Our 5 days in Ulan Bataar came an end and we prepared our 5 days 4 nights train journey to the largest country in the world, Russia. This signified that our crazy epic is coming to an end. Home bound now. Home on the other side of the planet.
Our trans-Mongolian train ride began with slogging our luggages which were now heavier due to addition of food. Alot of instant noodles, instant mash potatoes, bread, tomatoes, corn flakes etc. We were greeted by grunts and half smiles from the Mongolian train attendants.
Four of us fit comfortably in the 2nd class compartment and we waved goodbye to dark hair and yellow brown skins continent.
The carriage was very busy. People unpacking and repacking. I took a peak- it seemed that they were repacking their shopping. Alot of clothes and bags being taken out of their packing?! So I unpacked too- rearranging our food into rations for different days ( which at the end unnecessary as both children were sick and could not eat much).
Soon as the train started to move, people started moving up and down the hall with things in their arms. Quite a few poked their heads into our compartment when they realised we cannot communicate, they just went away. We remained puzzle.
Finally a lady stopped and asked if we were interested to buy her bags. "So that is what they are doing, trading in the train. Can't imagine why anyone would want to shop on train ..." Boy, were we wrong!
Jon Jon began to get sick on the first night, starting with turning his stomach and lunch into a plastic bag. We silently prayed that it was just a one off and soon it would be over.
Between his vomiting we went through custom and immigration of Mongolia and Russia.
Soon vomiting became diarrhoea. It did not help when we had a hard time working out the bathroom on the train. We thought they had turned off the tap to conserve water. (Actually, we did not realised the tap is designed differently from what we are used to.) When Jon shit in his pant, we were thinking SHIT!
It did not help when he seemed to only need the toilet when the train stopped. (Not allowed in the toilet when in a station.)
The first 2 days on the train were pretty fretful and smelly. However, it did not stop us noticing something quite interesting.
Once we crossed over to Russia, the train would stop for about 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours during the day until 10pm at night. During these stops, the Mongolians would rush down with their goods to sell to the waiting Russians. A moving 20 minutes fleas Market. This happened all the way to Moscow.
On the 3rd day, colours finally returned on Jon's face. We sighed a relief. No one noticed that the poor boy in cabin 3 was sick all these time.
Alas, good fortune did not stay. Day 4, San complained about something in her throat. Soon the vomiting started. San San ran up and down the corridor with plastic bag down her neck.
She rapidly turned white and her face started to sink into her bone as she brought out all the fluid in her already skinny body.
Finally, the attendants realised cabin 3 was in trouble. It was hard to them to notice our situation since they seemed to be only interested in cooking their own meals and locking up toilets.
A Russian doctor was called against our will. Without choice, San was given an injection to stop her vomiting. (At the time of writing four days after she started, she is still unwell.)
Finally, we arrived in Moscow on the fifth day. We were very glad to get off the train. It was indeed a period of testing on our patience!!!
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