mongolia and busting!

six hours at the border with the toilets locked and not allowed off the train! and, of course, by the time we got going again it was dark when we finally crossed into mongolia. but we are here in this fabled country. we had to get up with the sun this morning..early arrival in ulan bator...and saw low mountains, flat grasslands, horses, gers, smoke rising....then ulan bator with its factory chimneys! a small city to get around and everywhere seems to be a building site. the pavements are virtually non existant, twisted ankle time!
we were met and taken to a different hotel...pourquoi? we couldn't get an answer! but lonely planet calls it the best in town so a rare treat after the train! showers again, stu! :)

back in moscow our taxi never arrived so the doorman went into the jammed traffic to persuade someone to take us to the station! a white knuckle ride in a smelly lada in the outside lane of an eight lane highway across central moscow! but we made the train and at the price agreed...so he got a big tip! (i had had various scenarios playing out in my head...when i wasn't wincing from the speed...like being left without our luggage somewhere...or worse! :)

the train was bizarre, scruffy, hard on the bottom and bloody cold at night...till we jammed the window shut and stuffed kitchen roll in the cracks. surrounded by mongolian traders, (that train is run by mongolian railways), we had to fight our way on and off at each station through the jeans, jackets, t-shirts, bras...you name it, they were selling it!

but life asssumed a rhythm and our 'provodnitsa' (carriage attendant) finally cracked a smile and took to locking our door for us each time we left our compartment. the restaurant was limited but ethnic and delicious and we bought stuff from the platform kiosks along the way.

the scenery was superb (don't know what your friend was looking at, gwen!) all the way and the morning of our anniversary we came through the forest and hills onto lake baikal with a red sun rising over it. how appropriate for our ruby wedding! :) no wine to celebrate but lou was getting a taste for large bottles of russian beer! we ate icecreams on the platform at illi -something with a young flute playing couple who wished us a happy day! :)

we've explored a bit and eaten lunch in the famed (lp says so) silk bar and grill overlooking a monastery but it was shut when we tried to visit. we've been to a tour company to book a trip into the country tomorrow to visit a monastery/museum at manzashir. i chose the destination so lou chose the transport...a russian jeep!
'it's bumpy', the girl smiled, 'but the road is surfaced'!
a driver plus a guide/cook. we eat lunch and dinner as part of the package. if we don't make it back, you have been told! :)

thanks so much for all the comments...wine in russia is red that tastes as if it has been open a week and warm white but we did drink a decent soave with the pizza...
we're trying to eat local and the salads are good but i read we shouldn't eat them...tough, we have!
our anni was great...until the border; the norwegian bloke next door took pity on me and gave me a beaker of wine as i didn' t like the beer...