Russia: The Trans Siberian Adventure

Saturday 12th August

Day 1 On The Train

Life in a Moving Metal Cocoon

Departure day for the long awaited Trans Siberian train. After months of reading about it we were about to climb aboard for 4 days to a town called Tayshet, west of Lake Baikals northern end. From there we'll be changing onto the BAM railway to the lakes' northern town of Severobaikalsk, from where we'll be taking the hydrofoil most of the way down it's 400 mile length, to end in Irkutsk.

We arrived at Yaroslavsky station well ahead of time but failed to find any info about our train's departure platform. With about half an hour to go we were still wandering around totally clueless as to the correct place to be. We asked at the info place and the kindly lady came out and physically showed the electronic board, explaining that the number would appear "soon"! Still nothing came up. Suddenly she came breathlessly running back to inform us that our particular train was leaving from Kazansky station, across the road!! Just our luck to pick a train that wasn't going from where 99% of all other Trans Siberian trains leave from! We ran like the clappers and made it just in time. We'd decided to book 'plaskartny' [3rd class] tickets instead of the ridiculously expensive 'coupe' [2nd class] tickets. What a fantastic experience we were in for. For those not in the know, coupe is a closed 4-berth compartment and plaskartny is a coupe without doors - plus 2 extra beds where the door and passage would normally be! The entire carriage is basically one huge dorm with each 6-berths separated by a side wall ! Talk about travelling cattle class but what an amazing way to interact with the locals. Also as "luck" would have it, our train wasn't one of the normal Trans Siberians loaded with foreigners like us. Due to our routing, we landed up on the all Russian train, with us the only foreigners, at least as far as we could ascertain. Initially we were a abit disappointed with this due to all our pre-conceived ideas of what happens on the "tourist trains".

Once we'd settled into our small little section of the carriage, we met our compartmet companions. A 30-something woman named Luda on her way to visit her parents. A 50-year old lady named Nadia with a mouthfull of gold teeth and an 80-year old wizened, gnome-like, crumpled up babushka. Naturally nobody spoke a word of English but the babushka was the most entertaining and real Russian experience we've had to date. She prattled on and on to us for ages, pointing fingers, laughing at us, using sign language in an attempt to get something across to us. We were at a loss for words. Was she critising us? Was she saying good or bad things? We had no idea and just smiled at her. Our other 'roomate' Luda was grinning and smiling, so it then dawned on us that the babushka was poking some harmless fun at us, being strangers. We concluded eventually that she'd been trying to find out if we were a married couple or not and was also jesting with me that I must take no nonsense from David, being the man. She played these charades of me boxing in his face if he was nasty to me!! She was hysterically funny and even had the rest of our compartment in stitches, at our expense! She had an old totally creased up face, was physically tiny and shrunken and filthy dirty. She carried with her, one piece of luggage, a disgustingly dirty and torn plastic packet from which came some dry bread and a few teabags!! Everyone could see that she had no money whatsoever so somebody must have bought her train ticket to ..... We could never figure that our!! She also had nothing with which to buy her bed linen or use of a mattrass, choosing rather to just sleep on the hard seat instead. She really was a sad picture and you can only feel sorry for her. Being so dirty she did smell a bit - ummm - not so good and our "provodnista" [carriage attendant] even picked up on that. She asked if we'd like to open the window a bit [normaly not allowed]. We jumped at the offer but the window was firmly stuck. The provodnista disappeared and we thought "that's that"... 5 minutes later she returned with a giant sized axe in her hands!!!Talk about being resourceful but that thing was totally unexpected, and to open a window with. She climbed against the window and together with Davids help, managed to prise down the window with her makeshift lever!! In the meantime some other Russian lady, seeing that our babushka was without bedding, went and bought some for her. She made up the bed and our babushka was visibly moved by this and pushed tears away, humbly disguising her actions as if she was blowing her nose. Personally I don't think she's slept in such good linen for years [if ever], as I privately watched her examine the quality of the clean sheets she had now just climbed between. Watching her in her temporary new-found luxury was heartening. THESE are the sort of experiences we've come to discover and I don't think we'd see them much on the other "touristy" Trans Siberian trains.

We discovered that we possessed something that was of huge interest to everybody around us - our Russia map! Everyone couldn't wait their turn to show us where they live and where they are going to! Even the provodnista joined in. The sight of David and the babushka pouring over the map was classic indeed. I'm just so sorry I never captured that on camera. I have been trying to follow our long +/-4500km journey in my guidebook but apart from the station stops where we are allowed off the train, it's fairly difficult to track. We have upper bunks and seeing out the window properly isn't easy. You have to sit on your bunk if the person on the lower bunk is sleeping, so it's a big hassle if you need to use the table - one of the downsides of plaskarty travel. Another negative is that the dining car is tiny, not like we thought it would be and probably is on the "tourist train". We're pretty much limited to our section in the "dorm". Nevertheless, the chance to interact with local Russians way surpasses all these negatives.

Sunday 13th August

Day 2 On The Train

One day gone and 2 time zones further down the track. Life on the train tends to be a routine of getting up, eating, chatting, sleeping, eating again, maybe some games, sleeping again... Jumping off at the longer stops is a big event, to stretch the legs and to purchase food and drink from the vendors who meet the long distance trains. These vendors sell everything from cheap trinkets to beer and dried fish, to funny Russian bear hats! After a day of living like this, the enjoyment of the journey very much depends on how you choose to handle it. Some drink themselves into a stupor on vodka and beer, others read constantly and others appear to remain permanently asleep in a horizonta position for days on end!! We found it extremely hot and a bit smoky as the nicotine addicts' smoke filters through the door of the compartment. We managed to have our window open a crack thanks to the "axe lady" of yesterday. However, our babushka is trying everything in her power to get it closed again as she is complaining of the cold!! The 1 inch that the window is open is barely noticeable in our top bunks but just good enough for a breath of fresh air - if you are up there. The babushka tho', has other ideas. I wonder who will win this battle!!? At one of the long stations stops, we bought some local beer and managed to take some good action pics of the Trans Siberian platform traders. Being 2 time zones ahead of Moscow time also causes a slight confusion in eating times as most people still have Moscow time on their watches and all the station clocks show Moscow time on their clocks. Very disorientating as you are never quite sure what time zone to work in!! In fact the entire system operates in Moscow time so you have to constantly add hours mentally when you know you have crossed a time zone point! All timetables are in Moscow time too, even tho' you may be in Vladivostock which is +7hrs ahead. This does not take into consideration that Moscow is also +2hrs ahead of GMT [in summer]. We are generally tuned into GMT... so having to think in Moscow time [MT] one has to really think if you want to find out the time back home in South Africa! All our books refer to the Trans Siberian time-warp and it's so true. Inside the metal cocoon of the train it really is another world!!

Monday 14th August

Day 3 On The Train

Not a great sleep last night and woke up with a stiff neck. We arrived at Omsk, Siberia's 2nd biggest town, which is at 2712km mark, at 8am MT. So, should we be eating breakfast or lunch as we've now added another extra time zone during the night. ie: we're now MT + 3hrs [plus 2 more for GMT]! On the platform we bought more bread and some beer which David wanted to drink straight away - being 11am - but my body clock said it was only 8am!! This really is all so odd. This morning the babushka won the battle of the window! The provodnista tried to close it but couldn't - we secretly hoped she'd leave it at that - but the crafty old babushka got up, disappeared and returned with a strong man in tow!! He shut it firmly and that was that! Now it really did feel like a claustrophobic cattle truck. We still have 24hrs on this train! Today the train passed through the 600km stretch of the inhospitable Baraba Steppe. This is an area of plains, sprinkled with shallow lakes, ponds, swamps, peat bogs and rare patches of firm ground. There are no landmarks around for miles on end and because of this, hundreds of people have lost their way, and their lives. In the spring, the air is saturated with gnats and mosquitos, no place humans would want to be. The area does have a positive side. Below the steppe are enormous natural resevoirs of hot water, with a potential geothermal energy supply which is currently being investigated. We chugged through this area in pouring rain, so adding an extra bleakness to the already grimly beautiful surroundings. Passing through in mid winter , surrounded by endless miles of Siberian snow and cold, must be an awesome experience - maybe next time!!

Tonight we had our first interaction with some Russian party animals. They struck up a conversation during a train stop and then invited us to join them all for some vodka. As is the tradition in Russia and especially on these trains, you are almost obliged to accept, at least for 1 drink. It's considered impolite to refuse and can be awkward sometimes. Anyway, we went along to their compartment and I immediately felt a bit nervous. David was unaware of my feelings and had a vodka shot or 2. They kept offering me but I politely refused saying I'd stick to my beer. After about 15 minutes in their closed compartment, something said to me that we should leave. I was very uncertain about their true motives. It didn't have the feel of friendly Russians just offering a drink. I told David [in Afrikaans], how I felt and to "passop" and at first he thought I was just being "an ou vrou"! We were all "too cosy" in this tiny coupe and I was concerned about our documents etc... inside our clothing. David wanted to stay so I said "OK", but give me all your things and camera to take back to our carriage - "I'm leaving". In the passage whilst starting to take his valuables, an on-train security cop walked by, questioned one of our Russian "friends" and took him away somewhere!! "That's it", I said - "we're outta here, now". David thankfully realized that something was amiss and we both returned to our carriage. I'd like to think that this doesn't happen very often but my impression of drunk Russian men is not a good one. If we'd stuck around who knows what they could have or would have done..

Tuesday 15th August

Day 4 On The Train

Four days and no shower yet!! No guesses to how we felt or smelled! The ablution situation on the train, at least in plaskartny class, left something to be desired. I'd walked the length of the train a few times investigating other loos but most were only slightly better. We just had to stick it out like everybody else. At this day 4 stage, we were now past another 2 time zones [now we're MT plus 5hrs]. Also at our destination station of Tayshet, we'd clocked up an awesome 4516km. We'd chosen to change trains here as our route was to take us north of Lake Baikal to a town called Severobaikalsk. However, once on our train we'd made the startling discovery that this train actually went all the way to Severobaikalsk anyway!! This we hadn't been told and had gone and bought 2 separate tickets which meant an 18hr wait at the change junction of Tayshet! Everyone in our section of the train eventually found out this situation and tried to suggest all kinds of ways for us to remain on the train once at Tayshet. Their advise and input was phenomenal. The provodnista said we should go to the ticket office at Tayshet and try to change our tickets there but we only had a short time to do it, so we persuaded a young girl, who spoke some English, to help us with this. We'd definately need a Russian to speak for us. At Tayshet David and Alona ran like the clappers, over the bridge and across the tracks to make some arrangements, while I stayed with our packs on the platform. Returning, they had long faces. Cannot do it unless we upgrade to coupe class, which would have cost a lot more money! Then our friendly provodnista changed her mind and said, via our Russian interpretor, that we could get back on the train, in our same spot, BUT only if we paid her and her co-provodnista 1000 Rubles each as a bribe. No ways! Especially as this part of the trip had originally only cost us 750 rubles! So... as we had the tickets anyway, an 18hr wait it would have to be. Really crazy but no way around it. We waved a fond farewell to our interesting compartment friends and especially to the old babushka, who I'm certain had tears in her eyes as she peered at us through the window, waving frantically. We promised to send her some of the pics we took of her and we will send them. We'll not forget her in a long while.

At Tayshet the long wait began. Once again the time warp continues as the station clocks state the time is 5hrs earlier than it actually is, in local time. Since we left Moscow I've kept my watch on MT as it's the only real way I can keep track. The initial departure time of 5.30am tomorrow suddenly didn't seem so bad as it would actually be 10.30am Not so bad.

The Wait In The Station

What a long, long night! We began with a little treat, some Russian food in the station restaurant. Meatballs and cabbage rolls stuffed with meat. Rich but nice. Then to find some ablutions. We honked. David took a walkabout and reported back that the ablutions on the train were 5-star compared to what he found! So now what?? The thought of another 48hrs at least, without a shower wasn't at all appealing but what were we to do> We managed a makeshift clean-up but the facilities were worse than gross. David even refused, initially, to use his loo, the Asian squat variety, as the stench was too overpowering. The mens were also open squats. No doors. No privacy. At least the womens had a half-stable door affair! Even the squats that I used up in the remote Himalaya villages a few years back were better than these. Anyway, I won't dwell on such topics. We just had to remain dirty... On full tummies from our substantial meal we went to the "Waiting Area" to find a spot where we could "settle down" for the night. All hard metal seats with no chance of even half lying down on top of our packs. The place was filled with people like us, waiting out the hours for their respective long distance trains to arrive. We managed a fair number of hours sleep, but with all the lights glaring down and frequent announcements startling you awake again, it wasn't too successful. The 18 endless hours eventually came to an end, our train to Severobaikalsk arrived and we climbed on board, to find our 2 bottom bunk seats/beds. A huge improvement on the previous train where the upper bunks were very awkward to manoever around on.

Wed 16th August

Another Day and Night on Another Train

First things first - to use a "decent" loo!! You come to appreciate the difference between bad but acceptable and very bad on trains like this! Then for some shut eye. Sleep deprivation must be right up there in the "top 5 worst things" list of travellers. In surprisingly comfortable beds [still in plaskartny], we caught up with a good few hours sleep, feeling a lot more together than we'd been a short while earlier. We passed through a large town called Bratsk which our Russian compartment companion couldn't help explaining to us was home to one of the worlds largest dams and also the site of Russia's 2nd largest hydro-electric power station. It really was pretty awesome crossing the railway bridge that spans the lake on one side and the dam on the other. The rest of the scenery along our route was acres of spruce and birch tree forest, through which the train wound it's way offering some good opportunities for thos classic shots of the long, snaking train. After a few games of backgammon, which our Russian friend was fascinated with, we climbed into the narrow train beds which for the past week or so have constantly been converted from beds to "lounge chairs" and "dining room chairs"! Living like this, in such confined spaces, must be a bit like being on a submarine.