Mongolia: Irkutsk to Ulaan Baatar

Sunday 27th August

Back On The Train

Hours at the Russian Border

Didn't get much sleep at all last night and were up at 4.30am! We found our train and platform quite easily this time. The 4-berth coupe compartment was empty. Great. Would be even greater if it stayed that way - which it did. At 6am we moved out of Irkutsk, to follow a highly picturesque route skirting the southern end of Lake Baikal to Ulan Ude. For about 200km we had the panorama of the lake in view while the train wound it's slow way up steep hillsides, then down again to the water's edge. This train was totally different to our previous trip as it had it's large complement of "tourists" like us plus hoards of Mongolian traders, who were transporting heaps and heaps of boxes, bags and packets of wares from Russia to Mongolia. They were constantly moving the stuff around the train, hiding things and spreading them around in an attempt to cross the border with their legal amount of declared goods! It was obvious that they were all working together, and watching the buzz of activity was fascinating. They'd run up and down the corridors, pushing boxes, shouting at each other and then coming back with some other box!! A crazily organised kind of chaos.

After about 7hrs we arrived at Naushki, the Russian border, where the train remained for a full 4 hours whilst the Russian border control came on board to start with their "procedures"! Firstly all passports were taken away by 2 officials. Then another official person handed out a customs declaration form [in duplicate]. Whilst waiting for passports to be returned we were allowed off the train to walk around, buy food and use the loo [the train loo is firmly locked during the entire Russian exit border procedure time and the Mongoian entry procedures]. After 2 hours we had to all get back on the train and our passports were returned. Then for the next step in the procedures - searching the entire train for stowaways [we're told] and contraband stuff. They go through each compartment one by one, whilst we stand in the passage and watch them. I reckon the Mongolians are nipping at this point due to their dubious activities. We did notice someone being taken away on the platform, firmly handcuffed to a police woman. We never saw him getting back on the train! The search process took about an hour, after which all the customs forms handed out earlier, were stamped and returned. In total the whole rigmarole took 4 hours and joy of joys, the train began to move again. We were officially out of Russia and without any problems. It's not over yet tho'. We still have to enter Mongolia. We moved on for only 5 minutes and the train came to a grinding halt in no-mans land. We were surrounded by glaring floodlights and an impending looking electric fence!! We just sat here for what felt like ages, then eventually the train moved again. We were given more forms to complete - Mongolian entry forms and a currency declaration form. At the first Mongolian border town, we went through a similar procedure as for the Russian border but without the train search. The time taken here to do the entire train was only 1hour. Much quicker and a lot less burocratic. The total time for both borders processes was 6hours - and then, at last, the loos were opened again. This gets to be quite an issue for a lot of people because they continue to drink their beer and vodka, so resort to selfmade "pee bottles" made out of beer cans and sawn off plastic bottles!! With the train back on track [?] we prepared to get some sleep for the last 7hours before arriving in Ulaan Baataar, the capital of Mongolia.