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allofbeercom · 6 years ago

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On board the Trans-Siberian Railway for a centenary ride

The worlds longest railway line was completed in 1916. Our girl on the train endures and enjoys the epic six-day journey in beautiful snowy winter

Vladivostok railway station, far eastern Russia. The seven-day train journey from Moscow was over and we disembarked slowly into the black night, crunching through the snow and swaying slightly, as if wed spent too long at sea.

To Russians, the Trans-Siberian Railway, stretching 5,772 miles from Moscow to Vladivostok (it takes more than nine hours to fly), is merely a commuter train. Businessmen, students and legions of soldiers use it, boarding and disembarking at remote stations to go home, visit family and reach army bases.

Trans-Siberian map

For many foreigners, though, its the epitome of romantic train journeys the chance to travel across the largest country on Earth on an absorbing, perception-shifting adventure, one that shakes up preconceived ideas about Russia and offers an insight into the Russian psyche. Like in Colin Thubrons travel book, you are Among the Russians, especially in winter when few tourists use it.

This year marks the centenary of the Trans-Siberian Railway as we know it today. In 1916 as the first world war and civil war raged across Russia causing the destruction of 60% of the countrys railway network the Trans-Siberian was completed. Before then, the eastern end of the journey involved cutting across China, into what is now the Trans-Manchurian route. Nowadays, twice a week, the Rossiya (Russia) departs Moscows Yaroslavsky station, and it was from here that my Russian-speaking husband and I set off. Amid soldiers dressed in blue berets and camouflage fatigues, and worn-out looking policemen in black fur hats, we found our train. It was February. Although a summer trip offers endless daylight, we chose winter, when Siberia is at its most beautiful, snowy and photogenic.

Caroline Eden about to board her train. Photograph: Caroline Eden

We made our way to our second-class, four-berth compartment. Neat and narrow, it came complete with TV and a full-length mirror on the back of a sliding door. Keen for the chance to talk to locals, wed opted for this over the antisocial first-class, two-berth compartments and the noisy, crowded open-plan bunks. Under the two fold-down bottom bunks, heaters belched out hot air. For the next three hours we had the cabin to ourselves; after that it would be a shared experience the whole way.

Novosibirsk station. Photograph: Caroline Eden

It is three nights to Irkutsk in Siberia, where, like most Trans-Sibbers, wed break the trip for two nights before travelling for another three days to reach Vladivostok (literally to rule the east) on the Pacific edge of Asia. Wed rarely move faster than 43 mph.

We eased out of a gloomy Moscow. The harsh economic chill mixed with a mild winter had created a subdued atmosphere and slush-lined streets.

Photograph: Caroline Eden

It sounds simple, and it is, but to understand the Trans-Siberian journey, you need to look out of the window. First, there are the station stops. Some have fantastically long tongue-twister names, such as Uyarspasopreobrazhenskoye. Hard-to-spot kilometre posts edge the railway line, marking the distance covered. The countryside changes but retains a comforting familiarity, a snowy bucolic theme. Outside Moscow I scrutinised the picket-fenced dachas (summer houses) painted in pastel colours. Later on in the journey, I watched out for differences in the izbi (Siberian huts) with their painted shutters and log piles.

Somewhere towards Kirov, an industrial city half a day out of Moscow, the journey found its rhythm. Our matronly provodnitsa (conductress) made regular appearances, checking tickets, selling pirozhki (stuffed buns) and handing out clean bedding. Passengers, in their standard issue grey and red Russian Railways sandals, flip-flopped back and forth to the samovar for hot water to make tea. Outside, a bleached-out white sun shone, torch-like, illuminating huge housing blocks that encircle industrial towns like mandalas.

Russia rushing by the view from the train. Photograph: Alamy

Good intentions to tackle Tolstoy were, I decided, laughable on this train. The landscape is too engrossing, too hypnotic. Our travel-tired eyes succumbed to the scenery until darkness fell. Come morning, the snowy motion picture of birch trees, banks of snow and taiga would repeat, as if on a loop, and once again our attention would be held hostage.

At Vladimir (119 miles), Michael, a businessman, and Yevgeny a bandy (similar to ice-hockey) referee, joined us, and shook our hands in the formal Russian way. Michael, Slavic-looking with high cheekbones and Putin-esque eyes, told us that he wasnt a fan of train travel. No fresh air but a lot of fresh smells, he said dryly.

Photograph: Caroline Eden

When we woke at Perm (892 miles), Vladimir, a bathroom salesman who spoke some English, had taken Michaels place. Yevgeny had left. It was piercingly cold outside, minus 20C or so. Children in metallic puffa jackets hauled skis past spindly birch trees, dogs with bushy tails scavenged in frozen bins and the snow on the rooftops was so thick that the wooden houses looked fit to collapse. Every river we crossed was frozen solid. Watery sunlight melted the patchy ice that had collected on the inside of the train window overnight, creating rivulets of condensation.

We went in search of food, darting through the freezing gaps that connect the carriages. The smell of fried potatoes and solyanka (a greasy thick soup with salty cured meats, sausages, olives, dill and sour cream) led us to the small dining car with its cherry-red faux leather seats, frilly yellow curtains and rattling light fittings. It was empty. Russians prefer to picnic in their cabins, the provodnitsa told us glumly.

Two provodnitsa (carriage attendants) confer. Photograph: Caroline Eden

I ordered tea and a 2 bowl of kasha (porridge), which came topped with a slick of butter. The chef appeared momentarily, dressed in slippers and a velour leopard-print tracksuit, her tangerine hair curled around pink rollers. She gave us a wink then quickly disappeared.

We gazed out of the grimy window. Near the town of Kungar (953 miles), men bulbous in winter clothes were ice-fishing in the middle of the Sylva river. Persil-white snow covered timber mills and gingerbread houses rushed past. Days became distorted as we sped through time zones that the train runs on Moscow time the whole way adds to the confusion (it would be Moscow +7 by the end of the journey).

A dog on frozen Lake Baikal. Photograph: Caroline Eden

Just before we hit Siberia proper, at 1,306 miles, Tatiana and Alexi boarded at Yekaterinburg, with a picnic bag the size of a washing machine. Inside was rye bread, a brick-sized hunk of white pork fat, several litres of vodka and a crate of beer. Alexi was 32, a staff sergeant in the army, and looked like a young Tony Soprano in his wolf fur-lined leather jacket. A crucifix swung around his grey vest and an ornate army sentry ring glittered on his left hand. His round-faced wife was rosy-cheeked and cheerful. Neither of them had ever left Siberia they told us.

Shots were toasted one after the other and were chased with greasy chunks of the smoky, home-cured pork back fat. It cut the vodka beautifully. At 6am, three bottles of vodka later, the cabin was swimming. Lulled by the cradle-rock of the train, we collectively dozed off. When we woke at lunchtime, the tangy air smelled of warm feet, booze and armpits. There are no showers on board and fresh sheets are given out just once, upon boarding.

Irkutsk, where travellers often take a break from the journey. Photograph: Getty Images/iStockphoto

At 3,069 miles, where there was little more to see than vast expanses of taiga, even the stations had wintry names. We pull into Zima (winter in Russian), then Kuytun (cold in the language of the local Mongol Buryat people). Outside it was almost minus 30C. Finally, we reached snow-clad Irkutsk (3,222 miles), capital of Eastern Siberia.

It is a handsome city of wooden 19th-century houses and good restaurants. Relieved to have proper food, we snatched at garlic bread and devoured piles of hot pasta and risotto at Figaro. On Karl Marx Street men shovelled the snow from rooftops onto the pavements below to stop their houses collapsing under the weight. Huge dagger-like icicles hung dangerously from window ledges.

A lonely bus stop outside the Lake Baikal Museum. Photograph: Caroline Eden

The following day, we drove for 45 miles out of Irkutsk to Lake Baikal, the worlds deepest lake. We walked gingerly on the three-metre thick ice, passing wolf-like pet dogs out for their daily exercise. In the distance, cars drove across it, despite warnings of hot springs and perilous melted patches. We feasted on omul, the local oily fish, which is smoked and sold in supermarkets and restaurants.

The next evening, at 21.22, we returned to the train, pleased to be back on board, despite the poor food and lack of sleep. Stockholm syndrome, we joked. The warm train was softly scented by omul most passengers boarded with bags of it. In our cabin, the TV blared out the 1970s Soviet comic science fiction film Ivan Vasilievich Changes Profession. We shook hands with Andrei, a 22-year-old soldier, and Dmitri, our new cabin-mates, already settled into the top bunks. At Ulan-Ude, at 4am, Pavel, a navy officer, boarded and quietly replaced Dmitri.

Omul fish for sale at Lake Baikal. Photograph: Caroline Eden

From the dining car at breakfast, we watched the wind-swept tundra, its long grass bent double by the wind. Thin and delicate clouds hovered above Lesnoy, a small station just before Chita (3,852 miles) and we continued past Takhtamygda, a grim valley with a grimmer prison, lined with inward-facing watchtowers and barbed wire. For the next two days the scenery changed little: taiga and permafrost met swampy lowlands for hundreds of miles.

Every afternoon at 4pm wed return to the dining car and drink Baltika beer and chat with Olga, the lonely provodnitsa, who told us on arrival at Vladivostok she would return straight away to Moscow.

Emerging from a tunnel in Siberia. Photograph: Regent Holidays

Another seven days on the Rossiya cooking, cleaning and looking after her passengers. Another seven days crossing wild landscapes, ferrying an ever-changing cast of characters on an epic 5,772-mile journey across Russia.

Way to go

The trip was provided by Regent Holidays (020-7666 1244), which has a 12-day Moscow to Vladivostok Trans-Siberian Railway trip from 1,365pp, based on two sharing three-star hotel rooms in Moscow, Irkutsk and Vladivostok (B&B) and sharing a second-class, four-berth compartment on the train. Flights and meals on the train extra

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/on-board-the-trans-siberian-railway-for-a-centenary-ride/

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travelingtheusa · 7 years ago

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ARIZONA

7 Dec 2017 (Thu) – We went to Cabela’s today to buy some new hiking boots. We also picked up hiking socks and Paul found a nice flannel shirt. At 3:00 p.m., Jana and her husband arrived at the campground. Jana was the former secretary/treasurer for the SMART Nomads. She turned a large binder of records over to me as the new secretary/treasurer. They were a very pleasant couple and we talked for almost an hour about our travel adventures.

At 4:00 p.m., we changed, fed the animals, grabbed Bonnie, and headed out for Les & Rae’s. Les made a delicious dinner of chicken, onions, sweet white potatoes, and peas. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and sadly said our good-byes.

6 Dec 2017 (Wed) – We went over Les & Rae’s at 11 a.m. with Bonnie. We put the dog in the back yard and took a drive to Apache Junction for lunch. We ate at a place called Dirt Water Springs. It was small but the building was old with wooden plank flooring. Christmas lights had been strung up on the ceiling that was like a decoration on steroids. The food was basically pub food but the ambiance of an old western style saloon was fun.

After lunch, we drove into the surrounding hills where Les showed us the property he used to own. The area has built up quite a bit since they had the lot and he is, of course, kicking himself for not holding onto the land. It is worth a great deal of money today.

We returned to the house where Les cooked a delicious dinner for us. As we drove home, it was fun to see all the Christmas decorations on the houses and businesses. Being in the desert, you forget that it’s just about winter. The decorations remind me of the Christmas season.

5 Dec 2017 (Tue) – Rae was not feeling well this morning so they stayed home today. Paul and I went to lunch at a Greek restaurant. The food was good. We then walked across the mall to Fry’s and picked up some groceries. Paul worked around the camper on projects. I worked on plans for our Utah caravan, calling vendors and gathering information. At 3:00, we drove to Scottsdale to the public park and railroad museum. The model trains were great. There were four different scales on display in a large warehouse. Each was set up on a detailed landscape with little people and cars and houses and bridges and such. There were twirling parts and a mine explosion and landing airplanes. We enjoyed it very much. We walked around the park but the museum and two rail cars were closed. There was a small train giving rides to visitors. They also had a Merci train on display that was well preserved and restored.

4 Dec 2017 (Mon) – We took Bonnie and Sheba to the vet this morning. They both gave blood and were examined. Everything looked good. The vet will contact us with the blood results when they come back.

Paul and I drove to Apache Junction and got on scenic highway Route 88. It wound its way through the Superstition Mountains to Roosevelt. The roadway was sharply winding, steeply curved, and only partially paved. It was pocked and full of ruts. You couldn’t drive more than 15-20 mph. It took us three hours to drive 30 miles. We came upon the Roosevelt Dam and stopped to admire the structure.

A little further on was the Tonto National Monument. There were cliff dwellings that dated back to the 14th century. The path up to the dwellings was only half a mile but the elevation was over 300 feet. It was a steep climb! We got up there, looked over the remnants of a lost civilization, and walked back down the hill. We then drove over an hour on highway 60 to Apache Junction where we stopped for dinner at the Handlebar Pub & Grill. We sat out on the patio and watched the setting sun color the sky. It was a beautiful end to a great day.

3 Dec 2017 (Sun) – Paul spent the morning working on building shelves for the cabinets in the living room. I worked on putting together our Christmas letter for 2017.

We went over Les & Rae’s about 3 p.m. Les cooked ribs and baked beans. They invited friends, Jerry & Caroline, over. Caroline made the most delicious cole slaw. Dinner was delicious and the company was very enjoyable.

2 Dec 2017 (Sat) – We drove to Les & Rae’s today. We all went to the Gilbert Historical Museum. It was decorated for Christmas with several Christmas trees displayed around the museum with the name of the organization that decorated and donated it for auction. It was very festive. The museum itself was small. It was a former home, turned museum, with displays in each room. Outside in back were groups of school children singing Christmas carols.

After the museum, we drove to the library. It has a large lake and riparian preserve right outside abutting its property. We walked around the lake, enjoying the wonderful weather and watching the water fowl. There were many different kinds of ducks, geese, and other birds swimming in the lake.

By the time we got back to the house, Rae was feeling pretty tired. We said good-bye so she could lie down and take a nap.

1 Dec 2017 (Fri) – We made appointments for check-ups on Monday for Sheba and Bonnie at the veterinarian behind the Elks Lodge. We were going to go to a museum today but Les called to say a repairman was coming over this afternoon to repair their dish washer. So we spent the day hanging out around the campground. Bonnie has diarrhea (again) so it was good we stayed close.

At 4 p.m. we drove to Les & Rae’s where Les prepared a delightful dinner of pork chops, broccoli, and white sweet potatoes. After dinner, we drove to an ice cream shop for dessert. When we returned to their house and Les opened the garage, Bonnie came running out. She somehow opened the door from the house into the garage. Luckily, we recaptured her fairly easily.

30 Nov 2017 (Thu) – We drove to Les & Rae’s this morning where the guys worked on Les’ truck. The headlight needed to be replaced and they were fighting poor connections, degraded lenses, and broken clips. They finally got it working.

We then drove to the mall where Paul bought two pairs of shoes and I bought some slacks and blouses. J.C. Penney was having a sale and we got really good deals on our purchases. We had lunch at a Mexican restaurant then stopped at Fry’s to pick up a few groceries.

When we got back to the campground, the camp hosts and another couple were enjoying happy hour. We went over to join them for half an hour, then made ourselves dinner, then watched “Christmas Vacation.” Someone had a projector and showed the film on the backside of their RV. The movie was pretty funny.

29 Nov 2017 (Wed) – We went to the Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. It was a very interesting museum with basically three separate sections. One part had all kinds of western items on display – saddles, spurs, rifles, pistols, chaps, etc. Another part had exhibits on the wild west, the settlers and mountain men who tamed the west, and the American Indian natives who resisted their “taming.” The third part had paintings of the west – the Grand Canyon, sunsets, desert landscapes, bison, wolves, and people. There were also lots of sculptures sprinkled around the museum and a special exhibit on movie posters was on display.

After the museum, we walked around Scottsdale until stopping in at Boot Leggers for lunch. It was pub fare but good. Later, we met Les & Rae at the lodge for dinner. It was Queen of Hearts night where one ticket is drawn and the winner gets to choose a card from several placed face down on a board. Depending on which card is revealed, the person is awarded a cash prize. Different cards have different values. The Queen of Hearts is usually worth the most money.

28 Nov 2017 (Tue) – We worked around the camper for a while this morning, then pulled up stakes and moved to the Elks Lodge in Tempe. We were here back in April. Both the camp host and the bartender remembered us. After getting set up, we went over Les & Rae’s for dinner. Their friends, Steve & Barbara, joined us. It was a delightful evening with good food and good company.

27 Nov 2017 (Mon) – Paul did some waxing on the RV before we drove to Les & Rae’s at 9:30 a.m. The visiting angel, Dorothy, was there helping Rae. We left with Les and drove to the VA Hospital. I wanted to talk to a counselor about my VA benefits. I discovered that the VA charges a copay for service and the VA is different from Tricare.

After we finished at the VA, we drove back to the campground to close the awning. The news reported that there were going to be high winds this morning and we didn’t want the awning damaged. Les treated us to a lunch of hot dogs at a tiny little hot dog stand. A husband and wife moved there from Chicago many years ago and opened the stand. It is very eclectic and very popular. We then returned to Gilbert where we got our propane tank filled. Then we went back to Les’ house and visited with them until dinner time. Then we all drove to Nando’s Mexican Café and had a great meal. It was a fruitful day.

26 Nov 2017 (Sun) – Les & Rae had to attend a surprise party for some friends so we were on our own today. Paul took me to breakfast on the farm. The Schnepf Farms café was small. There was no one else there. We ordered our breakfast and sat on the patio. Bonnie was with us so she also got to enjoy Sunday breakfast. When we were finished eating, we walked around the farm. It is much bigger than we realized. There are many rides and animals around the place – pigs, goats, cows, horses, peacocks, roller coaster, climbing wall, pedal cars, zipline, motorized swings, etc. Every time we came around a corner, there was another thing. The owners have tried to turn the place into a large amusement park. People we have talked to from the area say the farm is always having some kind of event going on. They even host weddings and receptions in a large barn.

We drove to LaMesa RV in Phoenix (that was where we bought the Big Horn in April). After greeting the salesman, we asked to look at the Vilanos they had on the lot (we wanted to see the Solitude but they don’t carry that line). They only had two Vilano models – both had the bathroom in the front of the RV. Paul liked the model but I don’t like going through the bedroom to get to the bathroom.

We drove to the Elks Lodge in Scottsdale. They had eight spaces and all were full. They only had electric and water hookups; no sewer. We then drove to the Elks Lodge in Tempe (we stayed there when we came to Arizona in April). The lodge has 28 campsites; most were full. We believe we’ll be able to get a space there so we’ll move to Tempe on Tuesday.

When we got back to Queen Creek, we stopped at Olive Mill for lunch. That place was hopping! It is definitely a major tourist attraction in the area. Paul spent the latter part of the day washing the RV.

25 Nov 2017 (Sat) – We went to Les & Rae’s at 11 a.m. We drove an hour to Anthem where we visited the Veterans’ Memorial in the community park. It was a very interesting piece of artwork. There were five pillars, one for each of the five services. Each pillar was lower than the last one and they all had openings in them. Once a year, on the 11th month of the 11th day of the 11th hour the sun aligns in a way that the light shines straight through all five openings and lights up the Seal of the United States on the ground. The pillars are white, the paving stones (engraved with veterans’ names) are red, and the Arizona sky is blue, representing the colors of the flag. There were other items of symbolism there but that was the gist of it.

I called up Trip Advisor to find a nearby restaurant. There was a Mexican restaurant in the area that sounded pretty good. We had trouble finding it because a strip mall had been built and the GPS had not been updated. The route did not go straight through to the restaurant. After some finagling and wandering back and forth, we arrived at the restaurant only to find it closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. We then drove to another restaurant. It turned out to be a barbecue place. Although we all had a taste for Mexican food, we enjoyed our meal.

We then drove back to Gilbert, dropped Les & Rae off, then returned to the campground. It was a long day.

24 Nov 2017 (Fri) – We drove to Les & Rae’s. After enjoying a quick lunch of chicken fingers from Raising Cane’s, we put Bonnie in the back yard and drove down the street to an open field. Paul brought his drone and the two guys operated the flying machine out in the sunny field while Rae and I sat in the shadows. When they were done, we went back to Les & Rae’s house for a while then came home. We did two loads of wash in the campground laundry room with one washer and one dryer. We had to walk back and forth four times but got it done.

23 Nov 2017 (Thu-Thanksgiving) – We met Les & Rae at their house. Paul helped Les take the RZR off his truck then we drove to Steve & Barbara’s house to dinner. Their children and grandchildren were there as well as some friends. There were 19 of us in all. It was a delightful day with beautiful weather, good food, and pleasant company. We were able to Facetime briefly with Travis and his family before I lost the signal.

22 Nov 2017 (Wed ) – We met Les at Octane Motorsports this morning. After signing all kinds of paperwork and putting up a $1,000 refundable deposit to cover damages, we took off for Apache Junction and Superstition Mountain. Paul towed a trailer with two 4-seater ATVs; Les had two 2-seaters. It was almost an hour’s drive out to the desert.

We arrived at the trailhead and unloaded the four ATVs. Les and one girl rode in front and led the group over the trails. The other 4-seaters were filled with friends and we followed in the 2-seater. What a ride! It felt like we were going so fast yet whenever I looked at the speedometer, we were only doing 20 or 30 mph. Cactus and other scrub brush lined the dirt pathway. Rocks and washouts filled the road. The dust was everywhere. We all wore goggles and bandanas. At the end of the ride (which was about three hours), those of us with white hair had been turned sandy, and it felt like sandpaper.

After the ride, we took the ATVs back to the shop (after filling the gas tanks), then we drove to Steve & Barbara’s house to get Rae. After visiting a bit, we followed Les & Rae to Blue 32, a sports bar, for dinner. It was quite good. Then it was back to the campground. A shower never felt so good!

21 Nov 2017 (Tue) – Les & Rae arrived at our campsite at 11 a.m. They toured our new abode then we went to the Olive Mill. It is an interesting restaurant on an olive farm. You order at the counter and get a buzzer that calls you back to pick up your food when it is ready. All around the store are olive products – olive oils to taste, foods and products made with olive oil, all kinds of gift baskets. Paul and I split a sandwich.

We came back to the campground and dropped off Les & Rae, then drove into town to mail some items and do some grocery shopping. Although we started out with a small list of items to buy, the cart quickly filled up and the bill was over $250. I can’t get used to how much prices have gone up.

Another camper has arrived in the farm field. They have two dogs, one of which they do not keep on a leash. They are medium size animals. We saw a coyote cross the road yesterday so I want to go over and warn them to watch their dogs. We are very careful with Sheba.

The temperatures have dramatically risen. They were in the 20s when we were in Roswell, Socorro, and Show Low, but are now higher. In fact, it’s supposed to be in the high 80s the rest of this week – maybe even 90 on Thursday. The sunsets are beautiful. I think it’s the dust in the air that makes the brilliant colors.

We went to Les & Rae’s for dinner. Les made burgers in an onion gravy with his famous lima beans. It was all very good. We made plans to meet him tomorrow for a ride in the desert on ATVs.

20 Nov 2017 (Mon) – We left Show Low at 9 a.m. It was a five hour drive over some very exciting geography. We came over the White Mountains and had to stop to let the brakes cool off a couple of times (one of them was registering over 400 degrees). It was a long drive with some narrow roadway and loads of curves and turns. We found an open parking lot in Globe and stopped to have some lunch.

We arrived at Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek at 2 p.m. The campground is on the backside of a farm. The area is very open and we are the only ones in our area. We have full hookups. I made reservations on the internet. There is no camp office here; self-checkins just fill out a form and drop their payment in a box. I tried to call the office but they are open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. I’ll call them tomorrow.

I called Les & Rae to let them know we had arrived. They will drive over tomorrow. It will be good to see them again.

19 Nov 2017 (Sun) – We left Socorro, NM at 9:30 and headed out toward Show low, AZ. We stopped in Pie Town and bought a small pie. The drive was uneventful and we arrived at the Elks Lodge at 12:30 p.m. It was a very nice campground with about 40 sites nestled among the Ponderosa Pines. The only problem was that the club was closed for the season. All the electric panels were locked and the water was turned off. We were sorely disappointed.

We then drove to the K-Bar RV Resort. It was a very nice campground, although the sites were a little tight. There were pines around the area. We had full hookups and wifi. The TV didn’t get any stations and the trees made it impossible to get satellite. It was a quiet night with book reading and computer work.

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