In the morning we looked at some condos some relatives were selling.
A lot of them have small playgrounds in the middle for kids.
This one had a heart around a bench.
They also usually have a small market built into the condos.
Some others they were building.
The top floor in this building.
Multiple bedrooms.
All wooden walls.
And a private rooftop patio.
Namuunaa, Tsogt's niece, and her husband Dulguunuu met us for breakfast.
This little street to the west of Sukhbaatar Square had a lot of small restaurants.
A sign there.
A cafe and book store.
With lots of plants inside.
Fun lights.
They didn't have much for breakfast, so we went next door.
Pretty good breakfast.
Eagle (I think) statues.
Close up.
Sukhbaatar Square.
A statue in the middle.
With flowers all around.
Close up.
State opera and ballet theater to the east of the square.
The south end of the square has a big area of fake grass that people hang out on.
Us on the grass.
Some yurts at one corner.
Neat door.
Some food vendors.
Most of the vendors were still closed as it was only 9am, but a few had opened.
A stage.
The north end is parliament.
With a Chinggis Khan statue.
Some horsemen on each side of him.
Close up.
From the side, you can see they are carrying arrows.
Walking.
The recyling bins are big bottles.
The trees have a lot of this white fluff that flies around and makes people sneeze.
Chingghis Khan Museum.
Above the door.
Us in front.
Door handle.
Door decorations.
Each level is a different era.
Headed up the stairs.
Looking at some exhibits.
Even the pillars are neat.
Old catapult.
Painting of a city.
Many arrows make up the ceiling of this hallway.
Book with golden engravings.
Fun mural for an air transportation company.
To the south a bit is the wedding palace with this neat fountain.
Old Yanpai the Guardian Door in front, new buildings in back.
Close up on the door.
In front of the Choijin Lama Museum.
With new skyscrapers in the background.
Rooftop statues.
This fence has trees.
Cool cutout in a building.
Buildings of all different heights.
A little square to the west has a bunch of vendors.
Although they're still mostly closed.
And a Beatles monument.
The ice cream shop was open.
So we each got a cone.
A painted piano.
Automated pizza.
Books.
The garbage trucks plays classical music.
A party supply store.
We got a balloon for Ogii's father's birthday.
They can customize it on the spot: they print out what you want to say and stick it on the balloon.
A cushion to protect your head when you're coming out of the store.
Street food and LOVE.
Neat mural.
A palm tree, although only stuck on the side of a building.
The Gem Palace is a cool building.
The southern gate to the Gandantegchinlen (or Gandan) Monastery.
Large main building.
Garden.
A fierce Buddha.
In front of an older building.
Ogii praying.
Me ringing prayer bells.
Dharma wheel and pair of deer on top.
Avalokitesvara, the tallest indoor Buddha statue, is 85 feet high.
Ogii and Monica with it.
Close up.
Smaller ones to the side.
Another wrathful one.
You can walk around the edge, spinning prayer wheels.
Many are created in memories of certain people.
Still spinning on the other side.
A video of prayer bells and wheels.
Old roofs with plants growing on them.
A newer, larger building.
Wrathful dieties at the entrance.
And more.
Main hall.
Nice murals at the top outer wall.
Prayer books.
Ogii giving some money to the monk.
Many Buddha shrines at the front.
Close up.
The ceiling.
The heating vents have nice banners run along them.
Neat images.
Out front there are a ton of pigeons people feed.
They're still a bit behind on handicap access in Mongolia; the ramps are too steep, and people simply park in front of them.
Some of the roads are pretty bad.
People sweeping the streets.
Another monastery.