Travel
The Hidden Magic of Mongolia Reminded Me of Home
As remote as I was, it seemed closer to home than I imagined
In 2011, I stepped on to the airport at Ulan Bataar, the capital city.
The first thing I noticed was the spartan, single-floored airport building. It might as well have been a bus depot. No aesthetics, no cheer — just practical and functional.
And then there is Genghis Khan, the founder of the largest contiguous empire ever, peeking at you from every corner. We got our first glimpse of his portrait in the baggage collection area. His profile appears on currency notes, on Vodka bottles, in public places and from the high perch of his equestrian statue on the bank of the Tuul River.
Imagine living with just 50 people per square kilometre. Bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, this landlocked country covers an area of 1,564,116 square kilometres (603,909 square miles). And the population is just 3.3 million people. That’s how ‘densely’ populated Mongolia is. It probably has more camels, horses and goats than people.
The country has a handful of places you can call cities. There, the influence of both Russia and China on infrastructure is unmistakable. Mongolia was free of them both only in 1945. The rest of…
