Trans-Siberian Railway
Safely on the train we let our heart rates get back to normal and then went to say hello to our English
speaking neighbours. After expecting we would be the only non Russians on the train there ended up being lots
of travellers. Next door were Shaun and Julia from Melbourne, returning home after a stint in London also,
and 2 of the crazy Swede crew - Johan and Maccos. All totally cool people and a real lifesaver as we all kept
each other entertained over the course of the 6 days to China. As for our room, we were just us 2 for the first
4 nights! Later two Russian women joined us.
Well, the next few days saw a pretty regular pattern of; get up after an average nights sleep, try and have a
wash in the smelly toilet at one end of the carriage, then make some breakfast using the hot water urn at the
other. Sit down in the cabin with the others and talk about what we were all eating, when the next stop was and
anything else that we could think of. The view from the window wasn't too exciting the first few days - big Russian
towns, industrial areas, forests and small holiday housing villages. The real highlights quickly ended up being when
the train stopped, once every 4 of 5 hours. We would dash off the train and see what food and supplies we could buy.
Sometimes we would be met by a host of women (and a few men) selling their food and drink, sometimes nice, sometimes
disgusting. We could get fresh tomatoes and cucumbers which was great, as well as potato or cabbage filled pastry
things, waffles and apples. I tried a pancake thing once that ended up being some gross fish thing... Also would stock
up on water and beer and have a bit of exercise before being herded back on the train, most stops being about 20 minutes.
Then it would be back to reading, having a chat, making more food from hot water, a stroll through the train etc. In
the evenings we would play games - cards or the popular 'celebrity head'... had a lot of fun and we were like a little
family living together for 4 days straight..
Going through the Russian border and into Mongolia was a bit painful, the scheduled 4 hours was more like 6 hours,
the loo was locked and we were all just desperate to get our visa's returned with no complications (about which we
had heard bad stories!).. but finally we were underway and on to the comparatively cruisy Mongolian border around
midnight.
Next morning we said goodbye to Shaun and Julia who were getting off in Ulan Baator for a few days, and met their
replacements, two girls from France. They were among quite a few new passengers who got on raving about how amazing
Mongolia was. Made us really envious and regretfull we didn't plan to get off too but ah well.. might have to come back!
The views that day were just incredible, big wide open spaces and little clusters of 'ger's' (yurts being the Russian
word). There were western styled houses too but it was also usual to see a plot of land with the traditional Mongolian
tent and a car parked up out front! Then the landscape got even more barren, the hills gave way to total flat dessert
and the sighting of a living thing every hour or so.
We went with the Swedes and another chap to check out the Mongolian dining carriage - all ornate wood carving and the
staff were a hundred times more friendly than the grumpy cold ones from the Russian cart. Nice to have food not made
from hot water!
Later in the evening we were already at the Mongolian border again, this time on the Chinese side. No hassles and soon
we were in yet another country! Because we were leaving the former Soviet bloc we also had to change the trains'
undercarriage to fit with the new Chinese standardised tracks. This was quite an elaborate process of the carriage
being lifted up with us still inside in a big huge hanger and the new undercarriage being placed underneath us. Took
a good few hours meantime our visa's were being checked and stamped.
The first impressions of China : neon lights and lots of bicycles!
Last night on the train and up early to cash in with our free breakfast vouchers in the new Chinese dining cart..
ended up being two boiled eggs, white bread and New Zealand butter! Ate with great views of the mountains, farming
fields and not so nice views of polluting factories. At one point we caught glimpses of the Great Wall, and the train
snaked round big gorges and mountains, lots of tunnels too.
Also got a free lunch of rice and veges and all too soon we were entering the outskirts of Beijing!
Said our goodbyes to all the folks we had experienced our epic train journey with and then we all departed and went
our separate ways. We had to build up our bikes and find our way out of the station and then we were off - Asia here
we come!!! Really a surreal feeling that we have come such a long way and now in China! For convenience's sake we went
across the road to the hostel and booked there for a night as we weren't sure what our situation was with the
couchsurfing requests we had made before we left. Had a nice private room we could wheel our bikes right into.
Much much needed shower and off to see Beijing! Just on foot as we were so central - past all the huge high rises
and shopping streets, down our first of many Hutongs (small narrow streets) and on to the 'night market' a strip of
food stands selling everything from snake, scorpions and locuses to the more conventional vege and tofu that we
devoured with relish - finally a country with great food we can eat!! A walk round the busy streets then back to the
hostel as we weren't used to so much physical exercise and had a few drinks with other travellers at the bar.
The Trans Siberian - a once in a life time trip for sure, loved it but not sure I'd want to do it again!