Sharing a carriage with Brigitte, Dom and Nicci. It's 9am, and they're still asleep. We had a late night thanks to the border crossing. Started at 7pm on the Mongolian side, finish at 1am Chinese side.
When we hit the Chinese side, the entire train was pulled into a huge warehouse. There, each carriage is raised, like a car at a mechanic's, and the bogeys (undercarriage) exchanged for new ones. This is because the Chinese rail has a narrower gauge. It was a long process, but at least one can look into the other carriages while it happens, to distract from the fact that there's no access to the toilet.
We had a little bonding conversation about first and worst dates. Smart bars, the zoo, a nice walk - were suggested ideal first dates. I shared the story of my date with Niamh Q, and Dom that his hot work colleague who stood him up. Managed to catch Hollie out with the ghost story about the dog who died the day I was born. hehe! She screamed and pummelled me with her lady fists!
The Chinese trains offer a far nicer experience than the Russian ones. The attendants are much friendlier - male on this train. They often wander the corridor with their ties off and shirts hanging out, and then they are immaculate at the border crossing in their spick and span uniforms.
In both Russia and Mongolia (and I'm expecting the same in China), the military are far more prevalent. Just wandering around the street. I could count on hand the amount of people I've seen in Ireland in fatigues over the last year, but it was not uncommon to pass ten soldiers walking with their sweethearts over the course of a day in St Petersburg or Moscow.
Speeding through the countryside of China now, very agricultural, lots of dry-looking crops, and the occasional motorway. Plenty of trees too.
The people are friendly and wave while taking a break to watch the train go by. Lots of corn, some sunflowers. Every now and then we pass an industrial complex, spewing forth smoke and fumes, evidence of China's economic power.
Travelling by train has been fun, though this journey has possibly been tougher than the Trans-Siberian. The border crossings make for unpleasant waits, particularly with regard to using the toilet. The timing of the Mongolia-China crossing ruled out any drinking games, so we had no entertainment in that regard. Instead we had a return to old-fashioned conversation, which was nice.
The train lets you glimpse a cross-section of the country, winding through wasteland and farms, snaking into the cities and out again. It's quite exhilarating to stick one's head out the windows and feel the wind batter the face and whip the hair. I wonder what I'll feel about train transport in Ireland when I get back.
Solar panels all over the place here - lots of houses have their own panel mounted on the roof.
http://domcheeseman.blogspot.ie/2011/10/day-113-train-from-ub-to-china.html
When we hit the Chinese side, the entire train was pulled into a huge warehouse. There, each carriage is raised, like a car at a mechanic's, and the bogeys (undercarriage) exchanged for new ones. This is because the Chinese rail has a narrower gauge. It was a long process, but at least one can look into the other carriages while it happens, to distract from the fact that there's no access to the toilet.
We had a little bonding conversation about first and worst dates. Smart bars, the zoo, a nice walk - were suggested ideal first dates. I shared the story of my date with Niamh Q, and Dom that his hot work colleague who stood him up. Managed to catch Hollie out with the ghost story about the dog who died the day I was born. hehe! She screamed and pummelled me with her lady fists!
***
The Chinese trains offer a far nicer experience than the Russian ones. The attendants are much friendlier - male on this train. They often wander the corridor with their ties off and shirts hanging out, and then they are immaculate at the border crossing in their spick and span uniforms.
In both Russia and Mongolia (and I'm expecting the same in China), the military are far more prevalent. Just wandering around the street. I could count on hand the amount of people I've seen in Ireland in fatigues over the last year, but it was not uncommon to pass ten soldiers walking with their sweethearts over the course of a day in St Petersburg or Moscow.
***
Speeding through the countryside of China now, very agricultural, lots of dry-looking crops, and the occasional motorway. Plenty of trees too.
The people are friendly and wave while taking a break to watch the train go by. Lots of corn, some sunflowers. Every now and then we pass an industrial complex, spewing forth smoke and fumes, evidence of China's economic power.
***
Travelling by train has been fun, though this journey has possibly been tougher than the Trans-Siberian. The border crossings make for unpleasant waits, particularly with regard to using the toilet. The timing of the Mongolia-China crossing ruled out any drinking games, so we had no entertainment in that regard. Instead we had a return to old-fashioned conversation, which was nice.
The train lets you glimpse a cross-section of the country, winding through wasteland and farms, snaking into the cities and out again. It's quite exhilarating to stick one's head out the windows and feel the wind batter the face and whip the hair. I wonder what I'll feel about train transport in Ireland when I get back.
***
Solar panels all over the place here - lots of houses have their own panel mounted on the roof.
***
http://domcheeseman.blogspot.ie/2011/10/day-113-train-from-ub-to-china.html
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