After a terrific 30 days of traveling Mongolia, we were on the move! We had already been on part of the Trans-Mongolian part of the train journey, however now it was time to inspect out what the rest of it had to offer. We were on the train line from Ulan Bator to Moscow, however we made a decision to break up the journey in Irkutsk, Russia.

Our train tickets for the Trans-Siberian train
About 2 minutes after boarding our train as well as discovering our compartment, we were used a shot of vodka. considering that it was barely noon, I declined, Nick on the other hand was excited to join in as well as do as the locals do. We shared a cabin with a friendly, boisterous lady from Kazakhstan. We didn’t really satisfy any type of Russians on our train journey to Russia, we were chatting with people from the countries we will be checking out in the near future – Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan as well as Kazakhstan…and of course, other western travellers.

All aboard! The 2nd leg of our train journey has commenced!

At around 1:00, our train chugged away from the platform, we were off! Our 26 hour journey from Ulan Bator in Mongolia to Irkutsk in Russia (Siberia) had commenced. We kept away our bags, got settled in as well as took pleasure in the views of the rolling, eco-friendly steppe from our window.

Visions of people drinking, chatting as well as eating in the dining cars and truck floated with our minds as well as we made a decision to inspect it out, to no avail. We went with each as well as every cars and truck on the train before asking one of the (grumpy) Mongolian women who serviced the train. There was no dining cars and truck as well as there wouldn’t be up until we reached the border with Russia at midnight.

Leaving Ulan Bator behind
Luckily, we figured the food would be costly in the restaurant cars and truck anyways, so we brought food of our own. Sausage sandwiches, immediate noodles as well as chocolate bars for lunch as well as dinner, as well as oatmeal for breakfast.

Luckily we brought food with us!
When we very first got on the train, we observed great deals of Mongolian people walking up as well as down the train with large amounts of different products. Which seemed truly odd to us – this was the Trans-Siberian Train, there shouldn’t be any type of vendors like that on board! What was really happening was that they were trying to get other travellers to assist hide their undeclared, unlawful merchandise. whatever you can envision was getting smuggled across: jeans, backpacks, equine riding boots, tea, blankets as well as more. a lot of of the products were bought in China as well as were then going to be offered in Russia as well as central Asia.

The inside of our 2nd class train compartment…we won’t be hiding anything under these beds
We enjoyed as a lot of people (and ourselves) turned down this absurd proposal. The vendors then had no option however to cram the loot under the floorboards in the train as well as behind trick compartments where luggage is stored.

Once we reached the border with Russia around midnight, the genuine fun began. Police, border safety as well as medication detection dogs came on board as well as did a complete browse of the train. It ended up being remove to us that this train is often utilized to smuggle products across the border. Western tourists are normally left alone (which is why the smugglers hope we’ll assist them out). The guards just did a quick, half-assed scan of our bags, however not with the Mongolians, Russians, Chinese as well as other people from central Asia. They tore apart their bags, searched high as well as low around where they were sitting as well as even provided the innocent people a quite difficult time.

Cheers to not being searched at the border!
The bad lady from Kazakhstan that we were sharing a compartment with was sweating as well as so stressed out as she showed all of her products to the safety (all of which she had declared as well as were legal). The whole ordeal of browsing the train from top to bottom as well as busting the culprits took about 4 hours as well as we didn’t leave the border up until 2:30am.

Beautiful sunset along the way
On the Trans-Siberian/Trans-Mongolian trains, 30 minutes before the train shows up at a stop, during the wait, as well as 30 minutes after, the shower room doors are locked. around 12:30 I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to hold in my shower room needs any type of longer. I asked every member of the train personnel to open the door, however they were all so grumpy as well as disrespectful that they generally just cleaned me off as well as went back to drinking tea.Hm! Not impressed. I marched back to my seat, got Nick, as well as together we utilized his multi-tool knife to jimmy the lock as well as get me in there. The train was silent as well as the door to the shower room was not. It creaked as well as groaned at every inch it moved. Nick was on the lookout for grumpy women while I relieved myself. Is there anything a Leatherman can’t do?!

Finally it’s time for bed!

I might lastly go to sleep. We both shut our eyes around 3:00 am as well as awoke to the sun beating down on us. It was a stunning day on the train. The scenery on our 2nd day was stunning. We went with dense forest as well as around lovely Lake Baikal. The views were excellent as well as during all of the commotion at the border, they had connected a Russian food car.

Views of sensational Lake Baikal – which is the deepest lake in the world

We took pleasure in coffees, fresh oranges as well as some fried potatoes…and then the expense came. obviously the costs on the menu weren’t ideal as well as the expense of the orange was really $3, instead of $1. seems affordable for one orange (?!)

The late-arriving, overly-priced restaurant cars and truck on the Trans-Siberian Train
Even though there were some crazy events on the train (which really produced some great entertainment) as well as there wasn’t a restaurant cars and truck up until the 2nd day, as well as the restaurant cars and truck was method overpriced, we still had a excellent time on this part of the Trans-Siberian/Trans-Mongolian Train. The beds were comfy, the business was truly great as well as the views were marvelous!

Two legs of our popular train journey complete…one a lot more to go!

For a lot more info on travelling to Mongolia, inspect out our guide to Backpacking Mongolia.

Have you ever seen any type of of smuggling of product on trains before?! tell us about it below.

THE TRANS-MONGOLIAN TRAIN: ALL YOU requirement TO KNOW

TRANS-MONGOLIAN TRAIN JOURNEY: BEIJING TO ULAN BATOR

VIDEO: TRANS-MONGOLIAN TRAIN JOURNEY

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