29 to 30 June 2018, Friday & Saturday
The next two days of the Trans-Mongolian Railway journey were pretty much the same as the first day. We made stops at major cities like Yekaterinburg, Tyumen, Omsk, Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk. At every stop, I took the opportunity to sneak out of the train to take a walk on the platform. I like to call it a resupply break, as I headed to the snack stall to see what goodies they had. It was like being a kid in a candy store.
At Ishim, I bought a slice of pizza, a pastry with meat filling, a packet of chocolate cookies and a bottle of orange juice for 270 RUB (S$6.30). I was so happy with my purchases. For the rest of the afternoon, I munched on my snacks as I read my book or worked on my blog posts on my laptop.
When we reached Barabinsk on the second day, we witnessed a beautiful sunset. It was only about 5:30pm according to my watch but actually, it was already 9:30pm as we were now four hours ahead of Moscow because we had travelled across time zones. I had forgotten just how vast Russia is.
Ray, Tony and I had the same millet meal for dinner the second night. For the third day, we wanted something special for dinner because it was Tony’s 28th birthday. We decided to splurge on a nice meal at the restaurant car. We each ordered a beef stroganoff Russian-style with fried potato served with fresh vegetables for 750 RUB (S$17.44), and shared a plate of spicy chicken wings (500 RUB/S$11.63). Tony had bought a bottle of red dessert wine in Moscow so we opened it and gave him a toast. The wine was a little too sweet for our liking though. Hopefully, it was a birthday to remember!
1 July 2018, Sunday
On the fourth morning, we arrived at Irkutsk at 7:13am local time. I was feeling quite groggy because it was 2:13am in Moscow and my body was still tuned to Moscow time. I was still sleeping when Ray knocked on my door to inform me that I had a new bunkmate. I said hi to Avelyn, who worked in London for two years before relocating back to Sydney. After spending three days alone in my cabin, it was nice to have a bunkmate for a change.
Quite a few other people came on board at Irkutsk because it was a popular stop for travellers visiting Lake Baikal. It is the oldest and deepest lake in the world. It is so large it looks like a sea. It is also famous for its crystal-clear waters, though it is under threat by pollution and unchecked development. Our train passed by Lake Baikal along the way to Ulan-Ude so I got a glimpse of the lake.
After washing up, I went to the restaurant car and ordered an omelette with cheese and butter and a cup of coffee, amounting to 400 RUB (S$9.30). I love eggs and it was a lovely meal on this chilly and cloudy morning.
The new people on board brought new socialising opportunities. I invited Tony and another newcomer Sophie, a French lady, over to our cabin to play cards. I taught them how to play Bridge and we spent a good time strategising and outwitting each other.
Sophie told us she had been travelling solo on a bicycle across Russia for the past two months and it was super cool and inspiring. I also met a nice Dutch couple Pepÿn and Eline and we had some good conversations. It was wonderful meeting fellow travellers who share the same adventurous spirit, and hearing about their travels in different parts of the world.
For our dinner, Ray, Tony and I originally wanted to order our usual millet meal with our attendant but she didn’t have enough ingredients for us today. We then decided to eat at the restaurant car. When we arrived at about 2:15pm (Moscow time), the restaurant manager told us that we only had less than 45 minutes to order and eat our food because we would be reaching the border at 2:57pm. Turned out we had misread the timetable and mistakenly thought that we would reach the border at 5:00pm.
As such, we hastily ordered and chomped down our food. I had a bowl of borsch soup and a grilled pork escalope with greens but didn’t have time to savour it properly, what a pity.
We reached the last Russian stop, Naushki, at 2:57pm, where we had a long break of 1 hour 50 minutes. Here, there were security checks as a guard brought a big German Shephard up the train and walked through the carriages. Russian immigration officers also came on board to collect our passports and FIFA Fan IDs, before returning them a while later. Another guy then came to check our cabins individually, opening a secret compartment at the roof that I didn’t even know existed. He was checking to see if we were trying to smuggle anything illegal across to Mongolia. Finally, at 4:52pm (Moscow time), we departed Naushki and crossed the border.
Over at the Mongolian side of the border, we stopped at Sukhbaatar at 10:29pm local time, which was five hours ahead of Moscow time. Here, it was another long break of 1 hour 45 minutes. A Mongolian immigration officer came on board to take our passports while a female soldier in army fatigues came in to check our cabin. Our passports were returned to us about an hour later. By the time we departed Sukhbaatar, it was 12:14am, 2 July 2018. We were all tired out by then and turned in to sleep as soon as the train moved off. Just a few more hours before we arrive at Ulaanbaatar!
Closing Thoughts
Here are my closing thoughts about the Trans-Mongolian Railway…some people say it is the greatest train journey in the world, some say it is a life-changing experience, while some say the scenery is stunningly beautiful like nowhere else. In a way, it is a bit of all of the above. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it changed my life but I would say it was a wonderful experience.
Prior to boarding the Trans-Mongolian Railway, I had already ridden on several trains, buses and ships as I travelled overland from Athens in Greece through southeastern and central Europe, then across Scandinavia before reaching Estonia and Russia. The cumulative mileage had provided me with lots of unforgettable moments and beautiful experiences. What the Trans-Mongolian Railway did was to give me the time and space to reflect on the past two months of travelling.
A lot of people work so hard on their careers that they don’t have time to take a breather and enjoy life. When you board the Trans-Mongolian Railway, it is a good opportunity to leave the stress of your regular life behind. Savour the unhurried pace as you observe the changing landscapes outside your window.
If you feel like reading a book, pick up a book and bury your nose in it. If you feel like dropping by your neighbour’s cabin for a chat or play some card games, go on over. When it’s time for a 20-minute break at one of the many stops, hop off the train, do some stretching, go for a brisk walk, or simply observe the locals selling snacks or peddling smoked trout. Buy an ice-cream to treat yourself. Head to the restaurant car for some piping hot borsch soup. What I’m trying to say is, take the time to do what you enjoy and leave all your stress behind.
What I especially loved about the journey was meeting fellow travellers from all over the world. Everyone who boarded the train was on their own adventure and it was fate that brought us together. We may not go on to be lifelong friends but what’s important is not the duration of the acquaintance, but the fact that our paths crossed at that moment in time. Today, that brief time spent together forms part of my collective memory, and it’s a beautiful thing.
Therefore, my Trans-Mongolian Railway journey was about savouring life. It provided me with plenty of time for reflection on the past two months of travelling. To me, it is a journey best done alone. In that way, you can really do what you want to do and get the most out of the experience. You won’t regret it.