The Train - Beijing to Ulaan Bator

Set off at about 6:30 for Beijing station - a scence of considerable activity. Got on our train - no 23 to Ulaan Bator. We had booked a twin. Luckily, this meant that we go a compartment for two, with a shower room shared with the adjoining compartment. Compartment was all faux wood, but was quite comfortable.

We saw the Great wall in a number of places as the train rooled through China. We soon discovered that a coffee cost 10Y and a beer 5Y, so we made a sensible choice. Food oin the train was good - we ate in the restaurant car and also had our own noodles and soup.

Around 9 p.m. we came to the Mongolian border. Chinese border control were efficient and then we were shunted into a shed where the carriages were separated. Each was jacked up and the bogies rolled away to be replaced by the broader gauge bogies of Mongolia and Russia. Then we moven on a couple of kilometres to Mongolian border control, who dutifully inspected passports, vusas and forms. Finally, by about 1:30 pm we were on our way - altogrther about a 4.5 hour border crosssing. This is about normal.

The compartment was comfortable and we slpt to wake to the Gobi desert. The train roled through hours of flat, dry and largely vegetation free country. We saw the odd wild horse, goat or camel.

The landscape improved and we started to see encampments. These were nomads living in gers (round felt tents). This continued to Ulaan bator, which we entered at about 4:30; about 3 hours late.

Off to our hotel and then to dinner. UB is a city of about 750,000 people, numbers of whom live in gers in the city. Others live in ugly Soviet apartment blocks. The city isn't pretty but it has it's own charm.

Mongolia is an interesting country. it remains a nomad society - 43% of the population are nomads.