Introduction to today's journey
Today's journey takes me across the border where the carriage changes wheels to a new gauge of track before continuing across the Gobi Desert into Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia's capital city.
Today's Journey
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After a long wait at the border, the train finally departs just after sunrise heading across the barren Gobi Desert. Although the land is flat, we are well over 2000 metres above sea level. |
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Gradually the desert gives way to stunted grassland. I spot a solitary camel, the first of many I would see here. |
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The desert is very harsh and barren as we trundle along the track. |
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A solitary car travels along the almost abandoned highway crossing the desert. Mongolia is the most sparsely populated country in the world with 2.1 people per square kilometre, and nearly everyone lives in Ulaanbaatar. |
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Eventually the desert gives way to grassland farms as low hills form in the distance. |
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Passing a nomadic village, with houses constructed from gers which can be very easily dismantled, carried and erected in a new location. |
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Passing more farmland as we approach taller mountains and begin descending off the high dome of the desert. |
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Descending into Ulaanbaatar. The trees are already golden from the early Autumn as the long harsh winter is about to set in. This is the world's coldest capital city with an average temperature of -1 degrees, with mid winter daytime highs of -20 degrees. |
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I explore the city seeing this amazing sculpture of Predator riding a motorbike. |
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An old wooden house sits amongst the high rise buildings in the city centre. |
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