Bayar-tai Mongolia & Ni hao China

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This was the last leg of my epic train journey and I will have to say the best, for several reasons, the scenery seemed to get even more vast and forever changing the carriages seemed to be getting bigger and more airy (thankfully) and of course how could I forget travelling across the second biggest desert in the world, the Gobi Desert and last but not least the other passengers. It seemed that this was the tourist train, there were no locals on this one t all and we were bumping into people we had met at previous stops. Another particular bonus was the beer was cheaper on this train and the restaurant carriage was like a film set from Out of Mongolia (just made that film up). Another fact, the distance we covered on this trip is a quater of the world, blimey!

We got to the Chinese border around 10pm and there we had to have our wheels changed because the size of the tracks in China are 3 inches either smaller or larger I can't remember now, but what they do is separate the carriages up and then lift each one up individually, move the Mongolian wheels away then move in the Chinese ones, then lower the carriages back into place. This is all going on whilst we are in the carriages, you would never know what was happening. Then they join the carriages back up & then we were back on our merry way.

Of course as always the best part of travel is the people you meet & their stories. For all of them this wasn't a trip that any of them did on a whim, for every single one of them it had been a life long dream, one guy had wanted to do it for 30 years & was finally doing it, another one had dreamt of doing it since he was 10 years of age. The story of another chap was his best friend died a year ago and his words were "life is too short, I had to do this trip, his wife wasn't up for it" he said so I left her at home".

One other thing and very importantly was thanks to Roisin, my new travel buddy, drinking pal and tour guide who also made this trip. Have to say was a bit taken back to find out I was the only one on the tour bit things happen for a reason and it couldn't have worked out better.

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Photos

Railway to nowhere
Travelling across the Gobi Desert. No goats though!

Changing the carriage
On the chinese border

More carriages
Where is the rest of the train?

Can't find that screw!
Hope they don't forget to attach the thing

Mongolian restaurant carriage
Roisin waiting for her beer