The camera plague continues for us. The brand new, less than a month old POS (not PAS) Canon IXUS 100IS started giving lens errors (jamming open or closed) on the Great Wall today. I’m really annoyed – we have taken perfect care of it – what a waste of money – but mainly cause V can now rag me about how bad Canon is 🙂

By the time we got home it was totally unusable. I tried to fix it, but feeling (not looking) like Tony Stark in an Afgan desert cave did not help. Thinking of setting up a donations page so we can replace it with something better. In the mean while we’ll have to go back to the sluggish sensor spotted Nikon, eeuww.

– Posted from my iPhone

Ok so we started out a bit lazy today only getting out the hostel at 1 pm after trying to organize what we want to see and do in Beijing. We have booked an additional 3 nights at the hostel and organized a tour to the great wall 2m.

Hopped on the subway and proceeded to Llama temple. Lots of people there, but it is a working temple so there were also people lighting incense (minimum 3 sticks to honour budha according to the signs). There a 22m high deity sculpted from a single sandelwood tree (it’s in the Guiness Book of Records). Possibly it would have been put to better use printing a few thousand copies of ‘On the Origin of Species’ ?

After that we tried to find the confucious temple but got a bit turned around and then realized it would be closed before we got there. Decide to have an ice lolly instead. Noticed some ice lolly packaging with picture of peas on a one with corn on it. Wish we had taken a foto or tried one to see if it did really taste like frozen peas.

Back on the subway next stop the night market. We were expecting a dodgy alley but instead found it on a wide modern street and all the vendors looked pretty sanitized. I’m wondering if it has been cleaned up for the tourists. Apart from the usual kebabs and fish there were live scorpions, centipedes, sheep penis and the like all for sale on kebabs. I can’t believe anyone ever actually tries any of that stuff.

We had time to kill before dinner so we figured we would try to find the restaurant early and just find a spot to sit down and wait outside. We walked the entire length of the 2km long street without finding the restaurant we were supposed to be meeting at. At the end of the street were run down shops and restarants that you certainly did not need a reservation for. We tried asking a local shop keeper and even a taxi driver for help but to no avail. So we walked all the way back up the street before eventually finding it at the top of a very fancy department store. (Cartier etc)

Dadong restaurant is a seriously larny place and we were feeling way under dressed in our shorts and strops. Zipping on the rest of our pants didn’t help much either, knackered from our long walk we were shown to our huge table. Our new friends arrived shortly thereafter and we ordered 2 roast ducks.

Thankfully this time we could actually have a conversation together though the kids were seated far away at the other side of the huge table. The duck was very good. First time
having Peking duck. The guys carve them up with great precision at your table (a senior chef watches the as another carves just to make sure it’s done right) and a lady introduces you to how to eat it. Delicious but could have done with a few more ducks. Sim was battling with his chopsticks. Think he will start having to carrying his spork around with him in future.

When the bill came we were gobsmacked by the price and upon querying it further it turned out that the water we had been drinking was more expensive than the food. Seriousy, the water cost 47 RMB for a little 350ml bottle (about £4.7, but normally 10p for 500ml at any street corner) and we had had 10 of them (to give an idea that is the value of 20 KFC Zinger meals here with chips and coke in WATER !! And compared to street food, KFC is expensive). We couldn’t believe it – would have been far cheaper to have wine. Andrea and I are convinced it is a scam for tourists.

Unfortunatley I seem to have caught another bout of flu/cold so was feeling pretty awful on the way back. So it was straight to bed for me. We are going to have to try stock up on cold and flue stuff but the pharmacies here don’t have any thing we recognize. The is a huge herbal/garbage medicine market here. We could not find any rennies so we are hoping the stuff we did find at the chemist will do the trick.

– Posted from my iPhone

For sups we were invited by Andrea and Nick to a Tibetan resturant close to the silk (more expensive) district. Having been there before, Andrea was surprised at how much it had changed. Nothing like a good review in the Lonely Planet (LP) to dissolve the charm and ambience of a place.

Being the only group of euro tourists there we were treated to front row traditional entertainment (something out of ‘The Long Way Round’). Good but very loud so conversation was difficult. The food was good too – I ended up with a deep fried yak (hairy cow) steak.

Was a great evening but we all got carried away with the wine (thanks Nick). By the time we left, the staircase to the street was a challange. The subway home was also intersting. There are no doors between carriages (the whole train looks like one carriage) so you can see the train twist as it goes around corners. Even more intersting with 5 glasses of good red wine in you I promise.

By the time we got home I was feeling extremely rough – no more details on that ! I’m such a cheap date. Thanks again Andrea and Nick – great fun.

– Posted from my iPhone

Okay we are ready now for more sightseeing. Enough of this sitting on trains for days at a time. The plan was to get up early and get to see Mau before the crowds hit. Well that was optomistic. On the way down to Tianeman square I got a hair cut. They did a great job, but not the cheapest. I was considering going bald to blend in with the locals but realized my hue would need changing too. Breakfast from a street vendor was around £0.40 – egg role and a chive frittery thing.

The square was already packed with locals but the ques for the chairman were not too long and we decided to join in. Mau’s moseleum is probably 100 times the size of Lenin’s, agh shame. They sell flowers outside that you can lay inside and we are convinced that they just recycle them back to the shop until the start to whither. Mau, like Lenin, did not have much to say but is looking good (V is convinced they are fakes).

Then on to ‘The Forbidden City’. The LP guide suggests taking in Mau and TFC in a morning. 6 hours in the sweltering heat later we emerged (thanks to V’s navigation skills – what a maze !) It is incredible in size – The Russians need to take a lesson on what a ‘palace’ is supposed to be. There are apparenlty around 9000 rooms in the complex governed by bright colours (reds, blues, green, yellows) and intiricate detail. Again it was packed with tourists but that was expected. On one of our many sit down stops I fell asleep on the bench (I was far from the only one).

The treasure rooms were good but we were honestly spent by the time we got there and we just missed the clock and watch exhibit – guess that meant it was time to leave haha.

It was well worth the visit – you can just feel scences from ‘The Last Emporer’ and a variety of Kung-Fu movies 🙂

[Picture: TFC halls as far as the eye can see and me looking roasted]

– Posted from my iPhone

We made it ! 7925km from St Petersburg to Beijing by Rail. That’s a major tick in our book. So excited that V has even written a post… and here it is..

Woke up this am to much more interesting scenery. Mountains, valleys rivers and tunnels before arriving in Beijing.

Found an ATM, broke a 100 RMB note (why do ATMs insist on dishing out high value notes that no one wants?) and got on the right bus. Being given detailed directions to your hostel is the best thing ever. It made us feel like Kings just being able to use the public transport straight off the bat.

Bus fare is super cheap at 1 rmb (about 10p) each, though we have now learnt that the conductor ladies do not like being given anything except exact change.

The first thing we have noticed here is that all the signs have English on as well. Even the bus stops were repeated in English.

Our hostel is a lekker spot down the end of a pedestrian market. To get to it you pass by all manner of things being sold, people cooking outside, bicycles and electric mopeds beeping at you to let them pass. It’s chaotic and wonderfull.

We have noticed a few people with dogs. Not sure if they are pets or if it’s just easier to walk your dinner home instead of carrying it.

We checked out Tiannemen square this afternoon and caught the lowering of the flag ceremony at sunset. Lots of domestic tourists out doing the same thing. We had two teenage girls come up to us and start chatting. We weren’t sure if they were trying to sell us something, practice their English or if they were just being plain friendly. It was an odd experience.

Something we weren’t aware of is that once they have lowered the flag, they close the square and boot everyone out.

Tomorrow we will be doing Mao and the forbidden city followed by dinner at a Tibetan restaurant with the lovely family we met in Mongolia. Looking forward to it. Sim is in desperate need of a haircut so we might also brave one of the many hair dressers we have seen so far.

BTW we had the best KFC zingers for dinner tonight. Sim has been craving one for weeks now. We have spotted half a dozen KFCs since arriving. We love China already.

[Picture: V chilling in the hostel’s courtyard]

– Posted from my iPhone

Ok so the shower is permanently locked and the video screens don’t seem to do anything – but it is still a pleasure. Customs and passport control at both borders was without hassle but we were not allowed off the train so could not change the last of our Mongolian money (will have to write the £20 off).

Since the Russian/Mongolian track guage is bigger than the rest of the world our train was rolled into a massive workshop and the carriages split. From inside we could barely feel it as the jacks lifted all the carriages about 1.5m off their bogies (wheels). The wheels were then all pulled out from under us and replaced. Efficient and very cool. After much clunking and re-attachment of carriages we were on our way again (the border crossing took a total of 4 hours – departing around 1am).

[Pictures: V’s Phone. Love the network operator tag top left]

– Posted from my iPhone

After an early start with no shower we’re on the train. Train number 24 to Beijing. Compared to Russian trains this one is first class. New, clean and fresh with complimentary slippers, cups and tea/coffee, hot and cold drinking water, shower room, aircon and personal video screens. Excellent.
It’s almost entirely full of trans-sib tourists and for the first time we have an English speaking couple (from Poland) in our cabin. Should be an easy 31 hour train ride.

Mongolia has been an interesting break in the journey. Our cabin mates have spent a month there on tours around the country (independant travel is not yet an option). The country is pushing tourism but I think they have a lot of work to do to make it sustainable. In retrospect we think we should have looked into spending a bit more time in Mongolia and gotten further out into the wilderness. That’s the problem with meeting other travellers and hearing what they have been up to, it makes you want to do more stuff.

Most of the tourists we have met so far all seem to be about our age or older ( lots of retirees on the train). Quite a few doing the ‘career break’ thing and following a similar route to ours.

Some Mongolian Notes:
– Ger huts with satellite dishes and Toyota Land Cruisers
– Pedestrians have no rights
– Litter (unfortunately)
– Hero worship (Mr Khan)
– Mutton and more mutton
– Erratic plumbing
– Smiling faces
– Two humped camels (V thinks camels are the coolest)
– Woolly cows that grunt instead of mooing (yaks)

[Picture: The Number 24 train]

– Posted from my iPhone

Unfortunately we only got back to UB late so our plans of getting around the Winter Palace and the Grand Temple were scratched. Another dodge hostel – “Mr Gomez Hostel” No hot water but at least it is just across the road from the train station so no taxi and traffic hassles in the morning. The room did have a Tv though we would have gladdly swapped it for hot water.

We took a walk through downtown UB in search of supplies for the train and a resturant for an early dinner. We found a small delapidated temple museum (Choijin Lama Temple) in the centre of town that was interesting to walk around. Its really a cool little spot. Completely overgrown gardens and falling apart but a quiet little island in the middle of the city.

My misbehaving stomach sent us across the road to Millies Espresso. A resturant recommended in the LP guide as a mix of Med, Cuban and South African cusine. It was full of ex-pats and the steak roll was excellent. The best meal we have had since leaving the UK. The coffee was on a par with Ian’s! Stunned. Everything about the place (except the look) was amazing.

Their Wifi point allowed us to upload a couple posts and check email. Hope to be able to call everyone from Beijing on Friday.

Suitably stuffed we headed back to the hostel to get ready for the morning and the last leg of the Trans-sib. More adventure awaits in China. BRING IT ON !

[Pictures: Mr Gomez Hostel and Millies menu]

– Posted from my iPhone

It was a quick whip around the sights and tourist traps outside UB today. Heading for Terelj National Park we stopped off at a couple of holy sites with attached curio shops. Not too intersting but V did finally find something to use as a wallet. Our drivers – really cool guys – were both off duty policemen. So no hold-ups at toll roads etc. Very smart of the tour company, guaranteing hassle free operations.

V elected (to my relief) not to take a ride on the twin humped camels – we did enough camel jockeying in Oman. The scenery in the valley leading to the park is stunning, we should have found a Ger camp there. Interesting rocks like the ‘Turtle’ provided a chance to put our rusty climbing motor engrams to work – always fun.

The last stop was our first introduction to Buddhist temples. A reasonable climb uphill followed by a rickety bridge out of an Indiana Jones movie (with a sign stating: max 4 people) and 108 (I counted) stairs got us to the oddly decorated temple. Buddhist art is freaky with monsters and trully gruesome scenes on every panel. These guys must have been high. The temple seems to be treated as an attraction and novel entertainment for tourists. How great would it be if every religion and place of worship in the world were treated as tourist attractions or entertainment (preferably comedy).

[Pictures: My V and the view from the temple]

– Posted from my iPhone

We got suckered into acting like the real toursits we are after sups. It had to happen sooner or later and it was a good bit of fun with the gang. We’re on our way in the morning – A tour around a national park and then to UB. Won’t miss the tiny geyser, confusing plumbing and unexpected visitors in the showers but the camp has been a great place to relax and it was good to meet new people (foreign and domestic). Baagii has been great considering the limited facilities but we will be more careful in future when we book an all inclusive tour.

A stunning sunset to top it off (pics to upload when we can). The evening turned cold so we had the fireplace started (with a blow torch). The novelty didn’t last long as it only has 2 settings (Fire breathing dragon and off)

[Pictures: No description needed]

– Posted from my iPhone

Sooner or later V is gonna write something. In the mean while you get me. I promise she is still alive and we are still talking 🙂

Our plan today was to cross the river at the bottom of the valley and hike a few hours down-river along the far side amoungst the trees. After freezing our legs in ice cold water to get across a small section we were faced with no way forward. We tried wading a across but the fingers of the river were just too fast and deep.

We resigned ourselves to walking up-river past free, happy looking horses (without tourists on their backs) and flocks of supper (sheep). Our mood was a bit low – I guess we really wanted to get across the river. The litter strewn everywhere and mismanagement of the water and environment was also irking us. We sat and munched peanuts on a huge open plain and watched the birds until the storm clouds started rolling in adding to the mood and sending us hiking back to camp.

It was dramatic watching the storm approach. Huge black clouds and lightning had dumped most their water by the time they got to us. We sat in our Ger watching more eps of ‘The West Wing’ without any guilt. It seems most Gers (even the remote ones) have satellite dishes, cell phones and flat screen TVs all powered by batteries and solar chargers. BUT no running water or toilet ! Mongolian Tech-no-mads 🙂

[Pictures: Tech-no-mad Ger and the rainbow after the storm].

– Posted from my iPhone

We joined Nick, Andrea and their girls (India and Claudia) for an excursion on horseback out to the Gengis Khan monument. It was very hot and the horses idled along as you would expect. We passed some cool looking Yaks (our first big woolie cows) and a large bird of prey giving a hare a bit of trouble.

The monument is very impressive. A 30m high stainless steel statue of Gengis on a horse and located where mythology says he found the ‘Golden Whip’. The base of the complex is beautifully finished and houses an intersting bronze age museum along with the usual resturant and curio shops. It has only recently opened to the public and there are grand plans to build a theme park (history and culture, not rides) around it. They have installed an elevator in the horses back legs for lazy tourists. A short walk through the stomach and up some staris and you are on the viewpoint on top of the horses head. Great spot. All in polished stainless so hot you could have fried an egg on it. Very well done Mongolia!

On the way back we rode past a section of the great wall – well actually a fake one that was used for a movie set. The horses were twitchy. Nick increased the pace and pulled out ahead of the group that was still following the guides (who where leading the kids). The usual “home-stretch horseplay” ensued. My horse picked up the pace followed by Andrea’s which then broke into a gallop. Not to be outdone (and admitedly with a little encouragement from me) my steed cranked it up to 11 careening past Andrea, ears flat, FULL gallop, flat out and out of control. I have never gone so fast without a helmet or engine and reliable steering and brakes. Apparently it ‘looked’ very cool. All I know is that by the time I got him to stop, by almost yanking his head off, my calves were burning and the adrenalin was flowing fast and furious. Both Andrea and I where shaking. That was an experience I would not want to take the chance of repeating.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, V had somehow managed to keep her horse under control. She’s well practised on me I guess 😉 We hobbled back to our Ger with sore muscles, battle-scars and bruises. A ‘fun’ day on the steppes with a good local beer to top it all off. Perfect.

– Posted from my iPhone

The large Korean group have left and we have been joined by an English family who have been living in Korea for the past 7 years and in various other spots all over the world for more than a decade. Some amazing stories to tell. It is such a relief to be able to speak without hand gestures. Being totally ‘Lost in translation’ for the past 3 weeks has been hard work.

Sups was a Mongolian BBQ. Mutton (obviously) and some veg (surprisingly) cooked on hot rocks in a milk vat. Not too shabby. Tomorrow we’ll get taken for a ride by some stocky Mongolian horses. I can feel the pain already.

[Picture: our host ‘Baagii’ had this language learning tape – love some of the titles].

– Posted from my iPhone

We were met by our tour company at the train on a chilly platform. The only clients for the morning run we had the minibus to ourselves for the hour long transfer to the ‘Chinggis Tourist Camp’. Interesting drive out – overtaking in the thick cloud and potholed roads. We passed the enormous Chinggis (Gengis) monument as we headed offroad (smoother than on-road at times).

On arrival at the camp – our first thoughts: Oops ! Obviously the land in the area has been sectioned off to various tour agencies. Basically a field with permanent Ger huts fenced off and flanked by more of the same – some worse with large ugly concrete buildings. The camp is perched on top of a steep cliff dropping to a picturesque river and to the other side flat plains covered in short grass roll on for some distance interrupted by more camps.

A rich omlette breakfast greeted us in the dining area to the tune of cheezy local music and a large contingent of Korean tourists. We were introduced to our Ger (basically a rondawel with two rock hard beds and a fireplace). Ablutions and running water are 100m away. 3 days of this – what have we gotten ourselves into ?

At the invitation of our host V assisted in making traditional dumplings for lunch – a good introduction to the boredom of traditional Mongolian cuisine which consists of mutton and not much else. Totally exhausted from the previous days on the train we dozed the afternoon away.

– Posted from my iPhone

Back on the Trans Sib. Next stop Mongolia !

The strong damp musky smell in the cabin reminded us that this train had an even higher number than the 3 night one to Irkutsk. Now pros at this we settled in quickly and attempted communication with our cabin buddy Victor – very sweet old Russian guy – we liked him immediately. Seems he is heading to Ulaanbataar (UB) for work but has a mountain of luggage and a fishing pole. The rest carriage was full mostly with Dutch and other tourists with our connection from the lake (Henk) in the cabin next to us.

Not long after the train started rolling Victor hauled out tomatoes and salami and began feeding us with enthusiasm. Fantastic ! Neither of us were looking forward to cup-a-noodles again. We tried to offer him some fruit that we had with us but we interpreted his gestures and reply as ‘That fruit will give you gyppo guts. Don’t eat it – rather have tea and tomatoes”.

By the morning the final berth was filled by a younger Russian guy who kept to himself. Not even Victor had much to say to him. My poor V barely got any sleep and was looking worse for wear. Before we could get our breakfast organized, Victor had swooped down from the top bunk and started feeding us again. More salami, tomatoes, cheese and hard boiled eggs with lots of tea. We felt pretty bad that the ‘single’ portion food we had would have been difficult to share – all we could offer was gratitude.

We arrived at the Russian border at 13h00 and started the procedure of detaching carriages that were returning to Russia and changing engines for the short hop through no-mans-land. 4 hours later and now stewing in our cabin without an openable window the Russian immigration and customs procedure started. They tossed the cabin – like a scene from a prison movie – but were not really looking. A Dutch couple were fined €50 each for overstaying their visa but other than that it was uneventful.

Between borders the spikey Russian guy was replaced at first by a Mongolian Lady who spoke English and was very helpful and friendly. She and her husband were just hitching a free ride across the border so they could buy tickets on the Mongolian side. I have to admit I was getting nervous at the piles of luggage being added to our cabin and the possiblity of customs nonsense.

On the Mongolian side (10 mins down the track) we were subjected to another customs and immigration procedure. The customs officer blatently stole (after a heated debate) 10% of the cash held by our Russian and Mongolian cabin mates for no apparent reason (except possibly because they did not declare exactly how much cash they had on them). She had a go at some of the tourists further down the carriage as well for not declaring but they got off with a warning. It was such an obvious fleecing that left us and our cabin mates stunned.

Finally !! 9 hrs after stopping we were in Mongolia and on our way again. Once more with a new friendly Russian guy (Alexander). Food was now flowing from both Victor and Alexander we could not go hungry.

This morning at 6:30 we rolled into a cold UB. The outskirts sprawl some distance and look decidedly 3rd world. Mongolia has a population around 2mil, half of which live in UB – many of them still in Gers.

– Posted from my iPhone