The big red train ride
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Greetings from Ulan Bator (Mongolia)!
Our upcoming schedule:
We have arrived safely after a very long journey and are to depart tomorrow (monday) morning for a 6 day trip around central Mongolia (which is completely empty of anyting but grass). We arrive back in UB on Saturday and leave for Beijing on Sunday.
The train ride:
If you are going to do something do it right! The cabins where really nice with (fake) wood panelling and a shower that we shared with the Norwegian couple next door. The carriage attendants were nice but did not speak any english... fortunately they spoke mandarin chinese so i got to practice a little. The beds were fairly comfortable and after the lack of sleep we had from the last few days, well we were out like little lights even before the train left Moscow.
There are those that won't believe me but being on a train for 5 days is actually a whole lot of fun. You get to read, sleep... alot and eat noodles everyday. It's actually really great to not have anything to do but wait for the next stop and wonder what kind of strange food you can buy there (everything from dried fish to cabbage pies). You also get to act as translator between the norwegian, swedish, english, australian, french, canadian, american, estonian etc. people you meet along the ride and last but not least you get to party in a toga as well as get drunk with a mongol in the middle of the day on black-current vodka. Luckily I knew the mongolian drinking rituals so I was offered some more ... and more ... and more until i was finally a bit groggy the rest of the day!
At the end of the ride the going got a bit boring... the view is pretty much the same all the way (trees, grass and small huts) but lake Baikal makes it all worthwhile. We got up in the early morning to enjoy the sunrise over the lake and it was quite a show. Unfortunately, taking pictures out of dirty windows is no easy feet but hopefully we will find something from our already growing archive for you.
It might be a while before we can post again as we will definitely not have internet access before arrival in beijing. The beginning of the journey has been so hectic that we just have not had time to sit down at all (by a computer that is) .
I wish you all the best and hopefully I/we will have some more for you soon enough. China might be a problem though as blogging is esentially banned there... we will do our best though!
Hugs
Robbe (and of course Micki)
p.s: Micki will soon fill in a post about our trip to St.Petersburg and the ride from there to Moscow. Which was quite exciting to say the least.
Posted byRobbe at 15:46
Superroligt att följa med er resa här! ni tycks ha haft en intressant tågresa :)
Enjoy!!!
Många kramar Heidi
Hej på er! Jätte kiva att få börja läsa om er resa! Det verkar ju jätte spännande!
Själv blev jag också ivrig och käpte med Chrisse flygbiljetter till bangkok 5.1, så vi är i thailand och yrar runt i två veckor.. Kanske vi stöter på varandra?
Men wow, det skulle vara kul att se lite bilder så hoppas ni kan sätta upp några i något skede! Kramar! <3
Nice to read your descreption of the train ride. Kind of a "dejavu". Can clearly remember how it was in 1985....Most was a like, although you got noodles. We hade only cabbage/sauerkraut and dark bred. I can already now see that you are enjoying your trip. Can't wait to hear your story Petersburg-Moscow, and your experience of (was it) the "Yaroslavski" trainstation....
Dad
Kul att höra att ni har det bra! Sköt om er och skriv allt vad ni hinner på bloggen. D e roligt att läsa hur ni har det, och bilder sku vara mycket NAJS!
Take care!
-Jocce
Hejsan svejsan. Borde varit och överräckt en Fazers blå som "eväitä" då ni for, liksom din far fick 1985. Tradition! Men jag hade inte koll på när ni exakt avvek... Vi svettas här och packar inför flytten måndag. Otroligt vad man samlar på sej; och ni klarar er säkert alla månader med mycket mindre kama! Väntar med spänning på bilder och berättelser. Pi&Co
Hi bobby and micki, we are here at oscie and evans in mv for fathers 90th and miss you both. we spoke about you, showed photos of the graduation gathering and have had a great time. Linku has won all boggle matches so we await your return! el now working from cousins in Boston for 2 days, Lin at lax in Spain. Return tonight. we joyfully follow your travels! Love,Tom
Mikaela! Hjärtliga gratulationer på din 25-årsdag!
Stora kramar från Mamma, Pappa & Olivia
Hej!!!
Roligt att höra att so far so good och jag väntar ivrigt på ert nästa inlägg. I väntan på det så får man väl lov att säga: GRATTIS MICKI PÅ FÖDELSEDAGEN!!!!
Stor kram till er båda!!
/Cilla
Grattis till Micki från Jankka & Susi. En liten födispresent finns på överenskommet ställe..:o)Trevlig fortsättning på resan. Fick just ett email från Robbe att våra resenärer har anlänt lyckligt till Beijing. Antar att vi snart får en rapport....
Jankka
Hej ni två!
Alexandra och jag hade a few good laughs när vi kolla era äventyr :)
Försenad grattis till Micki, tänkte nog på dig på rätt dag då jag gratulerade Miimu, men hade inte öppnat er blogg då. Första frostnatten här inget som Mongoliet! Ha det bra och sköt om er!
Kate
Hahahaha! Gul svamp... That made my day! Ja ruttnar på jobbet så njut av er frihet :)
Kram,
Jägä