The Countryside

One of the first things that a resident of UB will say to a new arrival is, "You must get out of the city and visit the countryside." Alaskans will be quite familiar with this advice, since we give it to tourists all the time (as in: "You haven't seen the real Alaska until you've gotten out of Anchorage"). It seems that everyone who can afford a second house outside of town buys one and goes there on weekends or for several weeks in the summer (does this sound familiar?). People who can't afford a second house take tents and camp on the outskirts of town on the weekends. In fact, sometimes it seems that no one is left in town on the weekends--the traffic is noticeably less.

This is a photo of a barbeque recently hosted by Brigitte C. at her dachau just north of UB. While some of us went for a short hike in the nearby hills, Peter grilled pork, sheep, and beef on a "Brazilian barbeque" that he had cleverly constructed. After the hike, we lounged in the sun eating and drinking beer.


And last Sunday, I invited myself along on a hike with a group that goes regularly. We hiked up one of the four holy mountains (uuls) that surround UB: Bayanzurkhkhairkhan (Bayanzurkh for short). At the top was a large ovoo (cairn) wrapped in prayer flags. The proper way to encounter an ovoo is to walk clockwise around it three times, which we all did.

I continue to be surprised by the mildness of the weather. There is no snow yet in town or even in the nearby foothills. When the sun shines, it is downright warm. So I am hoping to get in a few more hikes before winter decides to get serious.