Ulaanbaatar Suburbia: Apartment Blocks, Houses and Gers
Suburbia in Mongolia’s capital Ulaanbaatar is like no other. Bleak Russian-style apartment blocks give way to a patchwork of modern, red brick, matchbox-like houses.
Tidy lines of vivid crimson, azure and jade roofs contrast starkly against the chalky curves of Mongolian traditional gers. Intermingling, they compete for space tucked away behind wooden and rusty tin fences splashed with painted symbols.
Driving out of the city, I captured a few images from the window of our moving van.
1. Russian-style apartment blocks
2. More Russian-style apartment blocks
3. Not sure who this graffiti was aimed at. Hopefully not photographers!
4. Houses hidden behind painted fences
5. Painted symbols on fences
6. Rusty tin fences
7. Jumble of gers and brick houses
8. Patchwork of colored roofs and gers
9. A giant gas pipe frames gers further out of the city
10. A lone ger against cityscape and backdrop of hills
11. Crimson roofs stain the landscape
My other Mongolia posts include my brother’s Mongolian wedding, Nadaam festival and Mongolian contortionists.
loca4motion 
That’s some graffiti, I think I would have been too scared to snap the pic.
August 2, 2011 at 10:28 pm
I know! I just remembered that I was walking past this one (not driving) with my brother, his Mongolian wife, my other brother and some friends and no one seemed worried! We clicked a lot but there were no booms, thankfully.
August 3, 2011 at 8:00 am
Wow, this looks crazy. What was Mongolia like? When did you go and what did you do? I someday want to visit this faroff place. Great pictures!
August 3, 2011 at 6:20 am
Thanks thirdeyemom, Mongolia was incredible! I went last year for my brother’s wedding and only now am getting round to posting my non-wedding photos! There’s been too much going on in Guatemala and I’ve been posting on that. I’ll be posting more on Mongolia so you’ll see what it’s like, especially out on the steppe.
August 3, 2011 at 8:04 am
Siempre que paso por tu blog observo fotos increíbles. ¿Has estado en Mongolía últimamente? Un placer seguir tus pasos…
Grandes saludos
Cruz
August 3, 2011 at 7:45 am
Muchisimas gracias Cruz! Fui a Mongolia el año pasado pero todavia tengo un monton de fotos para publicar en mi blog porque me estaba concentrando en los festivales aqui en Guatemala! Saludos! Lucy
August 3, 2011 at 8:09 am