Air pollution is a serious problem in Ulaanbaatar, especially during the winter time. Poorer families living in the yurt district on the outskirts of town will burn anything and everything to stay warm. Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital in the world with more days averaging -0.4 °C or 31.3 °F than anywhere else.
Many families have what are called summer homes outside of town. People flock to them to relax and enjoy clean air outside while they can. The atmosphere at a summer house is peaceful, relaxing, and more in tune with nature.
After Zola and I finished up the last of our Naadaam festivities on July 12, we met up with some of her relatives and made our way to their summer house. Traffic was really bad so it took awhile.
We passed through the ger (yurt) district on our way out of town. The contrast between the ger district and the main part of UB is drastic. In UB, there are sky scrapers all over. Lots of modern and older buildings dotting the skyline. In the ger district, yurts and shacks dot the hillside.
Traffic was stopped by a herd of cattle. This is a very common occurrence in Mongolia.
No trip to the summer house is complete without a stop at Grandpa’s house for milk tea and sweets.
Once at the summer house, we ate and ate and ate some more. That’s what people do during holidays. Eat, drink, talk, sleep, repeat. Zola’s uncle’s summer house is next to her families’ so there were lots of people around.
After eating my fill of different kinds of ham paired with cucumber, I took a nice long nap on the couch. I woke up in time for some delicious rice soup.
The wild flowers that grow in Mongolia are beautiful!! So many different colors.
A beautiful handmade Kazakh felt rug Zola bought years ago.
We stayed one night at the summer house, then left for Terelj National Park.
Great Steppe Fiber Project 