T minus two weeks

So, here's the plan...

St Petersburg to Beijing; via Mongolia.

Six trains.
9,000 km.
One month: June (annoyingly).

Flights booked, three visas acquired, LP read, flights unbooked (by an ever helpful third party), route devised, trains investigated, flights still unbooked, and essentials listed: camera (singular), iPod (not to be taken to altitude), passport (useful), notebook (to filter internal monologue and prevent it all ending up here), pencil (superior to pen), LP (the jolly man will make me smile), Frog (may get squashed), sofa fan (but prefers trains) and some plastic (to procure train supplies).