Arriving at the border town of erlian in China was a bit of a let down, it was more of a ghost town than bustling border town. Even the lack of accomodation left me to check in to a cheap hotel, still only $6 . After finally finding the international ticket office and buying a ticket I was set for Mongolia. An easy night journey on an almost empty train left me with a berth to myself, however with Mongolian border crossing procedures it was not until 2 in the morning that we finally got going. This part of the train trip passes through some fairly desolate wilderness so there wasn`t too much to see out the window. An afternoon arrival into Ulaanbaator left me with enough time to get my ticket to Irkutsk , have a quick stroll around the city and grab a tasy bite to eat along with sampling the local beer. food and beer just costing $7 so bargain.
Next morning I was off on my trip out of the city to to homestay and to see the coutryside on horse back. After driving for about an hour it felt like I was in the middle of nowwhere, then I finally saw the camp. I was quickly invited in for some breakfast. On the table in the 1 room winter cabin that the family were in was a big tray of sheeps guts stuffed with various other bits and pieces from the animal. I was handed a knife and gestured to dig in, not the most appetising brekkie ever, but I did sapmle some homemade black pudding was very tasty. All of this washed down with some salty milk tea which is made from the meat stock, diffinitely an acquired taste.
Had a great afternoon with 2 local guides just trekking around the countryside. The Mongolian horses are much smaller than their european counterparts but it was still a good trek albeit probably not the best time of the year for scenenry as it all looked quite bleak as the rains do not fall until the summer. Although it wasn`t as cold as I had a expected.
That evening I was shown some local hunting for some animal that looks like a cross between a beaver and a squirrel and helped with the herding. That night we ate a mutton dish and spent the need in the Ger which are the traditional round felt tents that they live in. Next day was back into UB and just did some walking around the City, which has a decidedly dodgy feel to it.
Having being spoilt by the Chinese Trains, I nearly missed my train out of UB to Russia, due to no announcemnets, no number on the trains and the fact that it was only 1 carriage. However I was soon comfortable in a kupe which I hadn`t expected, and was sharing with a Mongoilia teacher, a student and a Babuschka. Apart from the 10 hour stop at the borders all went well and the journey was quite comfortable. As always mealtimes turn into mini buffets with everyone sharing their food and most things being quite tasty. The 2 nights passed qite quickly although I was suprised to be woken at 5.30 on the last morning to help unload the luggage for another Russian Granny who was travelling in a different berth altogether. They really don`t have the concept of tavelling light !
