Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar (Black Market and Opera)

Today was black market day. I have never seen a larger flea market anywhere. Tons of vendors covering just about anything that can be thought up. It is amazing how all the merchants work together, then they all struggled to canvas the outdoor area as rain kept pouring down. Everyone was able to find something.

After, I joined Shana to gander the shops and to see the opera La Boheme. The German Association is helping to sponsor the Mongolian opera, so we only had to pay 5,000 tugrik. Watching Mongolians perform a Puccini or Western opera was interesting, the choreography could not fill all the music so the actors stood on the stage watching the conductor for their cues.

Their voices were wonderful though, and overall were able to make it back to the apartment in time to meet our friends. Only the girls were able to make it, so we offered them cake and ice cream while playing Uno. They took us to the New York Café for some food then the Tornado disco club for a night of dancing. At about one in the morning a contortionist came out and performed followed by two Indian dressed strippers. An interesting experience indeed.