This week I went out to the North of the city to get some fresh air, it was very quiet and snowy. Since Mongolia burns coal, the city’s air can get very polluted this time of year, since a lot of energy is needed to heat homes in -30 degree weather. Therefore, many Ulaanbaatar residents try to get fresh air at least every other week by making a journey outside of the city limits.
The furthest I have traveled during my last five months in Mongolia is to the second largest city in Mongolia: Erdenet. It is only about 209 miles from Ulaanbaatar, but I took the train which lasted about 13 hours! Traveling by car in Mongolia can be difficult at times due to weather and the lack of paved roads in the countryside.
This week, like most others, I walked to get around. If you live in or around the city center, Ulaanbaatar is a very walkable city, with most places only taking a maximum of 30-45 minutes to walk to. Due to this and my love of walking, I typically choose to walk, as the city traffic is very bad this time of year!
