Leg 157, Baley, Zabaykalsky Krai, Russia via China to BayankHongor, Mongolia
DAY01_26.PLN (5.5 KB)
Starting out in the same bad weather which cleared up later. Unfortunately that just revealed the poor quality of the terrain data through Mongolia. There were still a couple decent sections. Cool country, bad coverage.
01-25 Baley UBAL 6:12 PM
01-25 Gazimurskiy Zavod UGAA 6:38 PM Drone cam landing
01-25 Krasnokamensk UIAE 7:14 PM
01-25 Dongshan ZBLA 7:45 PM
01-25 Arxan Yi’ershi ZBES 8:28 PM Part virtual vision landing
01-25 Holingol Huolinhe ZBHZ 9:12 PM unclear runway, might have landed in a farm field
01-25 Baruun-Urt ZMBU 10:46 PM
01-25 Underkhaan ZMUH 11:30 PM
01-26 Maanit ZMMA 12:21 AM
01-26 Byant-Ukhaa ZMUB Ulaanbaatar 12:45 AM
01-26 Erdenet ZMED 1:36 AM Unclear runway, no clue, landed in a field
01-26 Bulgan ZMBN 1:51 AM
01-26 Kharkhorin ZMHH 2:32 AM
01-26 BayankHongor ZMBH 3:15 AM
Flight time 9:03 13 stops
Trying to find the runway at Gazimurskiy Zavod, early morning
It’s snowing on and off, overcast
Prerry much my view during sunrise
The sun finally manages to burn through the clouds near Urulyunguy
Uranium mine at Krasnokamensk
Krasnokamensk is known as the site for Russia’s largest uranium mine
The weather cleared up into Mongolia, now I need that ice to melt
Baruun-Urt, capital of Sükhbaatar Province in eastern Mongolia
Underkhaan, renamed to Chinggis City in 2013 in honor of Genghis Khan, who was born here
Apart from the name, nothing much to see here related to Genghis Khan
Near Dzabilgaiin Hiid
Höhöteyn Hural
Crossing the Herlen River
Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia in the Tuul River valley
Looking West along Peace Avenue
Originally a nomadic Buddhist center, it became a permanent site in the 18th century
Looking North at Sukhbaatar Square and the National Amusement Park in front
Sukhbaatar Square with a statue of Marco Polo on the left
Zaisan monument remembering soldiers of Mongolia & the USSR lost in WWII
Gandantegchinlen Monastery, Buddhist monastery featuringan 82ft gold Megjid Janraisig statue
The museum of the Bogd Khaan (1869-1924) formerly the Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan
The Bogd Khan became the Bogd Gegeen Ezen Khaan of Bogd Khaganate in 1911, when Khüree declared independence from Qing dynasty of China after the Xinhai Revolution. He was born in Tibet. As the 8th Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, he was the third most important person in the Tibetan Buddhist hierarchy, below only the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama.
Something different, the International Intellectual Museum, brain teasers
And more traditional relics in the National Museum of Mongolia
The first time I heard of Ulaanbaatar was on “Don’t drive here”
It does look like there are still a lot of dirt roads, Chinggis Khaan International Airport
The weather seems to be turning again near Tseel
Approaching Bulgan
Hishig-Öndör
Kharkhorin with Erdene Zuu Monastery in that big square
Erdene Zuu Monastery
Tibetan Buddhist monastery built in 1585, rebuilt in the 18th century & partially destroyed in 1939
Part ‘living’ museum nowadays
Near Tsagaan
In the area of Tovkhon Xiid monastery, very remote area
Near the Orkhon river
Last stop today was at BayankHongor, capital of the Bayankhongor Province in central Mongolia. Heading for China tomorrow, still lots to see there.