Ulaanbaatar
After our little adventure around the open spaces of the Gobi desert, it was strange to be confined chaotic, noisy Ulaanbaatar. in the two full days left in Mongolia, we saw a great cultural show with traditional throat singing, and I had the exciting time in the temple and celebrated my birthday before getting on the train to Beijing.The first day was devoted rather idly catching up on laundry and Internet. It was really nice not to do anything or go anywhere.Later, we went to Tumen Ekh Mongolian National Song and Dance Show after being highly recommended to us.Tumen Ekh Show building was in a dilapidated park it seemed like the last place you will find a tourist spectacle , but inside the building was richly decorated to look like within a royal ger.The show was excellent a good combination of dances and musical performances. The throat singing was remarkable, two men executed, both a little different, the sound was amazing and seemed to come from deep within them, a harmonious vibration is said to imitate the sounds of nature .The Shaman dance was wonderful costumes and was most entertaining, exotic dancers were good but less impressive. There were beautiful folk songs and contortionist brought tears to my eyes!
we met with some other guys to stay in our hostel at the show and we all went to Luna Blanca a vegetarian restaurant for some Mongolian veggie food . The way back to the hostel was across snow Gandantegchinlen Monastery escaped destruction in the Soviet era and was renovated in the 190s :. We visited the next morning, walking out through the snow. The main draw is the magnificent golden statue of Migjid Janraisig housed in a large white building inside the monastery walls. This bodhisattva stands over twenty-five meters high and is made of gold and copper sheets with colorful gemstones. It glows in the dark room with wood framing.Outside pigeons flocked around the monastery in their thousands , powered by seeds which could be purchased from old ladies dotted around the temples. Occasionally, they would all fly in a mass pane circle, then set down, you can feel them.
We were drawn in one of the buildings with the sound of singing, plunging beyond a heavy red curtain in hall which then leads into the temple itself.We quietly slipped in and took a seat on one of the benches around the edge of the House. On the back wall were crammed with showcases Buddhas covered with dust, in front of them were benches and tables.mantras Some monks were gently repeat softly sang . The songs would rise to a crescendo and the monks would hit the cymbals and bells, bringing life and magic in the lower house. The room smelled old, lighting was low, helped the wintery little natural light from the outside, rituals seemed as old as time. Interestingly, temple felt a bit like a ger scents of incense, smoke and farmy familiar smell mingled together, it created a wonderful connection to the nomadic side of Mongolia.odors, smoke and singing made me very light head and I had to go back outside in the cold air. I found the experience very uplifting and strangely moving, it is difficult to describe exactly why though!
That night was our last Mongolia and I was feeling a little blue, sad to be departing from this amazing country and sad to leave behind our beautiful companions, our little family trip.The next day would be mine and Severi anniversary so few of us went for a meal in a Mongolian restaurant nearby to celebrate. Unfortunately, the only vegetarian option on the menu was fried, but nevertheless we had a good evening, finished with a vodka shot back to the hostel. Tipsy, me? 
A cheeky vodka with Shaun in my jimjams
there were few travelers quite on No. 24 train and this includes our new friend Caley who we had met in UB. I would spend all my birthday on the train so it was fun to have friends around me.Lamentably, diner / bar closed around half past four ET toilets closed six hours to cross the border, rather put a downer on birthday parties.We managed to squeeze in a meal birthday Mongolian style eggs on toast and beer before closing the dining car. In one station to the border, we were able to get off some fresh air, it was good because we were confined to our car after to controls long borders. 
the Mongolian side of the border was simple and only took an hour. China has taken much more time, while the customs formalities have played our train was caught in a huge hangar and carts. separate Chinese tracks are wider than those of Mongolia so that the bogie - wheels - on all cars had to be changed. Each carriage has been aligned with a set of pneumatic cylinders, the bogies were alone, and the carriage was gently imperceptibly raised, still with us in it.The Mongolian bogies were off and new wheels, bogies pushed Chinese. We were lowered down on our new wheels.There was a long process and this process took ages the newness of the procedure as soon dispelled and we took our beds. The shunt wagons to join the train back together took hours, each shunt caused a loud noise and a jerk , sleep was not easy.I woke up the next day, a year older, a new country. China adopted by the window, the emptiness of southern Mongolia, we crossed the day before we were now in a visually populous country. There were buildings everywhere, people, waste, cars, the landscape was very dry and dusty. As the train continued the country became mountainous and we have passed through many tunnels, and then we saw it, the Great Wall . It winds up a mountain and out of sight, our first glimpse of something truly iconic , something really Chinese.The train pulled into Beijing just after two in. afternoon, the end of the line for the Trans-Mongolia trip, but not for our rail adventure for the time we had to explore China 
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