(Train through Mongolia)

At the moment we are one lonely train car waiting to be connected to the Russian train on the border of Mongolia and Russia.

We have been on and off the train since May 3^rd with no wifi or cell service. We left Beijing on May 3^rd and arrived in Ulaan Baatar May 4^th. Last night (May 5^th) getting back on the train for two nights I have time to reflect and write about our trip knowing that I will be unable to send this out possibly for another four days. These blogs may be long but to get the flavor of the trip I have to be a bit descriptive.

Overnight train travel is so unique from other means of transportation, We have a two person berth, but many people find themselves co-habituating with two or three strangers, all speaking different languages. The space is tight, the luggage is stowed under the seats and privacy is limited or not at all. Everyone gets on the train with bags of food, water, and luggage, looking refugee-like. The boiling samovar at the end of the car is coal fired and provides an endless stream of hot water, which has proved necessary for everyone to prepare meals. Out of everyones bags come varieties of international dried food to be reconstituted into meals; freeze dried chili for us, pasta primavera for dinner or lunch today, even freeze dried raspberries, I am regretting forgetting the oatmeal.

(interruption from a rather severe looking Russian female border control, they seem to be all business and somewhat intimidating.)

What is unique by traveling this way, is the instant friendships you strike up. For a moment in time you connect with someone and share history, stories, and the excitement of the trip. You stand in the corridor swaying back and forth conversing in sign language or many people speak English. We met a couple who traveled all over Canada and the U.S. who lived in Beijing. At our stop in Ulaan Baatar we hugged and exchanged cards like old friends, hoping our paths will cross in Moscow. Last night we met some women from Australia, that remembered us from the Beijing train.

The first night on the train we knew that we were going to have a three hour wait at the border of China and Mongolia because, believe it or not, the train has to change wheels because China’s track is different from Mongolia and Russia. At midnight, we were jolted out of sleep by clanging and banging. Next came the Chinese border guards collecting passports, then the porter distributing exit cards to be filled out. Back to sleep, close the door, Shap is in the upper bunk so I am the one that gets up, fills out the cards and he peeks his head out for the guards to verify that the man in the bed is indeed the picture on the passport. They do this by turning on the bright overhead light to blind you out of darkness. They leave with the door open and the lights on.

Then more jolting and banging and the train moves. We are now about an hour of interrupted sleep every 10 minutes or so, just enough time to fall back to sleep. Back come the border guards with the passports. Then back to sleep. Next come the border guards to collect the paperwork. Shap is back to sleep, me, I am out in the corridor talking to our new found friends. Back in bed, did I mention that the “mattress” is one half inch thick, and there is no heat because all the doors are open at each end of the car for the constant flow of traffic. I am digging for my long underwear,Beijing was 80 degrees and now it is about 40.

After what seemed like eternity our train moves forward, I have no idea how many cars we have attached to us but I know there are several. I look out to see another sleeper car on the opposite track high up in the air being held up by hydraulic jacks. Somehow and I have no idea how, new wheels are being attached to the train. I don’t know how they got the old ones off the track and the new ones on. I wave to the people looking out the window on the other train and take pictures of the process.

Soon we are being jacked up and they are taking pictures of our process while being lowered down on the wheels. I give up and go back to sleep, now that I have seen this rather complicated process. Charlotte, my new found Chinese friend, talks about how ridiculous this is in our day and age.

Shap has been lounging in his upper bunk watching the process. I am convinced we are on our way and go back to sleep. Ten minutes later or so, the Mongolian border guards arrive at our car. Lights on, I have now decided to sleep in public and not close the door. We produce our passports and off they go. Shap had insisted that I did not have to fill out the cards but I of course did not listen to him. They do not want the cards. Back to sleep, the guards are back to get the cards. Ok, I get the Kindle out and read, I have given up on any sleep. Ten minutes later, we get the passports back. It is now 3 AM and the train begins to move again. I am awake and reading, then ,finally close the door, turn out the lights and close my eyes, awakening at 7 to stumble down to the samovar to make instant Starbucks coffee.

We go to find breakfast, walk into the dining car to find it has been transformed into a beautiful hand carved ceiling and walled Mongolian themed dining car. It turns out with each country you get a new dining car and a new menu. Lunch was ok but I think we will be sticking to freeze dried food as I understand that the Russian food is terrible on the train.

We get off at 2:30 pm in Ulaan Baatar.