Peter by Train...

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  St. Petersburg, Russia
Saturday, June 10, 2006

I'll get back to talking about Moscow again later. For now I must relate a bit about the trip to St. Petersburg (known by the locals as simply Peter). Lesson #1 when traveling in Russia - learn the cyrillic alphabet. Lesson #2: learn Russian. Nothing can be more daunting than walking into a major train station with all signs in Russian, including timetables (thankfully I have friends to help me.) I had tickets to travel on the overnight train (my first time in a sleeper train) that leaves Moscow at 9:30pm and arrives in St.Pete at apprx 5:30am. After settling in to my compartment (they aren't the nice one's you are used to seeing in the movies with separated rooms...just sort of divided, but open to the hallway), I began to observe what appeared to be a husband and wife across the small communal travel table. Before I had a chance to introduce myself, the conductor came around to collect tickets and check passports. It became quite evident that this couple was either in a fight or simply not interested in each other's company. The husband attempted multiple times to give his wife her passport back, only to be refused over and over again with some harsh Russian that seemed to say - "deal with it yourself". Turns out (after my friends translated) it was more along the lines of "you had better behave yourself in your drunk state". Within minutes she had made her bunk (upper)up and climbed in to sleep for the entire train voyage. As soon as we started rolling I felt the need to urinate - unfortunately I was informed the restrooms are locked down for an hour after leaving a station. When I arrived back at the bunk my neighbor (the husband) had made his (lower)bunk (which was simply the bench at the table) and was preparing to settle in. It was at this point (after catching a bit of fresh air at the window by the bathroom) that I became aware of the vibrant and heinous stench which was emitting from this large man. My thought was - "how the hell did I end up with this guy?" As he arranged a few things on the table and fluffed his pillow the odor became increasingly rancid - bringing me to the point of nausea. This was only the beginning.

Taking of his shirt, the man exposed his quite hairy and fatty upper body. I imagined the creases in his fat packing the punch of this insidious smell. He proceeded to lay sprawled out on his bed sideways, facing me, with his head propped up on his hand. We had still yet to introduce ourselves (at this point I had little interest). Pointing up to the top bunk he stated with pride "my wife." I shock my head in acknowlegement. As if things couldn't get more uncomfortable and unsettling, he unwrapped a plastic bag sitting at the table containing a sausage apprx 2 feet long. Breathing heavily (like a drunk does) he took a massive bite from the meat stick and chewed it starring across the table at me. After a few more bites, the man offered the stick up to me - a notion I politely refused. Despite how repulsive the whole situation had culminated in his eating a sausage while half-naked, I was disturbingly pleased at how well the smell of the seasoned meat masked his own odor. Proceeding to eat the entire sausage, he then rolled onto his back and went to sleep.

I drank a few cups of tea while losing myself in watching the wonderful Russian landscape pass by in the train window. I thought of cinema. It is unbelievably green, filled with trees (especially Birch trees...a national symbol in Russia) and sweeping open spaces spotted with small wooden shacks and muddy roads. Every now and then we'd pass a town or city which was filled with obvious remenants from the Soviet epoch (the architecture is very distintive). Once the night ecplised a clear view, I prepared for bed and listened to my handy little radio I bring along everywhere (its so great to drown out the various noises of travel). I would have liked to listen to the sounds of the train instead, but the stinky man was also an avid snore-master. I layed for a while searching for stations. Nothing was too good. At one point I lost any signal. I sat up for a minute just thinking and felt something hit my leg...the man's arm had flailed off his bed, under the table and across into my small territory. All I could do was laugh - and I laugh out loud. A few people nearby who were in and out of sleep starred in curiosity (but not anger). I went to restroom and inside opened the tiny little window to peak out at the barely visible horizon. The air was much colder than in Moscow - we are getting closer to St. Pete. I got a moment of deja vu, only to realize that it was something I'd seen in a film (Doctor Zhivago). Back at my bed, I managed to get about 2 hours of sleep before we pulled to a halt on the platform in St. Petersburg, Russia. It was an uncomfortable, long, and exhausting trip...but a few days removed completely worth it. Since then I have walked miles of the city such as the infamous Nevksy Prospekt and Dostoevsky's flat where he devised the details of "Crime and Punishment" (the streets around that area are featured in the novel). Yesterday I visited the Russian Museum, which was quite refreshing from the usual European Modern art I tend to see in other cities. We also went to a ballet (my first time) - an experience that was quite moving and beautiful. Today - The Hermitage (world famous museum). Damn. I'm out of internet time/money.

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