Hello, everyone.
This is Enta.
Before I knew it, my third day in Mongolia was over, and here I am on my fourth day.
On this day, we’ll leave the ger where we stayed around 9:00 a.m. and head back to Ulaanbaatar.
My trip to Mongolia is coming to an end.
We’d seen grasslands, gers, camels, horses, and giant boulders, but what awaited us at the end was a different side of Mongolia.
Cities, traffic jams, power plants, Japanese cars.
Mongolia isn't just about grasslands, lol
Horses, sheep, goats, and cows crossing the highway
On the way to Ulaanbaatar, it’s not uncommon to see horses, sheep, goats, and cows crossing the highway.
This is actually pretty funny, lol.
A horse that waits patiently when a car honks at it.
Sheep and goats hurry across the road when they hear a car horn.
From the perspective of someone used to Japanese roads, it’s quite a strange sight.
But in Mongolia, people’s lives and those of their livestock naturally overlap.
It feels like the roads aren't just for people—animals use them, too.
According to what I heard from people there, it seems that if you're involved in an accident with an animal, it may be covered by insurance.
Plus, it sounds like they're treating it as if both sides are at fault, lol.
I can’t say for certain since I couldn’t verify the details in official records, but I thought it sounded like a story that was very typical of Mongolia.
An absolutely insane number of horses, sheep, goats, and cows!!
There was a massive traffic jam as we entered Ulaanbaatar
Even though the road through the grasslands is so wide, as soon as you enter Ulaanbaatar, you hit heavy traffic.
This really doesn't work.
The closer you get to the city, the more cars there are, traffic lights that weren't there at all before start appearing, and the atmosphere changes.
When people think of Mongolia, they inevitably picture grasslands and gers, but the capital, Ulaanbaatar, is just a regular big city.
On top of that, it's a car-dependent society.
Rather than being a country where you can get around using only public transportation, I think it’s a country where life is quite inconvenient without a car.
A vast land, long distances, and cold winters.
Well, that makes a car a necessity, doesn't it?
I went to the shopping mall, too, but it was crazy crowded lol
So, I had lunch there, and I ate some dumplings similar to what they call "momo" in Nepal.
This is really delicious, too!!!!!!!
Mongolian food is really delicious!
The food here is just the best for trainees—it’s a country where people generally eat a lot of protein, lol.
A thermal power plant of staggering size
And one thing that catches your eye in Ulaanbaatar is the large thermal power plant.
It's really huge.
Based on my research, there are several coal-fired power and heat supply facilities in the Ulaanbaatar area, including Thermal Power Plants No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4, the Amgaran Thermal Power Plant, and the Naraikh heat supply facility.
According to the IEA's country-specific data, coal is also cited as the primary source of electricity generation in Mongolia.
When you see it in person, you realize it’s not just a number—it’s a view.
Chimneys, pipes, buildings, power lines.
In other words, they're using coal like crazy to power the city's electricity and heating.
When it comes to the environment, it's hard to know what's right.
When I see a view like this, it makes me think about all sorts of things.
In Japan, there are various debates about eco-friendliness, the environment, decarbonization, renewable energy, and nuclear power.
On the other hand, when you look around the world, it’s not uncommon to find countries that rely on burning coal to power their cities.
Of course, every country has its own circumstances.
Resources, climate, population, infrastructure, economy, history.
So you can't simply say it's "good" or "bad."
However, when you’re standing right in front of a thermal power plant, there are moments when you’re not sure what’s good for the environment and what’s bad.
As for Japan, I think its environmental and energy-saving technologies are quite advanced.
On the other hand, there’s also a bit of a “Galápagos” vibe to it—it feels like it’s gone too far down its own path, lol.
It’s the same on-site: the “correct answer” on paper isn’t always the same as the “correct answer” in the field.
You really feel that when you go abroad, don't you?
Japanese Cars: An Indispensable Part of Mongolian Society
Cars are indispensable in Mongolian society.
And what surprises me when I'm driving around town is just how many Japanese cars there are.
Based on my own observations, the percentage of Japanese cars in Mongolia is quite high.
I’ve heard the figure is said to be exactly 90% or more, and when I drive around town, I really do see nothing but Japanese cars.
Toyota is particularly common.
And then there's the Prius.
While the Prius is often the subject of jokes in Japan, it’s actually quite popular overseas.
The reasons are simple: they're durable, fuel-efficient, and spare parts are easy to find.
At the end of the day, a car is only as good as its performance on the job.
It's the same for machines and tools, isn't it?
What matters most is not flashiness, but “working properly.”
Even though I'm in Mongolia, it feels like I'm in Japan lol
An environment where there are only Japanese cars—it's just like Japan lol
Prius for the Mongolian Market
In Mongolia, I often saw the Prius 30, Prius 50, and Prius α.
And what's interesting is that a lot of the cars have slightly higher ride heights, lol.
Since the roads are rough, the tires are a little wider.
There was a car that looked like it had been raised by about 1 to 2 inches.
Even though it's a Prius, it looks a bit like a work vehicle.
Since this is a country where 4WD vehicles are preferred, the Land Cruiser is the next most noticeable vehicle after the Prius.
You can see the new Land Cruiser 300 and Lexus LX driving around just like any other car.
Grasslands, unpaved roads, snow, and cold.
No wonder the Land Cruiser is so tough.
But even the Prius is driving through there just like any other car.
It really made me think, "Toyota is amazing," lol.
The hotel for this trip is MONGOLIAN VISION TOURS
This time, I stayed at a place called MONGOLIAN VISION TOURS in Ulaanbaatar.
English is spoken here.
I do have a Mongolian accent, but it's totally fine lol
Plus, they speak Japanese too!! lol
I can't speak English, but I've always managed to get by no matter where I go abroad ^^
I made the reservation through Booking.com.
However, for some reason, the charge wasn't processed on my card, so it felt like I had to pay again in person.
I think this varies depending on the inn and the booking terms, so if you're planning to stay there, it's best to check in advance.
You can contact them here via email (in English) to arrange for a full-service airport pickup and drop-off.
By the way, the Wi-Fi signal is pretty weak lol
I don't know if the original connection is slow, but the signal reception is poor.
This is just a guess, but since it's a cold region, the doors and such were quite thick, so I think that probably had something to do with it!
His father, the driver, and his mother, the interpreter
The driver's father, who took such good care of us this time, and his mother, who served as our interpreter.
It was a Prado, lol.
These two are really nice people.
They are a married couple, and their child lives in the Kanto region of Japan and works as an engineer.
Hearing stories like this makes Mongolia and Japan feel a little closer.
By the way, if you look into international driver’s licenses, Mongolia is considered a signatory to the international convention on road traffic, so it’s possible you could drive there with an international driver’s license.
However, since policies may vary depending on the rental car company, local regulations, and insurance terms, it is essential to check in advance if you plan to drive.
This time, I let someone else do the driving.
It takes quite a bit of courage to drive down that road for the first time, lol.
Next time, I want to come by motorcycle.
While driving through Mongolia this time, there was something I kept thinking about.
Next time, I'd like to come by motorcycle.
I really thought so.
I think it would be amazing to ride a motorcycle under the wide-open sky during this beautiful season.
However, the roads aren't what you'd expect in Japan.
Animals can appear even on paved roads.
There are also many unpaved roads.
The wind is strong, too.
The sense of distance is weird, lol
This is a country that’s totally perfect for people who are used to driving on mountain and forest roads while working in the field, or for those who want to drive across vast expanses of land until they’re sick of it, lol.
Of course, you’ll also see excavation sites and boulders around the city.
Naturally, I also took a look at the boulders and excavation sites in the city.
I know people might ask, “What are you looking at on a trip?” but I just can’t help it lol
The slope of the excavation, the compaction of the soil, the fracturing patterns of the rock, and the placement of safety equipment.
Compared to work sites in Japan, I felt that the approach to safety was quite different.
Japan sometimes tends to err on the side of caution—perhaps even to an excessive degree.
But this issue is directly linked to the value placed on human life and society’s attitude toward accidents.
When you look at how things are done on construction sites overseas, you start to see things a little differently—you begin to understand why Japanese construction sites are managed with such meticulous attention to detail.
It's a hassle, but it does serve a purpose. Still, I can't deny that it feels a bit excessive.
It's really hard to strike that balance, isn't it?
Back to South Korea on a cold flight
And so, my trip to Mongolia is drawing to a close.
Grasslands, yurts, livestock, thermal power plants, Priuses, traffic jams.
It was a country that offered a wealth of information right up to the very end.
Mongolia is not just a country of vast natural landscapes.
It is a country where, in the midst of vast grasslands, there are cities, coal-fired power plants, Japanese cars driving around, and Priuses making their way along paths where there are no roads.
If I come back next time, maybe I'll ride a motorcycle.
Thinking that, I hopped on a freezing cold flight back to South Korea for work lol
See you later.
Enta's First Trip to Mongolia! Part 1 | I Stopped by Ulaanbaatar on My Way Back from Nepal
