Mr and Mrs Koh Around The World: Ulan Bator to Moscow

Day 1

Our supplies

The train was full

It's a Mongolian coach

Our "luxurious" 2-berth cabin

Sights

Small township

A ger village

Lake Baikal

For the whole of the first day, the train had no dining car. We didn't have running water either. (ok that was our own fault, we didn't know how to operate the tap and no one spoke English in our car.)

We got really worried about having to spend 5 days on instant food, of which we didn't have enough. So we started to ration our supplies. No eating for fun or just because we're bored (trust me, there's a high tendency to that on a long train journey).

Day 2
There's a Russian dining car attached! And we found out how to work the tap from a German backpacker. And we found a hong konger in the next car that we can talk to!

Such things send us over the moon nowadays.

An interesting happens on the train whenever we make a stop at any station. Before we arrive at the stop, there'd be a flurry of activity. All the Mongolians on the trains would be carrying merchandise from this cabin to that. And when we stop? Loads of Russians crowd around our train doors and windows to buy stuff. The Mongolians would hawk their wares from the windows and the Russians would walk around, inspecting the goods before making a purchase. Even the train attendants and the Mongolian Policemen (you'd think they're on the train to prevent something like this) are in the action. It's like nothing we've ever seen! And you should see the amount of goods the Mongolians bring along with them. Clothes. Shoes. Handbags. Speakers. Sausages. A mix that totally unpredictable.

People crowding around

Some go down to attempt to sell stuff on the platforms

Ek helping out next cabin neighbour to make a sale. Songkey songkey!

The amount of Chinese goods brought to Vladimir

Bujee! Our delightful 13-year-old friend. She's doing the trip with her mother during her summer holidays. What a mischievous and cheerful girl. We will miss you, Bujee!