Ulaanbaator Immersion

Day 2
We started the day by visiting the Gandan Khiid – the largest Buddhist monastery in Mongolia, and the first one I ever visited. The monks were friendly, when not praying or talking on a mobile phone, they were gladly giving directions or posing for a photo. In one of the temples, while the older monks were praying, a couple of young boys were cleaning the floors. They did this with such mindfulness and concentration, that it looked as a part of a religious ritual. Continue reading “Ulaanbaator Immersion”

Arriving in Ulaanbaator

Day 1

Most airports would look unimpressive after Seoul’s Incheon airport, and the small and lacking in comfort Genghis Khan airport of Mongolia’s capital  is not an exception. In a taxi on my way to the city I had an euphoric feeling that I gonna love this country. Even though the road from the airport to the city was appallingly bad and the driver reckless, the sunrise revealed shaky, lonely buildings on one side of the road, and wild, green hillside stretching to the horizon on the other. This place was uniquely different. Continue reading “Arriving in Ulaanbaator”

Seoul Airport

Day 0

After a 10-hour flight from Tel-Aviv to Seoul, I arrived at the Incheon airport at 17:00 local time. Korean airlines were pleasant  –  they had cushions and blankets in the economy class, good meals and a perception of fast service – they brought meals in many quick rounds, every time bringing a little dish, instead of moving slowly through the rows with a huge cart. The flight to Mongolia was delayed due to bad weather, so I had more than enough time to explore the airport, which turned to be an attraction in it’s own right. Continue reading “Seoul Airport”