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I am not a fan of border crossings but this one on the train was easy. It was slow and boreing but there was no hastle. The officials came and got our passports and when they were finished they returned them.
I got to skypewith Chris while I was waiting at the train station so that was a bit of fun. I held up my netbook and he could see around in real time.
I met a Russian at the station and as I was getting on so was an Aussie tour group. I said Gday tothem and planned to chat more on the train. As it turned out the Provodnitsa put me on the wrong carriage. When someone else turned up for the same seat we had to go and sort the problem. Turns out i was in carriage No1a not No1. Ithought carriage 1 was soft sleeper and I had been told there was no soft sleeper at all on this train, when I tried to book one. Anyway my carriage was only half full so I got a whole compartment to myself.How good is that??. As soon as the train takes off and I am resonably sure I spread out over the whole bunk next to me. I lock my bag to the train with my handy chain and it is kinda warm so I want to change into shorts. As soon as I drop my dacks the provodnitsa comes in to give me my comfort pack. I get towell, pillow case and 2 sheets. Loven it!!
The dunny on the train is not like in India where the **** falls straight out onto the tracks. Here the dunny has a "trap door" in the bottom. What ever you do sits on the trap door. When you are finished just stand on the leaver and everything drops onto the tracks.
This morning is cold, wet, raining and miserable. We stopped at Sukhbaatar for the Mongolian officials to do their thing. It took 4 1/2 hours. While there a woman got on the train and claimed the other bottom bunk. I moved all my stuff to the bunk above me so she had one side and I had the other. Then another woman seemed to move in and I was thinking I was gonna lose my spot. I had visions of the door people coming back again. While this was happening we were doing border control and a woman came and took my passport. Another woman came and gave out customs forms and got ****** when I didnt know my visa number. Meanwhile these dodgy women, who had about 6 friends, were hiding all sorst of **** from the Russian customs.New shirts were getting doubled up, scotch stashed in the bottom of bags, Stuff in packets taken out and put in bags to look like normal luggage, new shoes spread out under the seats. They were also wearing as much as poss, 3 pair sox, 3 t shirts, vest and jacket, and every jacket hook in the compartment was also full. They are dodgy as.
Assoon as we got going a line formed for the womens dunny, they are locked while in the station, so after 4 hr there was a line half way up the carriage.
About 1/2hr down the road we are at the Russian side. The women start to panic ans stash stuff all over the place. The women got grilled by customs but seemed to get away with it, and had a great laugh about it when customs left. After customs left they had to search our compartment for all their stuff and repack it after unpacking it to look like their luggage. As soon as the formalities were don at Naushki and passports were returned the women and their friends left the train, via a back exit. I got the whole compartment to myself again. How Good is THIS??
After 4 1/2hr the train backs up and we are switched to another track and off to Siberia in the Russian Federation. While we were ther I got 5000 rubles from the ATM but I dont know how much it is? It is still very cold and raining and it is a good day to be travelling in a train.
I got to skypewith Chris while I was waiting at the train station so that was a bit of fun. I held up my netbook and he could see around in real time.
I met a Russian at the station and as I was getting on so was an Aussie tour group. I said Gday tothem and planned to chat more on the train. As it turned out the Provodnitsa put me on the wrong carriage. When someone else turned up for the same seat we had to go and sort the problem. Turns out i was in carriage No1a not No1. Ithought carriage 1 was soft sleeper and I had been told there was no soft sleeper at all on this train, when I tried to book one. Anyway my carriage was only half full so I got a whole compartment to myself.How good is that??. As soon as the train takes off and I am resonably sure I spread out over the whole bunk next to me. I lock my bag to the train with my handy chain and it is kinda warm so I want to change into shorts. As soon as I drop my dacks the provodnitsa comes in to give me my comfort pack. I get towell, pillow case and 2 sheets. Loven it!!
The dunny on the train is not like in India where the **** falls straight out onto the tracks. Here the dunny has a "trap door" in the bottom. What ever you do sits on the trap door. When you are finished just stand on the leaver and everything drops onto the tracks.
This morning is cold, wet, raining and miserable. We stopped at Sukhbaatar for the Mongolian officials to do their thing. It took 4 1/2 hours. While there a woman got on the train and claimed the other bottom bunk. I moved all my stuff to the bunk above me so she had one side and I had the other. Then another woman seemed to move in and I was thinking I was gonna lose my spot. I had visions of the door people coming back again. While this was happening we were doing border control and a woman came and took my passport. Another woman came and gave out customs forms and got ****** when I didnt know my visa number. Meanwhile these dodgy women, who had about 6 friends, were hiding all sorst of **** from the Russian customs.New shirts were getting doubled up, scotch stashed in the bottom of bags, Stuff in packets taken out and put in bags to look like normal luggage, new shoes spread out under the seats. They were also wearing as much as poss, 3 pair sox, 3 t shirts, vest and jacket, and every jacket hook in the compartment was also full. They are dodgy as.
Assoon as we got going a line formed for the womens dunny, they are locked while in the station, so after 4 hr there was a line half way up the carriage.
About 1/2hr down the road we are at the Russian side. The women start to panic ans stash stuff all over the place. The women got grilled by customs but seemed to get away with it, and had a great laugh about it when customs left. After customs left they had to search our compartment for all their stuff and repack it after unpacking it to look like their luggage. As soon as the formalities were don at Naushki and passports were returned the women and their friends left the train, via a back exit. I got the whole compartment to myself again. How Good is THIS??
After 4 1/2hr the train backs up and we are switched to another track and off to Siberia in the Russian Federation. While we were ther I got 5000 rubles from the ATM but I dont know how much it is? It is still very cold and raining and it is a good day to be travelling in a train.
- comments
Danv Charming. Great tourist shot!
Chris Hey dad,sounds like a fun train ride haha, should of helped the ladies smuggle stuff up your butt, the exchange is 1aud = 0.0325 ruble so you have roughly $160 aud i think?
Aprille Glad you are enjoying yourself. I am enjoying your blogs. Stay safe. Xx
Ngaere Fantastic train ride. Enjoying the commentary. Keep safe
Ashlea So its a good bet that we will see you in the background of Russias version of 'border security' ? HahaThe toilet looks pretty high class! :/ Glad it went well tho. I'm enjoying reading about your travels (as always) :D Love you xxx