The border experience into China was quite pleasant, as is evident from the music being pumped into the near deserted train platform. It is at this border station that they take all the wheels off the train and replace them with a different “gauge” (width). I guess the Russians feared invasions from the east (Japan…the U.S.) as well as from the west (French, Germans, U.S.) so they built their entire railway system to be incompatible with the rest of the world…to make invasions logistically more difficult.
We were here for hours…a few travelers were able to sneak out of the station and make it to a restaurant (one guy ate a fried chicken head!), but they locked the door by the time we got into the station. So we had to enjoy this fine music. On a positive note, I sold an old leather jacket to a store owner for 400 yuan…about $60!
Speak, Memory 