Mastodawn

Goodbye 🇨🇳 China, hello 🇷🇺 Russia !

The Bank of China told me it'd take two more hours to exchange currency so I had to leave without. Idk, I always thought currency conversation was strictly regulated in Europe but in China this seems to be an even more restricted business.

I arrived at the station 25 minutes before the departure of my 🤝🏽 353Ь train hopefully bringing me to 🇷🇺 Irkutsk.

I say "hopefully" because I don't have a ticket. My cross-border ticket is literally just for the 25 minutes ride between 🇨🇳 Manzhouli and 🇷🇺 Zabaikalsk whereas there hopefully is an electronic reservation for the rest of the journey stored with my passport number. Fingers crossed 🤞🏽.

In any case, it stays interesting - may the journey behind the enemy's line go safe 😇.

🌈✊🏽

#FOSSRail #CrossBorderRail #TeamNightTrain

While travel agencies are *really* a thing here, currency exchange seems to be strange here.

Finding a travel agency who could issue me a cross-border ticket to Russia took me less than 10 minutes, I was searching for a currency exchange for over two hours - unsuccessfully. Even the banks were astonished when I asked them whether I could exchange money.

After three hours, I was finally told that the regional headquarter of the Bank of China does currency exchange and this is where I'm waiting now. It btw. took almost 10 minutes until I could clarify that I don't understand Russian.

I'm slightly nervous because my 🤝🏽 train is leaving in less than an hour and I know how picky Chinese railway workers are when it comes to international trains. I will time-gap waiting here to 15 more minutes and otherwise cross the border with just my 20.000 spare Ruble hoping for an exchange opportunity in Russia even though the rates will be much worse there.

While I expected a boring printout of an online ticket, I was handed a wonderful classic ticket booklet consisting of the cover booklet ticket, distance fare, sleeper ticket and transport remarks - all written in Chinese, Russian and - of course - German.

#FOSSRail #CrossBorderRail

I'm really looking forwards to having a dining car with vegan food again tomorrow 😋. I'm sick of instant ramen and cookies 😵‍💫.

If you're wondering what I'm referring to when saying "various Russian travel agencies" : In a radius of 500 meter around my hotel, there are 15 different travel agencies - even though my hotel is half way surrounded by a lake.

I don't know why exactly but travel agencies seem to be a very cool thing here. The reason for sure isn't the huge demand of international railway tickets.

Oh, and did I mention : It's -16 °C and according to my weather site it "feels like -26 °C" - which I can confirm after walking for 10 minutes looking for a taxi 🥶🥶🥶.

After 10 hours, I reached my final destination for day 5 of my journey : 🇨🇳 Manzhouli. I quickly figured out how saying "I speak English" in *Russian* is the most important conversational skill to survive here as a foreigner. Fair, the city is populated by more Russian-speaking than Chinese- and Mongolian-speaking residents together and neighbors to 🇷🇺 Zabaykalsk in Russia.

The experience at the railway station was peak CR service : Three employees at the ticket office, in the middle of the night with no more train today. Of course, they could *not* sell me a ticket to 🇷🇺 Irkutsk and explained me I'd need to buy this in 🇨🇳 Beijing. Only bad, that in Beijing Zhao at the international ticket office, they explained me there are no trains to Russia.

At least we all agreed there in fact is a train leaving to 🇷🇺 Irkutsk tomorrow at 2 p.m. and they suggested that one of the many Russian travel agencies will likely be able to issue me a ticket.

My hotel was also highly confused how I don't speak Russian, also cannot fill a form entirely in Russian, didn't want to pay in Russian Rubel and showed them a foreign passport that was neither Russian nor had it a Chinese visa.

At least the receptionist told me there's a Russian travel agency right next to the hotel and she was convinced they could sell me tickets.

After all, this will be my quest for tomorrow.

Good night Fedi 😴 !

🌈✊🏽

#FOSSRail

The Harbin - Manzhouli railway was initially constructed in Soviet broad gauge.

The Chinese later regauged it to Chinese standard gauge.

When the region went under Russian rule again, it was converted back to Russian broad gauge.

Eventually the railway was regauged a third time back to Chinese standard gauge and retained as it until today.

And Europe fails at coping with different track gauges still nowadays 🤡🤡🤡.

Can someone explain me why suddenly everyone puts on their shoes, jackets and packs their luggage ? The next stop of this train is in three hours. I guess I'm definitely missing something 🤔 ?

Meanwhile the steppe is becoming more and more arctic and my train is climbing up the slopes of the Greater Khingan range ⛰️.

From 🇨🇳 Beijing on, I took the Kuaisu train to 🇨🇳 Qiqihaer in the far north east.

I was lucky to get one of the rare first class Superior Soft Sleeper compartments available on few selected trains. While the rolling stock was of chattery Chinese quality you know from anything produced at CRRC, I had a surprisingly relaxing night and was only woken up by the conductor at 10.30 a.m., 20 minutes before arriving at my destination.

In 🇨🇳 Qiqihaer, I had a layover of 1.5 hours. Enough to find some vegan ramen in the departure hall's little store.

From here on, my next Kuaisu train will get me northbound to 🇨🇳 Manzhouli, the town at the tripoint between 🇨🇳 China, 🇲🇳 Mongolia and 🇷🇺 Russia.

I booked a couchette in a second class Soft Sleeper compartment which is supposed to host 4 passengers. Opening the door, I was in fact not really surprised to find 7 passengers already using the compartment : 5 adults and 2 children.

My roommates shuffled free a little spot in the corner of a couchette so that I could join the party : I can now enjoy 10 hours of smelling food, Douyin tunes, crying babies and parents trying to lift the children's mood by ratteling instant ramen packages 🎉 !

I love traveling by train 🥰 !

🌈✊🏽

#FOSSRail #TeamNightTrain

If you're wondering why I don't toot any picture of sights, the landscape or just anything not related to trains, please keep in mind that I'm transiting not any country but China - with all its implications.

Everything I'd share here, everything I'd show or advertise here would be a political statement. A statement contradicting my values. While I will just be silent while I'm traveling here, I'm looking forwards to sharing experiences later.

🌈✊🏽

#FOSSRail