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I left Irkoutsk on the evening of Friday, the 1st of July, for once making it at the train station in ample time. I very much liked Irkoutsk for its charm, old wooden houses and grand stone buildings.
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The only reservation I would have about it is that the mosquitoes are the size of Mig 29's and do just about as much damage.<br/><br/>
Trans Mongolian
Degrubenc2005-12-09 14:08:59
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about as far as half way through before the ice broke and the train plunged into the icy water, taking all with her. They then agreed to drill over 300 tunnels and build 200 bridges to allow the trans-siberian to follow the lake safely on its shores.
We had a number of stops at train stations along the lake. Short and Fat and Long and Thin insisted that they had to buy large quantities of dried fish from the lake, which they ate with gluttony when back on board. The stench was quite awful, enough to make me feel as if I would be violently sick, preferably on the remains of the fish. They merilly ate it all with the help of a number of bottles of vodka and a few packs of cigarettes, to make it pass better. They were both stinking drunk by the time dinner was finished but they soon collapsed in a satisfied sleep, amongst the countless packs of cigarettes. They remained there, engaged in a loud snoring competition, until morning. After having arranged my belongings so as to provide for maximum security (I sleep in a sleeping bag when I don't trust people and stack all my valuables at the bottom of it, harder to get to. I had also repatriated my bags and other belongings to another compartment), I nevertheless spent the better part of the night with my head out of the window, in such a manner as a dog might, trying desperatly to avoid the stench of strong dried fish, cheap alcohol, sweat, bad perfume, and millions of cigarettes.
I was determined not to give up and retire to a more civilized compartment. I left the Russians on the trans-Siberian, I would not leave the Mongolians on the trans-Mongolian. Such are the joys of travelling. In any case I was far too curious to see how the border checks would happen.
Next morning, the scenery had changd dramatically: gone the high mountains surrounding Irkoutsk to be replaced by a vast deserted plain with nothing much on it. I went to the brits to sleep and chat
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See photographs from:
Mongolia Gallery
