We have been exploring the city the last couple days,(when we haven’t been partying or sleeping-in because we got home at 5am last night) and it is quite fascinating. We went to an open-air market, The Narantuul black market, that was simply massive, where people sell everything from clothing of every brand imaginable (all of it fake), tools, bicycles, food, kittens/ducks, furniture etc. etc. literally everything that people here ever need. There are millions of stalls, covering a huge area and several huge buildings, and each clustered by type. Need toothpaste? There is a row of stalls selling just toothpaste and soaps… how about sunglasses? literally a 100 meter wall covered in them, with each vendor having about a 3meter section, and all for about $4. There is an area bigger than a large supermarket just full of fabrics… and a massive parking lot full of furniture and appliances.
But, surely this amazing market couldnt be free, we had to pay an entrance fee and buy a ticket to get in…. the price? $0.09… yes, nine cents.
Soren bought a pretty nice, heavy-duty duffel bag to bring home the new tent and cookware he bought in Germany.. for $3.50. I got a pair of chrome aviators for $5 that i don’t have to worry about losing, a cool t-shirt for $3 and we both bought Mongolian work jackets from some sort of public service or another. Sorens came with matching pants too! haha. Mine has something written in big yellow mongolian letters on the back, i should find out what it means, but I think it is either a security guard or janitors uniform… im not sure, but it’s cool looking!
Anyway, we picked up a few other odds and ends and headed out.. after buying a few bottles of some ice cold water, for about $0.20
