The Baikal part 1
Trip Start
Jan 24, 2004
1
7
31
Trip End
Apr 01, 2004
Novosibirsk,
Russian Federation
Sunday, February 8, 2004
The "Baikal", from 8th to 12th February 2004
We check out of the hostel after a long hot shower. It is a fact that second class passengers do not have the use of a shower on the train. And It's a 5 day journey. I've brought a short length of garden hose pipe with me. Not in case I may decide to gas myself . But because I read somewhere that by connecting a hosepipe to a tap at the communal wash basin, one may enjoy a kind of improvised shower. Funny how that hose pipe was used much later in my travels for an entirely different purpose.
I walk to the suburban Komcanon station at a snails pace, not wanting to slip on the ice
Tha Baikal
. Backpack weighing heavily and requiring extra counter-balance skills. Once installed in our cabin on the Baikal, Tammy and I are excited to discover that we are the only two passengers in the compartment, so far. Second class travel means four beds per sleeper compartment, and it's a real game of chance who may occupy them. We drink eagerly from our bottle of wine and explore the bags of groceries we have brought along. A wobbling pickled gherkin sits speared on the end of a Swiss army knife. We explore the single restaurant car and meet Vladimir, the highly entertaining 'manager'. It is quickly apparent that there is a large stock of vodka aboard the Baikal, in various degrees of strength and excellence.
At 9 o'clock-ish, we make the first stop of about 15 minutes, at Kirov. There I buy some freshly baked bread from one of the many platform sellers. Who become an endearing part of the adventure. It's a lazy start to the day and as we move around the carriage, we begin to meet our neighbours. A charming couple from France and a comedian from Alaska. We are rather lucky to have a compartment to ourselves and it becomes useful as a select venue for afternoon drinks. For the French couple are not so fortunate, having to tolerate the company of Russian soldiers in theirs. Who are drunk 24 hours a day. Looks like they've drawn the short straw.
The time zone on the train remains as Moscow time. This is a peculiar thing. Timetables contain the Moscow times, even when we are several hours ahead. There is both local time and Moscow time. Time to be organised when making connections. For example Irkutsk, our destination, is Moscow time + 5 hours. So that as our journey progresses, it gets noticeably darker much earlier on. The choice is to either live by the timetable ie. on Moscow time, and to hell with the conflict in daylight hours. Or else to gradually advance your watch and live by regular daylight hours instead. So what becomes of the start and finish times in the restaurant car ? And what's the time gap to the international clock ? The railway line actually spans 8 time zones. Add into the mix the Russian alphabet and unlimited quantities of vodka and you'll see how the journey soon becomes a rolling state of permanent confusion.
Next ; The Baikal , part 2
