Moscow to Beijing on the Trans-Siberian Railway - Ulan Bator, Mongolia
Ulan Bator, Mongolia
I read a book about the Trans-Siberian train journey 15 years ago and it's been a something I've wanted to do ever since, but never thought it would actually happen. So Blair and I were especially excited to begin this next leg of our trip; six nights and six days on a train bound for Beijing. Technically, they call the journey we took "the Trans-Mongolian", since it goes through Mongolia into China, while the actual Trans-Siberian railway runs all the way across Russia to Vladivostok on the Pacific.
We found our way to the train station easily, as it is located next to one of the beautiful Moscow metro stations. They allow you to board the train exactly a half hour before the departure time, so we boarded at 9:05 pm and departed at exactly 9:35 pm, and not a minute later.
We had booked first-class tickets for $1,280 each through a UK agency called Real Russia. First-class provided us with a private compartment consisting of bunk beds, a small table, a chair, a small storage space above the door, a fan mounted above the window and an adjoining bathroom with a tiny sink and combined faucet and shower nozzle which was shared with the neighbouring compartment. We assumed this shared bath would include a toilet but that was to be found at the end of the carriage, conveniently located next to our compartment (or inconveniently if the smell is to be accounted for).
As we deposited our two large backpacks, grocery bags, small bags and jackets, the space became smaller and smaller. Taking in our new digs, we noticed there were no sheets, towels, and a first time trip to the bathroom led to the discovery of no toilet paper either. As a last minute thought, we had snagged a roll of paper towel from the Moscow apartment (Thank God) so we knew that we would need to use those squares sparingly. As for towels, we still had with us the one small hand towel purchased in Tanzania that was now going to have to service us both. The cold trickle of water from the sink faucet indicated that I would not be washing my hair anytime soon either, and sponge baths (sans the sponge) would have to suffice.
Thankfully, a porter brought us two sets of freshly starched sheets, one of them in the form of a sleeping bag which I thought was great as they safely ensconced you from the woolly blankets, which had some unseemly stains on them.
We had heard that meals might cost as much as $30 per person in the dining car, so we decided to bring enough food for our breakfasts and lunches. We were also certain that boiling water and drinking water would be readily available. Samovars located at the end of each carriage provided the boiling water, but drinking water was not to be found. We would have to purchase it along the way.
We thought we were well prepared as we brought with us the following:
3 large grapefruit
8 mandarin oranges
8 green apples
6 nectarines
12 packages instant oatmeal
10 instant noodle soups
2 large chocolate bars
1 bag of granola
3 boxes crackers
1 wedge of Grana Padano cheese
1 bag of gummy bears
2 small portions of leftover bread
4 giant cookies
2 snack tins of tuna and salmon
1 large bag of assorted dried fruits - cherries, apricots, nectarines and peaches
2 dried fruit and nut logs
instant coffee
2 1.5 litre bottles of water
8 paper plates
a small assortment of plastic cutlery
At the time our motto was 'better to have too much than too little', but we soon came to learn that we actually had too little. It still galls me that we didn't even think about toilet paper.
After making up our beds and organizing our stockpile of food in the storage compartment above the door, we settled in for our first night. Some reviews mentioned that you don't want beds 1 & 2 on a carriage, which is exactly where we landed since we didn't have any control over the actual booking, and right away we noticed the smell. The air vents at the bottom of our door allowed the neighbouring toilet odours to waft in every time the bathroom door was opened and shut. There was a lot of opening and shutting as 16 people were sharing this carriage. Blair rigged up the fan so it blasted directly at the door and provided us with a comforting white noise at the same time. Problem somewhat solved. We later figured out that there was a door separating the entry to the toilet area from the carriage hallway which made a big difference when it was shut.
It wasn't until I used the toilet during the day that I realized upon flushing that the contents are emptied right onto the tracks. Then I clued into why all of the bathrooms were locked during each stop - the smell at the stations would be horrifying. I felt bad for the people who had homes near the tracks - not only would they have to deal with the noise and lack of privacy from the train, but foreign poo too.
We were provided with an electrical outlet in our compartment which did not work for any of our devices. When we polled the other passengers theirs didn't work either, so the endless hours I thought I could spend catching up on the blog disappeared since we couldn't charge the iPad. And the movies and ebooks were out too. Thank God I brought War and Peace (1,400 pages) to get me through.
To be honest we were expecting nicer accommodations and some of the reviews even mentioned wifi availability and a gym. I had seen pictures of cute compartments with double beds and a comfy reclining chair. Where did we go wrong? After talking to some of the other passengers we discovered that the Russian trains are much nicer - we were on a Chinese train. Also, the train number indicates the star rating of the carriages. Ours was number 4 out of 300 so it was nice by Chinese standards but I think the ratings were assigned when the train was built and this one looked to be a vintage of about 1972. I would probably opt for a Russian train next time. This part of the trip was truly about the journey, not the destination, so we decided to enjoy it as much as possible.
Our first encounter with our neighbours was when we noticed that one couple had a key to all the compartments and they would lock up when going to dinner or getting off at the stops. The key was fit over a triangular piece of metal in the lock. When we asked them about it the wife said to us, "You need to read the guidebook" in a very haughty, British accent. She was christened that 'British *****' forever after. Her husband, the nicer of the two, explained that the same keys and locks are used on the utility boxes at their homes so it was easy for them to procure one. That was the last time we engaged her in conversation but that now has become our little phrase that pops up randomly when we ask each other a question - accent included.
The train's movements were rumbling, swaying and sometimes jarring, which had a lulling quality that put me to sleep quite fast and I thought this is what it must be like for a baby in a car seat. I slept better when the train was moving.
Our first morning we awoke to scenes of overcast skies, heavily wooded areas and small villages amongst the woods. I estimate the average speed of the train was around 60-70 km/hour. At times we were a bit confused about the dwellings we were seeing. There were several small plots of land that contained large gardens with what looked like a small tool shed. But we think those tool sheds were homes. Sprinkled amongst them were larger, ramshackle buildings with tin roofs. We still aren't sure what those tiny buildings were.
We shared a large cookie and grapefruit for breakfast. Since we didn't brings any bowls or mugs, we had to wait until we consumed one of our noodle soups before we could use the styrofoam bowl to make oatmeal. After a couple days, we had styrofoam bowls for coffee, oatmeal, granola, and a bathing bowl. At the bottom of my purse I discovered a few wet naps which we used and reused for various purposes. It was fun being inventive.
I spent the first day dozing and reading. The train stopped a few times for about 20 minutes but we didn't get off. Our carriage was located close to the middle of the train, so I explored to one end. I ran into what appeared to be a small, dingy bar with booths that was empty save for one woman who looked like she worked there and a man who barked at me and said something about drinks. There was a small food prep area, which didn't look too appetizing or clean. I hoped a better dining car existed at the other end.
In the early evening we both took off to explore the other side of the train with the hopes of finding the dining car. After going through about five cars we were gruffly turned back and told to go to the other end where I was dismayed to learn that the bar I had seen earlier was in fact the restaurant. On our way back to our compartment we heard some people speaking English and asked them what they knew about the food situation. Turns out both couples, all sharing a second class compartment which consisted of two bunks and a table (you gotta really like your friends to travel like this!), were from Calgary and Fairmont, BC. One of them knows a Mantei family in the Weyburn/Estevan, SK area - near my home town. The world is very small.
They told us that they had breakfast in the "dining car" which consisted of a cheese omelet or a ham and cheese omelette and cost $15. Dinner was either a chicken dish or another meat dish (as a vegetarian I was out of luck) and cost around $22 per meal.
They also had some helpful tips that I wish we had thought of. They brought bug spray, Lysol spray and disinfectant wipes and gave their compartment a good fumigation and wipe down before unpacking. They also brought dry shampoo, which they offered to lend me if the need arose. Included in their luggage were large to-go coffee mugs, which they used for their instant coffee and instant oatmeal. Brilliant! Blair and I just naively assumed we wouldn't need to provide any dish-ware given that we were in "first class" and all.
We decided to forgo the dining car completely and load up on noodle soups at the next stop for our dinners. We ended up purchasing an additional 22 noodle soups and ate them all. Since the packages were small, we doubled up on the portions.
Our neighbours that we were sharing the bathroom with were a very nice couple from Cheshire, Ian and Sue. Ian was very entertaining and held court often, relaying funny story after funny story. A civil engineer by trade; he is also a painter, singer and author. When he retired at 50 he decided to take up painting and is featured in a gallery in London - his works start at $4,000. He then decided he wanted to become a singer, Frank Sinatra style, and was paid to perform at various venues and has been booked on some cruise ships. He also wrote a book called 'The Hitler Canvas', which sells on Amazon. His wife loves to travel and he begrudgingly comes along. He said he would prefer to vacation in the Lake Districts in England, but he does what he has to do.
On day three we stopped in Balabinsk and I saw what looked to be a grocery store about 100 yards from the station. We quickly ran to it and did a bit of power shopping; buying toilet paper, wet wipes, gummy bears, chocolate bars and cookies. I felt much more at ease after acquiring the toilet paper and wet-wipes. I had my first proper wet-wipe bath that day and felt somewhat clean afterwards.
The villages in rural Russia look like what we imagine prairie towns to have looked like in the early 1900s. Ramshackle, wooden clapboard homes, weathered to a grey-brown colour and with precariously sloping roofs. Surrounding the house were large piles of chopped firewood and small buildings, one of which I assumed was an outhouse, and a big gardens. I saw many Babushkas working in them with small children scattered about. Cabbages were still planted and I believe they were harvesting potatoes.
On day five, we woke at 5:30 am (Moscow time) to an ocean out our window. Rolling surf crashing into pebble beaches and huge, frothy whitecaps were our first sighting of the grey Lake Baikal, the largest freshwater lake in the world by volume. Its depths reach up to a mile and it is thought to be the oldest existing lake, aged approximately 25 million years. Small villages lined the lake. The lake view ended at 5:54 am and we were back to trees and fields. It would have been nice to spend a couple days at Irkutsk, a city near the lake that was one of our stops, to explore the area a bit.
When we reached the Mongolian border that evening, we had a 2 hour and 30 min stop at Naushki. Russian authorities came onto the train requesting our passports and kept them. It was raining and so no one got off the train, however I'm not sure if that was even an option. I doubt it. A Mongolian money exchanger came on board offering her services to the passengers but since we were only going to be travelling through the country for one day and were well supplied with noodle soups, we declined. About an hour later the passports were returned and the compartments were thoroughly searched, including the ceiling panels. Interestingly, our luggage was spared this thorough inspection. Mongolian customs forms were given to us also.
The restaurant car was removed from the train and a Mongolian car was added. We heard later that their food was much better than the Russian restaurant car.
After a quick ride we stopped again for an hour and 45 minutes. Mongolian officials came on board and took our passports and a customs agent took our form. We entered around 9:30 pm so it was already dark and pouring rain. The passports were returned to us, and after another quick search we were on our way.
The next morning, day 6 of 7, we woke up while stopped at the city of Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia. It was a lot less depressing than the drab Russian cities that we had previously passed through. It was set in amongst bald hills and was sprinkled with yurts and houses with brightly coloured tin roofs. Brick buildings also dominated, which was new compared to the buildings in the Russian towns. Time jumped ahead four hours to Beijing time.
The rural landscape was arid and flat with a range of small mountains in the background that looked almost velvety. Large herds of horses, fat cows, sheep and hairy, double-humped bactrian camels could be seen grazing at a distance. Lone white yurts stood out, especially the ones with satellite dishes and a car parked out front. Clusters of white yurts also appeared in the middle of seemingly nowhere.
Later on that evening, our last night on the train, we approached the Chinese border, where we stopped to deal with immigration and customs for both Mongolia and China. Once that was completed we continued on a little ways into China and stopped for four hours to change the wheels of the cars, as the tracks are a different gauge in China. We stayed on the train while it took place (it was quite late and again, I don't think we had a choice) and used up the battery on the iPad to watch a couple of movies. The whole process was a bumpy, noisy experience.
The next morning (our last day on board) we woke up to a completely different landscape - green mountain ranges and corn fields packed tightly among brick villages. A Chinese restaurant car was now attached to the train and we were given free breakfast and lunch vouchers. At this point we had practically OD'd on noodle soup and were starting to gag at the thought of another meal of it. We slept too late to catch breakfast but thought we would try the lunch on offer; chicken meatballs (allegedly), white rice and sautéed vegetables. Turns out the noodle soup wasn't so bad.
We also met a couple from New Mexico, Scott and Stephanie, who are five months into an eight month trip around the globe. Scot is an avid traveler and had some great advice and we compared notes on the same places we had traveled to. They had taken a Russian overnight train from Moscow to St. Petersburg and got to experience the double bed with the comfy mattress, full private bathroom with a non-smelly flushing toilet, wifi, and there was even a day care car on the train. They were a little disappointed with our train and they were stuck in the same compartment as us in the next car, right next to the communal toilet. We discussed the unique smell of urine and burning coal, which I will be happy never to smell again in my life. Unfortunately, we discovered a little too late that their entire car had electrical outlets that worked, which they had used to charge their iPads and iPhones, and which we could have used had we known. We have a similar itinerary planned going forward, Japan and SE Asia so we plan to keep in touch.
I was more than ready to get off the train when it arrived in Beijing at 2 pm. My hair was so greasy and dirty that it practically stood up and walked off on its own. And consuming high calorie, processed, MSG-laden foods for almost a week without expending any energy didn't exactly make me feel my best self, more like a bloated beast. Yes, it was time.
Overall, it was a very relaxing way to spend six days and see parts of countries that wouldn't be seen if we had taken a flight. It also gave our feet a break as the sights came to us, so that was nice too. My life-saver was 'War and Peace' which I managed to finish on the last day. Blair kept himself busy with Bill Bryson's 'At Home' book which was an excellent read. It was nice to completely get away from today's technologies and only have a book to read and a window to look out of. We could have been travelling 70 years ago.
To do it again, we probably would have booked a Russian train even if that meant heading to a different destination and breaking up the trip a little, just to experience a bit more luxury. For those who stumble across this entry while looking for information on this train journey, I'm including a list of items that you might want to consider bringing with you.
toilet paper
wet wipes
bug spray
Lysol spray
disinfectant wipes
dry shampoo
large travel coffee mug
towels
sharp knife (Swiss army would have been great)
wine
wine opener