Ulaanbaatar, MongoliaWednesday, August 12, 2009
Whereas our house in Seattle is in the flight path of the airport, our new home in UB is 300 feet from a busy train track. Freight trains and passenger trains of all kinds blow their whistles and clickety-clack down the track around the clock. A is entranced by the sight and sound of these trains. Again and again tonight she said: “I want trains.” As soon as we arrive down in the courtyard, she heads directly toward the tracks. (Don’t worry, there’s no way for her to get to the train tracks themselves.)
We sit next to the road and wait. “Mommy, I want trains!” Ah, if only I had such power to make them appear on command...Picture: Giant insulated steam pipes snake around the city (and over the railroad tracks). These pipes form the infrastructure for the city’s centralized heating system.
