Hello Mongolia

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Welcome to Mongolia

The smell of cooking pork was slightly stronger than the stench of cigarette smoke when I woke at 9am. The rhythmic motion of the train was relaxing and I slept well all night. Chaos in the corridor this morning with an overnight influx of Mongolian tradesman I can only assume going to market. Within half an hour they were off the train and peace had returned. The commandant has a small area where she cooks for herself and any other passengers she likes. There is a large fridge freezer in her room and a sink with a good flow of water for her exclusive use! One of the cabins was stacked full of new ikea furniture (very dated black ash) all in the packaging on route I suspect to a Ger camp somewhere. In her wok she had pork and vegetables bubbling away for breakfast, I had a banana and a cup of tea without milk.

My travelling companions are Ingrid and Alexandra (I checked their passports overnight) and they are sisters from Sydney.

I am heading for Ulaanbaatar the capital of Mongolia. The sightseeing/highlights section in my guide book is only one page so I am not expecting too much. I am off to stay in a Ger camp for two nights and then return to the city for a night in a 4* hotel (what a treat). As the train bumped through the dessert of Mongolia there was not much to see. The flat land with the occasional Ger tent and the odd herd of sheep grazing. Every now and then a random person was stood in railway uniform holding a small red flag at the side of the track in the middle of nowhere, their role unclear. The commandant seemed more cheerful today. She spotted that I did had not used the bedding pack she had provided yesterday. I explained (now in Mongolian) that I had sensitive skin and was concerned about the washing detergent the sheets were laundered in; I think she understood.

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