Trans-Siberian Moscow to Irkutsk

Trip Start Oct 07, 2007

Trip End ??? ??, 2008

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Flag of Russia Irkutsk, Russia
Wednesday, October 17, 2007

I'm writing this on the start of our third day on the Trans-Siberian. For a moment I thought it was just the second but such is the way on the Trans-Siberian - one loses a sense of time. The journey we're taking traverses 5 time zones as we go from Moscow to Irkutsk. This effectively means that nighttime falls an hour or two before it would otherwise - a blessed relief since until darkness falls it somehow doesn't seem right to break out our stash of vodka (our mothers need not feel concerned here - the stash is really quite modest and growing more so by the day!!)

Of course each Trans-Siberian journey is unique and and aan wful lot depends on the people sharing a compartment with you. For me though this journey has knocked two myths on their heads. Firstly, that the scenery along the route is varied. Our guide book mentioned all sorts of wildlife to be seen along the way but so far I've seen nothing more exciting than a magpie. To make things worse it was a solitary magpie - surely dooming the rest of our trip! Nearly all the track is lined by trees, with the ocassional interlude as we pass over a river or by a village of dachas (wooden country houses) The autumnal colours are, however, beautiful and today the trees and dachas are covered in a light coating of snow, giving everything a pleasant wintery feel.

The second myth foverever busted is that all Russians drink vodka. Of course this is akin to presuming all Irish drink Guinness and equally ridiculous, but nonetheless it's somewhat of a disappointment.

Jonathan With Guidebook

According to our guide book (I'm beginning to think of it as more of a mis-guide book) it is a gross insult to refuse drink or food in Russia. If this is the case, then we have been insulted repeatedly by the Russian man sharing our compartment, who refuses to partake in our drinking and card-playing each evening.

He seems a pleasant man however and I only regret that we don't have adequate Russian to converse with him. There is only so far spaseeba (thank you) can take you! Until now there have been just 3 of us in the compartment but we have just been joined by a girl in her twenties, also Russian. If nothing else at least it shifts the burden of conversation from us!

Another thing to note is that each carriage is governed by a provodnitsa (she who must be obeyed) who also has control over what music is played on the tanoy in each carriage during the day. The first morning we were woken up by what could be best compared to a preliminary round of the eurovision song contest, the second moring by the russian Abba cover band (supertrooper in russian is a hoot I tell you) and the third monring by what sounded like the count from sesame street singing a mix between country and jazz. Oh what joyous sound will awaken us on the fourth morning.....

..... As so ends our Trans-Siberian journey (well the first and largest leg anyhow). Day 3 was good, the scenery more interesting and villages more frequent as we went along. Even got adventorous enough to buy some food from the station hawkers - PG we shall not regret this tomorrow. Interesting items - a doughnut filled with cabbage and onion and a roll of wafer fill with some unknown substance (we initially rather hoped it was chocolate but 'fraid not) Jonathan is suffering, having forgotten to bring a Nutella supply with him. We are now 4 in the carriage - the tension palatable as we struggle to make clumsingly billingual conversation. I take refuge in my journal, Jonathan in his guide book - I swear he knows every line by now.

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