Time to go home

Like the Pet Shop Boys hit tune, I will tomorrow be taking the opportunity to 'go west', but I feel so content I could stay the whole summer in Mongolia. Altaa's parents came this morning which conicided with my departure preparations. This is their first visit to Ulaanbaatar since 1989 i.e before the fall of communism, when the Central Cultural Palace was brand new. It is often said that the past is another country; well UB certainly is another city from the one they remember. I've seen some black-and-white photos of when they came to UB in 1989, but could just be that the city was so grey as to permit no colour. Altaa's parents remember some aspects of the past, but feel that the city has vastly changed (as it should) over the past 18 years.