004 Trans-Mongolian Express 8th Sept - 10th Sept

The time has gone all funny now! The train runs on Moscow time so we stick to that but now we are going to +5hours in Irkutsk so it is midnight on our watches but getting light. Spend a wierd day not knowing whether to sleep or eat so don't do much of either! I wake up to see Lake Baikal at dawn, so lovely, lot of canoes of people fishing. At the next stop I buy some smoked fish which is nice actually but very salty -I am running out of food again so I am a bit desparate! Onwards to Mongolian border where we wait and we wait and we wait, on and off the train. I am inspired to write this poem, cheesy maybe but it is how I felt ok!

The Continent

I had a chance to see the world today,
In all of its pure glory.
I opened my eyes as far as I could,
and sucked every view into my soul.

Even now I cannot remember them all;
the trees, the houses,
the people and the land.
But I know I saw great beauty today
and it has touched me
and changed me
within.

Later on I succumb to Genghis Khan vodka in the amazingly beautiful, carved, wooden Mongolian restaurant car and stay up late chatting to my new good friend Michal from Poland. I coveted the bow and arrow on the wall!

Up early to say good bye to the Ulan Bator group, Anna, Maria, Matteas, Connie, Fieje (the Swedes), Michal and Joel and all the others leaving there (hope you are having fun!). it is really cold at Ulan Bator, I need my woolly hat, but then off through the desert which gets more and more sandy and hot (35 + degrees c), lots of yurts, space and camels which I failed to catch on camera! We cover Mongolian in 24hours (it seems a shame), sad to say goodbye to new friends, but onwards to China......