Camel Spotting

It was almost sad to think that this was going to be our final train…almost. We were such a well oiled train-boarding machine by now that even in our bleary-eyed state in the early AM hours, we had all our belongings successfully stashed in their cubby holes and within minutes our cabin looked like some sad advertisement for New York. Every retailer from grocery stores to independent coffee shops bagged their products in “I heart NY” sacs – as a result our cabin was littered with them.

This was my most anticipated journey of our trip purely for the scenery…we pulled out of Ulaanbaatar and despite exhaustion were captivated to watch the rolling green hills that make up the Mongolian-Manchurian steepe. This area had been our home for just a few days, but there was an unspoken homesickness that we all felt.

Too soon the steepes were gone…slowly the landscape became much sandier and barren…the harshness of the area evident in the bones that littered the area. We had finally entered an area of the Gobi Desert. I was initially disappointed that my brief foray into this awesome country did not allow me time to divert down to the proper Gobi Desert to visit the massive sand dunes that decorate the postcards…but I was delighted when I learnt that our train China-bound train was going to pass through part of this amazing landscape.

The Bactrian camel is one of the rarest mammals on earth. There are two areas where they still reside in the wild, the Taklimakan Desert of China (in 2003 there were 600still there) and the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, where last count had 350. It was about 1100 in the morning when we noticed the lush green landscape evolving into the sandy abyss and the visual hunt for camels began. We spread out - focusing on different sides of the train...desperate for a glimpse. We stared...and we stared...and we stared...and after two straight hours of staring at endless plains of sand, I had to take my bleary, now partially crossed, eyes to bed for a little nap. Will, a reliable chap, agreed to take the first shift and stood there...staring...as I, guiltily, drifted off to a peaceful slumber.

That is, peaceful until the words "camel" came out of Will's mouth in an excited cry. I am not the most agile of creatures but I made it from dead asleep on my top bunk to standing at the window in the hall, shutter snapping in mere seconds. It might actually be the fastest I have ever moved in my life (and I once caught on fire). As impressive as Will was, it was Sarah who was the true eagle eye. No, I take that back...she didn't spot camels...she would almost sense them - it was eerie but extremely useful. Thanks to Sarah's sixth sense we were successful in our quest to find the rare Bactrian camel and the equally rare Saiga Antelope!

We stared out the windows…in the hall…in our cabin…in the dining car…all the way to China – worried that if we looked away we would miss one of these extraordinary creatures. Our nightfall border crossing was a great relief to our strained eyes. After a painless but methodical departure from Mongolia, we crossed the border to a bizarre bit of musical fanfare. Denied disembarking, the whole train was relocated to the wheel shed, the cars we separated, hoisted up onto hydraulic lifts and the wheels changed. Yep, you read correctly - it was just like a being at a Jiffy Lube.

Here's a bit of trivia for you...it turns out that not all train tracks are the same in the world. The standard gauge is used by 60% of the world, including North America, Europe and China...the train we were currently on was fitted with a Russian gauge that is utilized by 17% of trains worldwide. So, rather than standardizing...each and every Trans-Mongolian/Trans-Siberian Train must simply change their fittings. Honestly the hoisting up and down was very smooth, the re-coupling (when the slam the cars back together)...not so much. But 90 min later, we were all done and free to disembark the train to seek out one of the world's smelliest washrooms.

Travel can be exhausting. And although much of the day was spent staring at sand dunes, searching for signs of life in amongst the bones, part of it was trying to figure out when we would have access to a washroom again or sitting quietly under the scrutiny of hostile customs officers…and I’m not complaining, I wouldn’t change it for anything, but the metal toll it takes…bed was welcome that night. I had big plans to enjoy my final night on the train but within moments… the gentle rocking, with the occasional slam that to me mimicked de-raiment...lulled me to sleep in seconds.