Epi(b)logue

---

This is one of a number of epi(b)logues which I plan to add to my blog to give some feedback on the hostels we stayed in along the way. So, let's start at the very beginning - Beijing, China. We stayed at the Haina Hostel which gave very clear instructions of how to reach it on the Hostel World site. From memory we found it without too many problems and it was very nice. Situated on a street full of restaurants there was also a nice little 7/11 at the end of the street where we bought our breakfast. This usually consisted of a croissant and a fruit juice which kept us going until lunchtime. The Hostel itself was more like a hotel and we had a twin room with our own bathroom. The girls on reception were very helpful and most of them spoke english and were more than happy to practice it. They also organised trips to various places including the Great Wall of China. The one we chose was to Mutianyu which was great once we got there but we had to visit various other spots along the way - cloissone factory, jade factory on the way there and tea ceremony and chinese medicine man on the way back but the wall itself was spectacular. A little tip regarding internet - we just happened to be walking past the public library when I said to Lyn "wonder if they have internet". They did and it was free so we spent a few hours in there catching up on emails etc. Always good to check out the local library as most seem to have internet and it almost always is free.

Next stop was Mongolia but first a few words about the train. We were quite excited about taking the Trans Mongolian Express and, although getting the tickets proved difficult, once we got the tickets it was all smooth sailing from China to Mongolia. Train was very nice - we shared a 4 berth cabin with a young Norwegian guy. We got lunch and dinner vouchers and though the food wasn't cordon bleu it wasnt' bad. All in all the China/Mongolia section of the Trans Mongolian was a pleasant experience. Now for Mongolia - can thoroughly recommend the company SteppeRiders if you want to spend some time in a traditional Ger and do some horse riding. We were only out there for 2 days as the weather wasn't the best (it was snowing). The facilities weren't four star - no showers and only one toilet which was a drop toilet situated a short run from the Ger. Salty tea took a bit of getting used to but everyone we met was so friendly and they really enjoyed teaching us Mongolian as we enjoyed teaching them English. In Ulaan Bator we stayed at the Golden Gobi - highly recommended. It was a very friendly place - just like a home from home. It was our first taste of mixed dorm but went very well. Breakfast was available and there was internet access too. The owners organised trips in and around Ulaan Bator - we took a trip to Terelje National Park which was fantastic. Around Ulaan Bator there were lots of nice cafes and restaurants and a lot of the cafes had Wi-Fi internet access which was great. We got to go to the Ballet for $5 and we were very impressed.

Our next stop was Russia - Irkutsk to be precise though we ended up staying in Listvyanka which is about an hour out of Irkutsk and next to Lake Baikal. The place we stayed was like a little swiss wooden chalet - twin room with own bathroom and breakfast thrown in (not literally) too. Of course, some of you will remember how we had to share our cabin with Mongolian traders selling tracksuits. What a nightmare that was - I have since read many similar stories of people having the same experiences on the Trans Mongolian. It's not a trip for the faint hearted. I have heard there is a first class train whcih does the journey and there are beautiful showers, toilets and gourmet food - it's not cheap though not sure exactly how much but it may be preferable to the way we did it.

The next part of the train journey was my own personal nightmare as you will remember. I won't go into it again but will give one little tip - if you are going to travel on the Trans Mongolian train never buy the last two bunks on the train especially if they are both upper bunks. Better to wait a day or so and get and upper and lower bunk. Also, goes without saying really NEVER EVER eat anything in a Russian railcar and make sure you have plenty of toilet paper and hand disinfectant with you. Nuff said. As for Moscow we stayed at Godzillas which I can thoroughly recommend. Finding it was not an easy task as you have to take the metro and maybe even change a couple of times - not easy when all the metro stops are written in the Cyrillic alphabet. Once found it was a very friendly hostel. They had Wi-Fi and several of their own computers. Rooms were decent size and showers weren't too bad. They also had book exchange which is great when you're travelling - I can't remember how many books I got through but it was a lot and most of them came via book exchange.

St Petersburg was next on the list and I can thoroughly recommend the Red Arrow train - very luxurious compared to the one to Moscow. Runs through the night too and you get a really good sleep - toilets are sparkling and it's altogether a wonderful experience. The Nevsky Hostel is where we stayed in St Petersburg - hostel itself wasn't bad - nice beds and showers but to get to it you had to go up several flights of stairs which had obviously been used as the local toilet - nose pinching was a necessity. There was a kitchen, lockers and free Wi-Fi and it's just around the corner from the Hermitage which is good because if you want to visit the Hermitage you are best to get there very early to avoid the queues. Not sure how long we queued to get in but it was well over an hour.

Well, that's the end of the first Epi(b)logue. Next one will tackle Eastern Europe. Have added some Brides around the World pics for your enjoyment and to take away the boredom of the text.

Ci vediamo

---