Beijing

Coming into a country by train is just a completely new different experience for me and so much nicer that I now wonder why I haven't though of taking the train instead of flying, before. The landscape were breathtaking and we even got to see parts of the Great Wall. It was morning so we got to see the beginning of the day in rural china. Farmers with their round straw hats walking to their farms, neighbours gathering for a morning chat...it was just a really nice way to easy myself into a new country, culture and way of life. And then coming into Beijing itself, the city with it's tall tower blocks and construction everywhere, but even here you saw everday life passing you by and it just felt so much better because you felt part of it instead of just landing straight into it.

We took the metro and arrived straight into Tiananmen square. What a way to say Niho to China. A rare occasion, but it was blue skies and we could even see the sun so it was twice as nice when our arrival into China was straight into one of the biggest squares in the world. The hostel is right in the centre but in one of beijings few traditional Hu tongs. So it has a great authentic chinese atmosphere and it was an immediate introduction into the chinese way of life as we walked down to the street to our hostel.

But as soon as we were settled in the real China hit us. Train tickets are an absolute nightmare. they are sold out as soon as they are released and it is just impossible to go anywhere in China.
BUT I GOT REALLY LUCKY TODAY AND I AM SO HAPPY THAT I AM GOING TO TIBET:)

BELARUS

Talking to people along the way about my little Belarus adventure I am wondering why I was the only person who didn't know that Belarus is just a country that is completely crazy. Everyone except me planned their trip so that it was especially organised to avoid Belarus. People have been around it, over it but I am yet to meet a person who has been through it. The immigration there is so unbelievably strict, stricter even than Russia and the Visas so difficult to get and expensive that it is just better left alone. But it certainly presents a challenge. Anyone up for a trip to Belarus especially sometime next year? I'd love to go and see what's so special there that they do not easily allow ordinary people like us in there.

But I guess my mad adventure was nothing. There are moments when I think I could be sitting at home, watching eastenders and eating some proper home cooked food and my life would be nice and simple and predicatable again. Sometimes when I run into a little bit of hassle, I wonder why I decided to be on the road, so to speak, instead of staying at home. And then I meet people who put me to shame. The other day I met a German couple with a 10 month old baby. They have been cycling all the way round India, China and are now in Mongolia. They use cotton nappies and leave them to dry on the handlebars of the bike as they cycle along to the next destination. With their baby they cycle about 20 km a day. There are some people doing some amazing things and my travels and troubles along the way comparatively seem so miniscule.

But anyway, I guess I'm allowed to be a little homesick now and then. So of course I miss you all and hope some of you will keep me updated on what's going on in Eastenders and all the rest...

Beautiful Mongolia

Everytime I come into a new city, I'm overwhelmed by all the activity that goes on around me. Sometimes a new language, a new way of interacting, a new transport system to get to grips with, maps and diections to comprehend but if the city is beautiful and the people nice it makes the arrival so much easier and nicer. I think I am yet to wait for both. Ulanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia is in a beautiful setting, nestled in a valley, surrounded by beautiful, green rolling hills and mountains, BUT it is one of the ugliest cities I have seen. Russian type asphalt concrete towers loom from every direction, traffic jams with cars going wherever they please (and if you want to cross the road you do it at your own risk), cheap restaurants serving cuisine from the world over, dust and dirt everywhere, drunks wanderng around, wooden houses that are almost falling apart, narrow muddy alleys, cables and wires everywhere...it really is an ugly city.

After spending a day in Ulanbaatar, I couldn't wait to get out. And once out of the city, Mongolia is a truly magnificently beautiful county. In every direction you look there are breathtaking landscapes. Lush valleys, plateaus, mountains is all you see in whichever direction you look. Mongolians dressed in their traditional clothes herding their horses, sheep, cows, yak.. gers dotted in among the landscape, mongolians sitting tall on their horses galloping away into the distance, motorbikes carrying a passenger and an occasional sheep... it's just breathtaking. And the people are so friendly and hospitable. I spent 5 nights in different gers along the way, galloped through the hills, rode a camel into the desert, tasted fermented mare's milk and fresh yogurt made from sheep milk, listened to some traditional mongolian folk music and although I was looking forward to getting back to Ulaanbaatar for a good long shower, when I actually saw the city as we were heading back, I was really sad. The mongolian countyside is so vast, so varied and so beautiful, I could have easily spent a lot, lot longer here. unfortunately though the roads are all grade 3 or 4 and I spent every second that we were on the road bouncing around and every bone in my body being shaken till there is nothing left to shake.

Mongolia is definitely an amazing place, outside the city, it still retains all it's culture and traditional ways and the landscapes are truly breathtaking.

Irkutsk

Mongolia

Mongolia

Ulan Ude continued...Dasvidanya Russia

Natasha who is so full of fascinating facts and historical knowledge made us understand that Russia was never a communist state. It never went past socialism. Farms were owned by goverment and house holds were allowed a small, limited number of livestock which they could keep and use. Thus the term 'private' when she talks about 'private cows' takes on a whole new meaning. Now ordinary people are allowed to have whole heards. Like private houses too, as before land was owned by the government and people paid rent. But the government used all the money to provide free education, health services, subsidies for the poor and even free accomodation for those with big families. Now she says her rent is just so high it's difficult to maintain a good standard of living and now those who cannot afford to pay for education just don' get educated. As there was no equal pay, there were rich and poor, people got salaries according to their professions and ther jobs they did, thus not a communist state.

Anyway, my last evening in Russia couldn't have been more perfect. I sat with Natasha and lislot and her friend Nina who had just brought us deliciously sweet and fresh tomatoes and cucumbers from her dacha. We talked about Buddhism in Russia, ate the delicious borch which Natasha had made for us and just laughed. It was great to experience the warm russian hospitality that I had been hearing about along the way. In fact they even packed me fresh tomatoes and cucumbers with bread for the train, helped me carry my bags to the station the next morning , bought me ice cream and made sure I was comforable in my carriage before we said goodbye.

my uncomfortable, unpleasant and uninspired arrival ito Ulan Ude turned into my three most real and fascinating days in Russia. I encountered a Russia that I did not know exsisted and leave here happy that I got to know this amazingly vast country from a little closer.

I'd love to know what you guys reading this think. Have I inspired anyone to take the train through Russia?

Ulan Ude - My last stop in Russia

This was the first place had nothing booked and everyone I met in Irkutsk just seemed to be passing this place by and heading straight for Mongolia. I guess now I understand why, no youth hostels = no backpackers. Following the guide book, I booked myself in at the cheapest hotel I could find. Right next to the market and where all the chinese merchants have based themselves. I only realised the next day when I met one of the locals that this was one of those seedy hotels. I didn't really care, I had a room, with a wardrobe and a sink, I was paying the cheapest rate so far in Russia and it was very central. Of course coming into ulan Ude so unprepared left me a little worried and looking around town, which now was so different to the Russia I had seen so far, a very distinctive asiatic feel about it and it felt therefore not as safe, I thought to myself why didn't I just follow the normal tourist trail.

But this is why I love travelling so much, you nevr know what or who is around the corner. I walked into the town centre the next morning and there, just while asking directions, I bumped into Natasha. Thanks to her and her friends my last three days in Russia have been absolutely amazing. Natasha immediately took me in, cooked for me ,introduced me to her friends and acted as my own personal guide all around the beautiful city of Ulan Ude. I have learnt so much from you Natasha, hopefully, one day I can return the favour.

I was a little scared of wondering around town on my own but not I had Natasha and Lislot looking after me and keeping me company. We first went to the village of the Old believers who welcomed us with warm smiles and such beautiful costumes. This group of people believe in self-sufficiency and I guess i'd call in communal living. They have their own traditions and were thrown out of Russia for not following the orthodox ways. For example when praying and crossing themselves,they use three fingers instead of the two and te orthodox church thought that this was dirty. Anyway, later on a group was ent back from Poland to this part of Siberia and other groups also exsist around Canada and other places in the world. They showed us some of their customs during a marriage ceremony. In order not to breed bad blood they have to remember the past 9 generations and make sure that there is no intermarriage between these generations. Then like in the olden days, the wife is bartered for, the more talented she is , the more the groom has to offer. They sang for us and then fed us a huge meal. It's rude not to suff yourself and clear the table but there was just far too much food, all prepared using fresh produce from the garden at the back.

oh yeh, drinking Vodka is a tradition on it's own. There have to be 3 toasts, one for the guests, one for the hostess and the las for love. Not just vodka but any toast requires dipping your finger into the drink and spraying it before drinking it. An old Russian tradition. I constantly have to reind myself that I am still in Europe. Russia seems so different from what I know of Europe and Siberia especially, seems just a whole different world away.

Next day, Natasha took us to the Ivolginsk Datsan (a buddhist monastery). This was the first big surprise to find out that Buddhism in Russia and especially in Buryatia region (an autonomous region in the Russian Federation) exsists to such a big extent. From there our visit to the Shaman's sacred place 'obo' in the Yangazhinskoi valley was another surprising connecion that I would never have made. And the connection between shamanism as I know it from South America and Buddhism is very strong. Can you imagine Buddhists monks or even nuns in a trance after some ayahusca or some similar hallucenogenic:) As Natasha says, to know Russia, you actually have to come to Russia. And even then it is full of surprises. I have been fortunate enough to know the Buryat region, thanks to Natasha and and her immense knowledge and passion but even when this region seem so vast, I just cannot imagine or even comprehend the vastness of the northern region of Russia. Russia seems so huge and immense that it seems there will always be more to see and do and then there will be a whole lot that will be completely inaccessible to the rest of the world. I can't wait for my next visit to Russia.