Irkutsk to Ulan Bataar

Victory Day Parade

Folk singers at the  Victory Day parade

Saturday 9^th Sunday 10^th and Monday 11th May

Victory Day Parade in Irkutsk. After breakfast we left the hotel as the parade began to move past. The parade moved into the square to our right. The park opposite was filling up but we managed to get a good view on a wall. We couldn’t hear any of the speeches but it was a good experience to be part of.. We realised that we have now been part of memorial day celebrations in three continents. Our own in the UK. Veterans Day in America in 2007, and now 9^th May celebrations in Russia. We never expected this when we booked the tour.

The temperature is rising, the last time we checked it was 14’C, but it is probably higher this afternoon.

People have started to drift away from the park in front of the hotel and we are passing the time resting until 9.00p.m when we need to leave to catch the train to Ulan Bataar, Mongolia.

Our train left Irkutsk at 10.00p.m. and we arrived in plenty of time to get settled. We heard English voices and discovered Australian and English people were travelling to UB on the same train.

Alan had bought a bottle of vodka and some orange juice so we had a night cap for two nights.

The border crossing.

We arrived at the exit station from Russia at 1.00p.m on 10^th May. Laziz explained that we could leave the train but not to be surprised at the manoeuvres. The first few carriages were shunted off and placed on the next platform. Then the next carriage was shunted to follow the other carriages, this left our carriage on it’s own. The first carriages had formed a train that was going back to Irkutsk, when that was moved away, our carriage was then moved to the second platform. We then had to return to the carriage for passport control and customs declaration. The carriage was also searched while we stood in the passage. Mongolia is one hour behind Irkutsk time so we had to move our watches back one hour. The train was allowed to leave at 5.50p.m.

The train travelled for 40 minutes and then stopped at the Mongolian border town of Sukhbataar and we had to go through the whole procedure again. We finally got underway again at about 10.00p.m

Vodka and orange on the menu again.

We were met at Ulan Baatar at 6.00a.m by the owner of the Guest House which we were staying at. It is Youth Hostel type accommodation. We could not have our rooms until the previous occupants had left which was 9.00a.m. At that time we were able to have a shower and a rest before Laziz showed us the city.

It is quite a compact city, but both Laziz and David (The owner of the guest house) had warned us that UB is notorious for pickpockets, so not to carry more money than necessary and to keep hold of our bags at all times.

There is a good department store with a souvenir shop so there will be no need to go hunting all over the place for gifts.

Alan and I wandered up to the Gandan Khiid Monastery. The main monastery building has a statue that is 26 meters high, and there is a mass of prayers wheels surrounding it. We went to go into one of the buildings but had to drink something that some young monks gave us before we could enter. No idea what is was but it hasn’t poisoned us yet.

After a coffee and cake at an Amsterdam Bar we went back to the guest house for a rest before going out for a traditional Mongolian meal with Laziz.