Last post from Russia after three weeks here.

P.S.  9/6:  Now in Ulan Batar, Mongolia.  

Never sent the post below b/c I had problems trying to include the pictures I wanted so gave up when it got to be too late - sorry about that!  Leaving, we think and hope, on a 1 night/2 day tour out of UB in 90 minutes so will scramble to get at least something off before we hit the road to see part of the country.

This will be short since it's close to 10 pm already and we need to be up by 5:30 to catch the 7:24 train to Ulan Batar,(UB) Mongolia. Have written some notes for the blog as I've done for all others but need to cheat this time and basically just post photos with comments and save the notes for my next post.  BTW, that may not be for a good long while since we hope to go on a 2 day trek from UB 2 hours after getting off the train at 7am on the 6th.  Then we'll be back in UB for one night, then off again for another 3 night trek away from UB.

Before the pictures though, just want to say that Ulan Ude (UU as opposed to UB!) has been right up there with our favorite places so far this trip.  The people as I mentioned are so very genuinely friendly, the town is easy to walk around and navigate the minibus system to the Buddhist datsans; there's a sense of peace and calm right here in town as we sat and enjoyed the fountain spraying jets in time with the music at the Theater Sq; the museums are a joy to go to, etc.  

Forget my spiel and I hope my pictures will help you appreciate our love for UU and its people.

On makshruta (minibus UU style) to Ivolginsky Datsan: note the pretty bows that all young girls wear to school.

All boys wear suits to school that we saw.

At Ivolginsky Datsan  2 makshrutas and an hour out of UU.

More I. Datsan photos.

Monk at I. Datsan

Ist day of school and thus a festival in UU on 9/1; this took place in the main sq. where Lenin's head is, and thus 2 minutes from our hostel.  We watched it for a while and then went back to the hostel where we could hear it very well (!).

Bows for sale in  local UU market we saw all over Russia but we didn't know how popular they were.

Girls and their big bows watching the concert.

At UU Ethnographical Museum depicting Buryat culture through the ages from prehistoric times.

 Photo NOT taken with telephoto lens!!

 Still at Ethno Museum.

In UU!

Meat section of market in UU.

In downtown  UU.

Fountain in time to the music at night - really, really neat.  Missed the colored lights though when we were there.

Kate from near Sharbot Lake, Ontario, who had taught ESL for 4 years in the far south of S. Korea and on her long way home. 

UU Ethnographic Museum about 20 miles out of UU.

Steven with "Family's Protector: "It'll bless you long life, wealth and prosperity."

In front of felt yurt in E. Buryat section of museum.

In front of Orthodox church at E. Museum.

On 9/2, we went back to the UU M. of History to see a film from 1928 we weren't able to see 2 days previously.  It was all in Russian but Andrei, a senior staffer a the museum, was asked by Ayuna, the museum director,I think, to translate it for us.   Andrei asked us what we thought of Edward Snowden, Putin, etc and shared his opinions of both too - great discussion.  Ayuna asked me to make an impromptu speech about us, our lives, etc to local students on a field trip to the museum.  She then asked me to proofread/edit a letter she had written in English on behalf of the Buryatia Minister of Culture to the Kingdom concerning a donation of  icons, manuscripts to Bhutan's National Museum!  That took a couple of hours but was well worth every moment as it was truly an honor to help Ayuna.  As soon as we'd arrived at the Museum, i.e. BEFORE asking me to do anything, she had 2 lovely gifts ready and waiting for us as we'd promised to come back to see the film.

 

Museum staff in background.

Eggs have not been refrigerated from Iceland through Russia.

UU's Rinpoche Basha Datsan.

Rinpoche has the largest gold statue of Buddha in Russia and we were told, the 2nd or 3rd largest in the world.

Overlooking the city of UU at Rinpoche Datsan.

Rina, a Swiss illustrator, we met at the UU hostel.

Just 2 of her beautiful sketches from all over Russia.

Rina persuaded us to try this wheat flavored cola available from carts all over Irkutsk and Ulan Ude; thanks for suggesting it, Rina.