Day 8

I didn't wake till 10am after a great nights sleep (booze induced and we got that window closed finally). After a big breakfast we stopped at Omsk and I went and found Bristol Steve who had an extendable squeegee sponge. I mixed up some travel wash and water and we set about cleaning the cabin's window. It was pretty dirty and you need a clean window to take pictures. One of the guards complained that hurling water up at the windows directly under overhead power cables might be dangerous so we rinsed it off and got back inside the train.

1 Omsk Station Stop

Bristol Steve suggested to me that although our tickets go to Beijing it would be an idea to get off and spend a few days in Mongolia. That would mean having to buy new train tickets from Mongolia to Beijing but I am warming to the idea. Kasja and Malin are all stopping in Ulan Bataar too and haven't sorted out accommodation yet so we could do that all together when we reach Mongolia.

2 Amanda washing her window

In the evening Kasja, Malin and I went down to Shane, Chris and Jeff's cabin for a game of travel monopoly. My shady dealings and following smugness earnt me the nickname of "Mr Burns" but it was Kasja who won in the end. Where dice are involved even the shrewdest business minds can come unstuck against fluky Swedish dice rolls.

3 Russian Scenery

4 A Grim Looking Russian Town

5 Travel Monopoly