2 June (ctd)
Back at the apartment had time for a shower, then packed up and went out to wait for our taxi after we got a text advising it was on the way. But it did not turn up. Thankfully, Max was able to contact a local equivalent of Uber, and we were shortly en route to the station. Cost 200 roubles, cheaper than the taxi which had not arrived.
The ‘Rossiya’ pulled into the station just as we made our way onto the platform. First Class compartments are a better class of cell. Our bedding is already set out, and menus are on the table, along with a comfort kit, containing slippers, a sewing kit, toothpaste/toothbrush, toothpick and a shoehorn. We settled ourselves in, and soon rolled out of the station, beginning the 1694 km journey to Iurga, where we must change trains tomorrow evening. Outside the train window, Siberia rolls by, pine and birch trees to the fore. The train maintains a sedate 60-70 kmh pace across the countryside. There are 14 stops before we reach Iurga.
I stepped out onto the platform at our first longer (30 minute) stop at Zima, to find most of the platform visitors out for a smoke.
Our cabin attendant Kira dropped in to book our dinner, which we will take in the compartment at 7:30pm. It arrived a little late, and was serviceable if not exciting (beef, salad, cold meats and juice or water). The train compartment is the place for reading, and I took the opportunity advance by assessment of the 2016 Hugo contending novellas. I finished ‘The Ballad of Black Tom’, and commenced ‘The Dream Quest of Vellit Boe’.
Went for lights out and sleep at 10pm as the train rattled on westward into the Siberian twilight.
3 May
Woke after a reasonable quality of sleep, and freshened up before eating our chicken sandwiches for breakfast. Washed it down with samovar tea. Outside, the scenery was eerily similar to the previous evening. Pine and birch trees, green grasslands and small hamlets with wooden houses in various states of repair, most with backyard gardens replete with greenhouses, and vegetable plots, tilled for summer plantings.
The land became more hilly and picturesque on the approach to the large city of Khabarovsk, with villages and their gardens cascading down sunlit hillsides. Khabarovsk itself seems a boomtown, with cranes dotting the horizon, and new apartment towers rising. On the platform beside the ‘Rossiya’ was train #3 from Beijing, also en route to Moscow, and seemingly a quarter hour or so ahead of our train.
The morning rolled by, with the landscape ever unchanging – pine and birch, birch and pine, so goes the taiga. We had chocolate chip cookie with more samovar tea for morning tea, and packet ramen for lunch. The afternoon was spend reading on our various devices (finished ‘The Dream Quest of Vellitt Boe’, and commenced ‘A Taste of Honey’, and also listened to some more of the ‘Foreigner’ audiobook. Minuk is reading ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ on her Kobo, having bailed out on ‘Gone Girl’.
The carriage provenitza advised us of our impending arrival at Yurga station, so we packed our gear and got ready to disembark. Complicated by a phone call from our transfer at Tomsk, who had somehow got his wires crossed and was waiting for us at Tomsk. Confusion ensued, but we successfully disembarked, lugged our grar across the overpass to the station and bought a cheap snack at the kiosk in the station (bilinis, cheburek, kvas and cheezy poofs, all for under 200 roubles). Chatted with Leo from Hong Kong, who seemed to be following our route.
Had a minor muddle with tickets for the connecting train 142HA to Tomsk, when I got my Irkutsk – Yurga ticket mixed up with the Yurga – tomsk one. Sorted finally with the image on my phone 9after which I found the missing ticket in my pocket). Retraced our steps to Tayga station, then turned off on the spur line to Tomsk, through, you guessed it, pine and birch forests. Tomsk loomed just before 10pm, though of course, the sun had only just set.
Our ride Igor was there waiting for us, and we were soon enough at our large and comfortable 7th floor apartment. Minuk particularly was tired form the exertion of sitting in a train all day. We slumped of to bed after a quick hot drink.
Back at the apartment had time for a shower, then packed up and went out to wait for our taxi after we got a text advising it was on the way. But it did not turn up. Thankfully, Max was able to contact a local equivalent of Uber, and we were shortly en route to the station. Cost 200 roubles, cheaper than the taxi which had not arrived.
The ‘Rossiya’ pulled into the station just as we made our way onto the platform. First Class compartments are a better class of cell. Our bedding is already set out, and menus are on the table, along with a comfort kit, containing slippers, a sewing kit, toothpaste/toothbrush, toothpick and a shoehorn. We settled ourselves in, and soon rolled out of the station, beginning the 1694 km journey to Iurga, where we must change trains tomorrow evening. Outside the train window, Siberia rolls by, pine and birch trees to the fore. The train maintains a sedate 60-70 kmh pace across the countryside. There are 14 stops before we reach Iurga.
I stepped out onto the platform at our first longer (30 minute) stop at Zima, to find most of the platform visitors out for a smoke.
Our cabin attendant Kira dropped in to book our dinner, which we will take in the compartment at 7:30pm. It arrived a little late, and was serviceable if not exciting (beef, salad, cold meats and juice or water). The train compartment is the place for reading, and I took the opportunity advance by assessment of the 2016 Hugo contending novellas. I finished ‘The Ballad of Black Tom’, and commenced ‘The Dream Quest of Vellit Boe’.
Went for lights out and sleep at 10pm as the train rattled on westward into the Siberian twilight.
3 May
Woke after a reasonable quality of sleep, and freshened up before eating our chicken sandwiches for breakfast. Washed it down with samovar tea. Outside, the scenery was eerily similar to the previous evening. Pine and birch trees, green grasslands and small hamlets with wooden houses in various states of repair, most with backyard gardens replete with greenhouses, and vegetable plots, tilled for summer plantings.
The land became more hilly and picturesque on the approach to the large city of Khabarovsk, with villages and their gardens cascading down sunlit hillsides. Khabarovsk itself seems a boomtown, with cranes dotting the horizon, and new apartment towers rising. On the platform beside the ‘Rossiya’ was train #3 from Beijing, also en route to Moscow, and seemingly a quarter hour or so ahead of our train.
The morning rolled by, with the landscape ever unchanging – pine and birch, birch and pine, so goes the taiga. We had chocolate chip cookie with more samovar tea for morning tea, and packet ramen for lunch. The afternoon was spend reading on our various devices (finished ‘The Dream Quest of Vellitt Boe’, and commenced ‘A Taste of Honey’, and also listened to some more of the ‘Foreigner’ audiobook. Minuk is reading ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ on her Kobo, having bailed out on ‘Gone Girl’.
The carriage provenitza advised us of our impending arrival at Yurga station, so we packed our gear and got ready to disembark. Complicated by a phone call from our transfer at Tomsk, who had somehow got his wires crossed and was waiting for us at Tomsk. Confusion ensued, but we successfully disembarked, lugged our grar across the overpass to the station and bought a cheap snack at the kiosk in the station (bilinis, cheburek, kvas and cheezy poofs, all for under 200 roubles). Chatted with Leo from Hong Kong, who seemed to be following our route.
Had a minor muddle with tickets for the connecting train 142HA to Tomsk, when I got my Irkutsk – Yurga ticket mixed up with the Yurga – tomsk one. Sorted finally with the image on my phone 9after which I found the missing ticket in my pocket). Retraced our steps to Tayga station, then turned off on the spur line to Tomsk, through, you guessed it, pine and birch forests. Tomsk loomed just before 10pm, though of course, the sun had only just set.
Our ride Igor was there waiting for us, and we were soon enough at our large and comfortable 7th floor apartment. Minuk particularly was tired form the exertion of sitting in a train all day. We slumped of to bed after a quick hot drink.