Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Choibalsan



There has been a settlemet on the site of what is now Choibalsan for hundreds of years. The Kherlen River appears on any map of Mongolia, even though it is very shallow, and only a few meters wide. The settlement was a trading post on one of the many routes between the Far East and the Middle East & Russia; Chinggis Khan was elected king of all Mongol tribes on its banks.

Now it has around 30,000 people, including many Buriats, Chinese & other tribes who come to trade. The market is on the east side of town, past the Russian-built blocks of flats. There are many kindergartens. I am working in Kindergarten #14, which was the last gift of the Russian army to the town.

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