How to cross a border in 6 easy hours

Sitting waiting at borders is REALLY boring.

Arrived at Naushki, which is the Russian side of the Russian/Mongolian border at about 1900. Not allowed off the train, so we had to wait in our cabins - the passport control people arrived and took my passport away at about 1930 (calling me "Scott John" in the process), so I then settled down in my cabin and had some pasta for dinner. Stayed off the beer, due to toilets being locked.

My passport arrived back at about 2045, no problems or questions at all asked. Just before that I had the customs girl in my cabin asking the usual questions, and then after that I had to leave my cabin and stand in the corridor whilst they (and their wee sniffer dog) searched it. Fortunately he didn't sniff my dirty socks too closely, otherwise it could have caused a bit of a international incident.

So now it 2115 and we're just ... waiting. Eventually we'll be allowed to go, having been cleared to leave Russia, and will then have to do it all over again at Suhk Bator on the Mongolian side of the border. This could be a long evening.


UPDATE

Finally got going from the Russian side at 2145, whereupon our Chinese guard then handed out the Mongolian customs and arrivals cards to everyone in his carriage.

Much confusion as 10 mins later he gathered them all back in, having accidentally issued us all with the Mongolian language version rather than the English language version. My Cyrillic clearly is as good as everyone else's, hence the heightened sense of confusion throughout the carriage as we all looked at the original form and thought "what the bloody hell does this mean?"

Suhk Batar-bound. No idea when we'll get there, or indeed when we'll leave. The consultation is that tomorrow evening's Mongolian/Chinese border crossing is supposed to be marginally easier.

Remember we used to have to do all this shit when travelling around Europe? That's one good thing the EU has done, scrapping all this nonsense.


UPDATE AGAIN

2345 and still waiting at Suhk Batar. We actually arrived at it about 15 mins after leaving Naushki, and my passport was quickly taken away by the Mongolian head honcho (who was wearing a very natty full length black leather jacket, proper Nazi SS style). That was an hour and a half ago - these guys are even slower than the Russians. And I STILL can't drink as the toilets are STILL locked.

Good job I have Bill Leckie's excellent Penthouse & Pavements book. I wonder if, when he wrote it, he imagined someone would be reading it in the middle of the night of the Russian/Mongolian border. It's a funny old world.


FINALLY ...

Got my passport back at midnight and we were on our way by 0025 (well, 2325 actually, as Mongolia is behind SE Russian time). The whole thing took just under 5 1/2 hours. Can't wait to do it all again tomorrow.

Pass the Baltika.....