Hotel Irkutsk

We knew we were in for a cold start once of the train as on our last night on the train we had woken to snow, it was a great day for looking out the window! <br><br>However we arrive at 6.30 am in Irkutsk and new two things we no when we arrive it will be dark and cold. Helen organised as ever has the directions it says a 10 minute walk, lets hope we don't have the same ...

... of there. Cant believe how long it took. <br><br>I now realise why some of the other guys I met caught the train to Ulan Ude then take the quicker and cheaper bus to UB. However we (all us tourists in the cafe) decided they were cheating and not doing the 100% Trans-Siberian experience.<br><br>Arrive Mongolian Border 8pm<br> <br>Things get a little hazy here. <br><br>Dom, Russ and I have a few more beers then crack open the ...

... stab city' as we fondly named it. This was one scary place. We'd already heard horror stories of muggings etc from other travellers we met in Moscow and were warned not to go too far from the station.. good advice. We'd run out of snack food, so Kate crouched protectively over the bags ( she's got the longer legs by approximately 15 inches) whist Gab ran about army combat style ( involving a rather nice floor roll to round the last corner) to gather the rations. <br><br>The ...

... got on. They were plain clothed but it wouldnt have phased me either way if they werent. Anyway so they proceeded to take over the cabin like it was theres. They finally passed out and I managed to get a half decent sleep until I was woken by the soldiers talking ...

... and icons (which unfortunately I wasn't able to photograph as unsurprisingly they don't allow it inside). We didn't bother looking at the treasury, but finally exited and after resting on the lawns by the Kremlin walls (with lovely slopes ro roll down until we were told off by a Russian policeman!) we caught a metro one stop to Arbatskaya station. This metro stop is at the top of Stary Arbat, an old street closed ...

... Believe me, it's worse when you're living it............ Locked toilets can be a source of angst (and worse if you're not careful). The provodnitsas lock the toilets about 1/2 hour before the train stops at a station. They stay locked for up to 1/2 hour after it sets off again, and also at other times, eg when the provodnitsas are changing shift. I can cope with this most of the time, just by reading the timetable and planning ahead, but you can't do ...

... that only men wore that particular style of hat. We had an interesting discussion with the stall holder at the Izmailovsky market during which he denigrated Belle's rabbit fur hat, tried to sell us a mink fur hat in a female style, and eventually convinced us to buy a fox fur trimmed hat for substantially less than we had paid for the rabbit fur hat the day before. Belle was pleased with her new hat that would ensure she no longer ...

... is decked out like a palace and unlike harrod's food hall, which the locals compare it to, the prices are no more expensive than the normal shops. Red square as I had been told to expect was neither red nor square but still impressive none the less. Cheesy as it is we visit Lenin's tomb straight away, as Anastasia says 'he doesn't go to work everyday and when he does he only works short hours' so if he's 'working' while your ...

... Stone Age up to modern times (though curiously omitting anything about the events of the early 20th century). It was well past 6pm when we left the museum and headed back to the hotel to freshen up. A dinner date with an old adversary awaited, and my heart was racing in anticipation. The walk from the Metropol up Teatralny proezd (avenue?) gave us the opportunity to see the front of the Metropol for the first time. Wow, the art nouveau mosaic ...