First Glimpse

There are going to be a lot of new experiences over the next 12 months. A new country, home, culture, language and job. It makes me excited and nervous at the same time! And it all starts with a 23hr flight: Sydney – Singapore – Beijing – Ulaan Baatar.

The first new element was flying business class. I was a bit spoilt on the Singapore Airlines A380. Feet up in the foot cocoon, glass of champagne in hand, complimentary National Geographic on the arm-rest. The next 7hrs were brilliant. Chose your meal from the menu (more elaborate than the usual question of "chicken or beef"), linen table cloth, meal that comes on a plate, not a foil container. Two desserts! Then a plate of cheese! I could stay there all day. Actually, come to think of it, I probably did.

It was stunning flying into the city. For hours you fly over a sweeping snow covered landscape, like a crinkled, white hotel sheet. Then the city just pops up out of nowhere, nestled amongst the mountains. It felt a little strange to think that I would actually be living there, amongst it all, for the best part of the next year. But not unwelcoming either. Just different.

First glimpse of Ulaan Baatar

 I was lucky to meet Kenny, an engineer from CH2M Hill who was flying in for another rotation on the OT site, and chemical engineer who knows one of my old university lecturers, Greg Leslie who I still keep in touch with (small world!). We excitedly chatted away along the 30min trip from the airport, as I tried to quickly digest as much knowledge about the country as I could, but from out of the corner of my eye, I saw us passing ger camps, cattle and goats on the side of the road, before we emerged into a concrete, soviet-style city landscape.

Luckily Kenny had a spare afternoon, and offered to show me around town - ATM, post office, supermarket, Irish pub, main tourist square. All the essentials covered, and a really great start.

Horsemen guarding Government House - Boruchu and Mukhlai

Chinggis Khan statue overlooking Sukhbaatar Square

My first impression of the UB is that it feels very Russian with endless rows of concrete buildings in seemingly poor repair, backing onto dirt roads, or no roads at all. The city appears to be currently holding its breath, waiting to launch into a bluster of change. On every block there are construction sites, seemingly frozen in time - motionless cranes, concrete skeletons of buildings, rubble and galvanised iron fencing. Apparently activity stalls over winter when it becomes too cold for concrete to set, but when summer comes, the city springs to life, with banging, clanging and a flurry of activity as workers hasten to make the most of the limited good weather.

UB motionless construction zones

 In the distance you can see the steam rising from the cooling towers of the power stations, that apparently cause horrendous pollution over winter. Today the air seemed ok. Paved sidewalks are rare, and you feel your way over bumpy ground, keeping an eye out for cars hurtling along the same line.

More construction, and the power plant cooling towers

 I'm staying at the Springs Hotel for my first few weeks until I can find a more permanent apartment to move into. It's a cozy room, but has all the essentials, and I hear there's a pretty good Korean restaurant downstairs that I'm sure to check out over the next few days.