TRAVERSE 91
TRAVEL FEATURE - MONGOLIA MEGAN GOVERNI
YOU WILL SLIP RIGHT IN
Amongst the back streets it ’ s easy to feel at home , there ’ s an unthreatening nature , an almost welcoming feel . The back streets aren ’ t like most , they have a communistic aura , the back streets are urbane , lived in , where schools mix with markets , restaurants slip into households , and where I go unnoticed .
Walking the streets of the Mongolian capital city of Ulaanbaatar is a unique experience , a foreign face , one so different to the locals seems to go unrecognised . Have I slipped into the local community so easily that I ’ m imagining the lack of recognition or is this city so progressive that a Caucasian face is unnoticed ?
Ulaanbaatar is a unique city , a long history that dates back 400 years as a Buddhist monastic centre , yet not permanently settled at the current location until some 150 years later . It seems that the origins of the capital city are true to the nomadic lifestyle of the Mongolian people . Urguu as it was originally known was the spiritual seat of the Gelug branch of Tibetan Buddhism , it ’ s evident in the many ancient Buddhist temples and monasteries scattered amongst high rise of the modern city . You see , despite the long history , Ulaanbaatar is a city of conflicting pasts , where three very distinct construction techniques adorn the metropolis .
The temples are something to behold , most survived Soviet invasion , and now sit almost out of place between the modern constructions . The same could be said of the Soviet styled buildings , resplendent in their own way bridging the gap between the ancient and the modern , the opulence and bright facades seem to blend with those around . Perhaps the people of this city have the same attitude towards people from far off lands .
TRAVERSE 91