Wondering through the Mongolian Desert +++ Part 2

As I made way my towards Moscow’s central railway station, nippy winds blew past my face giving me the shivers of a cold winter. I must hurry and get my ticket as there was only one train a day that departs at midday. My rusty Russian made it difficult to communicate with the tickets vendor who spoke no English! Finally, having shown him my destination on the map, I presumed he understood, though I hoped he wasn’t selling me a ticket to China!

My Russian reading skills was better than conversation so I was able to read Mongolia on my ticket as I held it tightly in my hand, then hurried to platform 4 where the Trans-Mongolian train departs from.

I stood alongside the platform waiting for the train to arrive, the station seemed deserted. A few meters from me stood an old lady with beady eyes and a big black fur coat on, she looked in her 70s, though it was difficult to predict peoples’ ages in Russia as they all looked young due to the freezing temperatures all year round.

She stared at me as I examined my surroundings, I shook my head as a sign of hello however she shrugged and averted her eyes. “How rude”! I said.

A big round and tarnished old clock adorned the station’s platform wall; it has probably occupied it since the Soviet Union era! It was almost 11.50 and the train was not there yet, I started to get worried yet I surmised that punctuality meant little in this land perhaps.

Contemplative moments about my journey struck my head at two minutes to twelve when a massive noisy black train showed up. It was a big sigh of relief. I briskly grabbed my bag and was ready to board. The train was half empty; I guessed those passengers boarded from the previous city, I made sure to sit by the window so I wouldn't miss any of the stupendous scenery on the way to Mongolia.

Finally the train sounded its dying horn and left the station, I sat in a separate compartment observing the snow which literally covered every patch of the ground as the train moved forward, trees and houses were all lily-white. It was getting a little blurry as I could see the thick fog descending... It was probably going to snow, I murmured.