Ude.  I will leave that for another day....