Tuesday, 18 May 2010
Russian/Outer Mongolian border
Most of the night is spent stationary in a siding in Ulan Ude, in the Buryat Republic. Having unhooked from an electric locomotive, hook up to a diesel locomotive for the border crossing and eventual journey through Outer Mongolia to the capital, Ulaan Baatar.
Lunch has to be early so we can finish by the time we reach the railway border crossing at Naushki. For the border formalities. Which we’re told could either take 2hrs or 10hrs. Depends on how they all feel at the border.
Bets are being taken for 10hrs as told we’ll have 6hrs to amuse ourselves in Naushki. For those that haven’t been to Naushki, you’ll understand that it’s not something to look forward to.
Instead. Driven by bus to the road border crossing at Khyagt. For those that haven’t been to Khyagt, you’ll understand that it’s not something to look forward to.
Rough 40 minute ride along a mix of tarmacked, compacted earth and gravel roads. Khyagt being the border town that used to be part of the tea trade between China and Russia. It’s main tourist attraction is the local museum. Delighted at seeing some fresh blood to bore, the local guide gives a detailed explanation. Of. Every. Single. Sodding. Item. On. Display. You can imagine how tedious. Notable feature of the museum is that it has a central heating pipe running across the top of the entrance steps. See photo below. Go on. You had one job. And you installed a pipe there?!? Unbelievable. Another notable feature of the museum is the toilet. It’s a long drop. Literally a hole in the wooden floor. Another notable feature of the museum is that the outside rainwater pipe is held up by a silver birch tree.
Find some better toilets in the hotel adjacent. Only marginally better. There’s a WC but no toilet seat. Glad I’m a bloke. There’s no water at the wash hand basin. Just some empty contraption which should dispense a trickle of water if you push a small toggle. So fingers are dipped in the open toilet cistern. All rather grubby.
Now running late to get back to the train. It’s a mad frantic dash back to Naushki. Bus 1 is in the lead. Bus 2 following shortly behind. Wacky races.
Bus 1 is stopped in the middle of nowhere for a security check by the local police. So bus 2 passes by and arrives back at the train. Bus 1 arrives a few minutes later. Fellow travellers tell us that they had a passport check but didn’t have passports as they are on the train. Russian train manager/guide who was travelling on bus 1 had got off bus 1 to argue the toss with Russian police (trust me, she’s fierce, feel sorry for the police) to let bus 1 continue back to the train as it’s all getting tight for time. Thinking she can flag down bus 2 which she knows is behind and jump on that back to the station. Unfortunately. She hadn’t seen bus 2 pass by when she was arguing the toss with the police.
So is now stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Bus returns to find her. Thus delaying departure of train.
Finally all on board and Russian immigration board to collect passports. All rather low key and friendly. Not like the Belarus border crossing. Passports take 2hrs to process.
Customs officers board to check the train. All cabins. All toilets. All wardrobes. Bit of a nonsense as they don’t check the stowed away top bunk. Had a family of Mongolians up there.
Can hear footsteps on the roof and all the undercarriage is being checked. At most stops, an engineer ambles along the train set tapping all the axle boxes and wheels to test the sound. Axle boxes should give a deep thud which denotes they’re still full of oil. Wheels should ring to prove there are no cracks. All being checked before we cross the border.
Russian border formalities completed. Travel through no man’s land for about 40 minutes. A watchtower suggests the actual border. And then. A brief stop at a very small station consisting of a brightly coloured building with ‘MONGOLIA’ written on it.
Now in Mongolia.
Or rather. Outer Mongolia.
You know when you used to say, ‘about as remote as Outer Mongolia’ and wondered where it was. Well this is it. Am here.
Mongolian border guards stand to attention and salute as the train leaves and only stand at ease once the end of the train passes by them. Saw this in Burma too. Aircraft engineers used to do the same as the aircraft pushed back and taxied.
Arrive at Sukhbaatar for Mongolian border formalities. Which takes two and a half hours. Though most of the men on board are quite taken by the strikingly beautiful young woman who collects our passports. Nearly as tall as me, dear reader. She takes my passport. Studies my face. Then studies passport photo. Then studies my face. Then studies passport photo.
This. Is. Repeated. About. Six. More. Times.
Consequence of which. I start to giggle.
She finally decides that, yes, it is me in the passport photo. And whips my passport away. When she arrives at Mr Ex-Army’s cabin can tell he too is smitten when I hear a saucy, “Hellloo”. In a Lesley Phillips sort of way.
Beginning to like Mongolia.
Told to stay in our carriages whilst customs inspections continue. Impromptu party starts in WAMC’s cabin next to mine. Whisky is produced.
Ah yes.
There are pre-dinner drinks.
And there are pre-dinner drinks.
Train eventually departs 2200hrs for the overnight journey to Ulaan Baatar. Taken over 10hrs to complete the border crossing formalities.
