Uses For Used Tires

I am constantly amazed at how creative people can be. I really don’t know what we do with all of the used tires in the US because they aren't supposed to go into the landfills and you can't burn them, but here in Mongolia everything has a useful purpose.  I tried to capture a few of the uses that I have seen for used tires. In the background of this picture you can see tires used to cover manholes. 

Everywhere there are barricades made from used tires. They are really quite clever.  They set them sticking up with half above ground and half buried in the ground. If it is to be used as a fence they are right next to each other, if it is simply to keep cars out and allow foot traffic, then they space them so you can walk through but too close for cars to fit through (like around a park).  I have seen tires used as flower pots and filled with cement for holding up a basketball standard or used all over town to cover manholes.

Speaking of manholes, because of the severe weather, the sewage pipes and anything running underground must be far down in the ground. Many of the manholes are left open and they appear to be about 15 feet deep. They are in the middle of the sidewalk or a driveway or yard.   I am told that if they use metal manhole covers they are stolen because they can be sold for scrap so many of them have large concrete blocks or tires filled with concrete. I read that about 200 people per year are killed in Mongolia from falling into open manholes. 

We have been spending a lot more time visiting with people in their homes and Gers. I have not been able to figure out how addresses work and someone finally explained it to me. The city is divided into districts so if someone tells you that they live in the 5th district you know what part of the city they are in. Each district then has its own addresses. For example: an apartment is built on a large lot and another built down the block. The first would be district 5-1, the next would be 5-2. Sounds great until a few years later another 2 buildings get built between 1 and 2. The row of apartments might then be 5-1, 5-4, 5-3, 5-2.  It gets even more confusing when, years later, another gets squeezed in between, after maybe 25 have been built and then one gets built between 5-4, 5-26, 5-3 etc. At least now I understand how it happened but it doesn't make it any easier to find an address. 

I wrote this over a month ago and planned to add to it but we have been so busy that I haven't done it so I am just going to post what I have.
Know that we are healthy, happy and greatly blessed.
Thank you for taking the time to read my notes. Please let us know how you are doing and that you read what I write.