Missing a train, but made it to Mongolia

It was a nerv breaking experience to catch the train from Irkutsk to Ulan Bator. I realy messed it up. I was sure our train was leaving from Irkutsk 17:40 moscov time. We where in good time packing our stuff together when I of no reason just asked Nanna to dubble check the time from the tickets. Moments of horror folowed when she read on the ticket that the departure time was 15:45 we checked the time it was 15:45 moscov time there was no chance to catch the train in Irkutsk. After a couple of seconds of panicing Walter came up with and idea to take a taxi to the next station. We hurried to the hostel and got some help to figure out where the next stop would be and when. It turned out that there was a possibility to make it and the taxi would be about 45 euros...much less than buying new tickets and accomonation so we took the chans. 1,5 hours of nervousity and horror...would we make it, and would we make it alive coz the roads where serpentin mountain roads and we had to pass slow trucks several times not knowing if there was a car just around the curv.

But we made it. We where in Slidvinjanka (or something like that) just in time to get to the train.

The next day we made it to the Russian border where we had to wait about 6 hours. We dfidn't dare to get out of the train first but when we did we figured aout that there was only two wagons left going over to Ulan Bator allmot only with tourists. Among them we found our friends Jesus and Nico we met last time in Moscov and there was also the British group we spent time with in Irkutsk. After an other 3 hour at the Mongolian border we continued our jorney around nine in the evening. We had a party in our cupe where we invited our old friends an some new onces too. In our neibourgh cupe there was a Brazilian girl Latisha and her husban Andrew. Andrew had some horrifying moments when his passport fell from a gap in the window so it ended up between the walls of the train...first he almost had to stay in the army quaters for one night but then we got ome help to almost take the cupe apart and he got his passport back. Also a Danish coupel joined us so it was a very crowded an loud cupe we had. But a lot of fun. And guess what Latisha is in CISV ...so it's a small world after all:)

Next morning we arrived to Ulan Bator and after a day of fixing things and visiting the National Natural museum with dinosaurus sceletons we decided to join the big Transformers fan Danny to the movies to see the film that had premier in Ulan Bator that day. The wierdest thing happend. The film wa built in the wrong way and suddenly the film started to go in high sped upside down and backwards...after a long wait the movie continued and in the end we got free tickets that we gave to some Mongolian friends later.

The next day we took a horsrideing trip to a National park. The horses where quite lazy and riding on the steppes where not quite as exiteing that we tought. But it was fun to sleem in a ger tent on the countriside and we had good company of Jesus and Nico and Britsh twins we met on the way.

Now we are back to UB and yesterday we spent trying to find a Mongolian army suit for Walter, we found one but it was way to expensive. Though we meet som english speaking mongolian friends who guided us also to the Black market and we took them for dinner after that. In the evening we spent the last night with Jesus and Nico drinking Sangria Mongolian style :)

Nothing special happen today, we wisited a monastery and post office, soon we meet our guide to the Camel trek where we go on tomorrow and have bbq whit her.

Good luck to our fellow travellers who most have passed us...and specially we hope that Jesus and Nico find their way out from the Gobi desert alive!

Hugs to everybody back home...it would be nice to get some news what's going on there...if nothing.

-Linda-

(Chek out the photots in next post)