One time zone change (strangely back an hour)
34 hours 29 minutes (including 8 hours at the Russian - Mongolian border)
The trains seem to be getting worse the further east we go.
Some Russian cows
The train splits at the Russia - Mongolia border and our carriage is abandoned by the engine and are left on the station with two other two carriages. We have time to explore the station and have to borrow10 roubles to be able to use the toilet. Eventually we get a new engine, but we are still going nowhere. After a couple of hours we are called back on the train and our passports are taken, now we are stuck on the train and still not moving.
I loved the logos on the Mongolian trains
It is amazing what you will find to take photos of when you are stuck at a train station. The two guys on the bench are our train drivers. They were so chilled out and very happy for tourists to climb into the train cab to have a look about. The dog seemed to be a stray and was chilling next to the tracks.
At last we get our passports back and we cross into Mongolia...
...where we have our passports taken again and wait an additional two hours.
We get our passports back and are allowed off the train. Our three carriages (and all our belongings chug off down the tracks almost out of sight). A new train comes into the platform and our carriages are attached to the back.
A few hours sleep and will wake up in Ulaanbaatar