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Published: January 27th 2011
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Train Schedule
It listed arrival times for each stop and the length of the stop. Especially important since the bathrooms were closed 10 minutes before. Well, I wanted to write another entry yesterday but my internet didn't really feel like it so we compromised and I watched a movie that I'd already downloaded. I also went to a new mall that just opened up in the city center, directly behind Moscow train station. It's called "Galeria" and it is really quite nice. It's sort of a neo-classical facade and has two Greek gods perched above the entrance. That's not the best part though. Somebody thought it would be a good idea to make the actual entrance a large, revolving door...the kind that fits about 10-15 people between each door and stops if you make contact with it. Well, Russians are not a patient people and are used to pushing their way in and out of various means of public transport. I think we stopped 3 times before being able to get inside! It was funny just to watch the various revolutions of the door, especially when there was a large group trying to go through at the same time! This could be my new Friday night amusement...Anyways:
12/11
Wow! Almost at the end of our first day on the Trans-Sib. Although if you want Corridor on the Amur
This is where we did all of our landscape watching! to get technical it didn't officially begin until we got to Moscow. We had an 1 1/2 hr stop there which was just enough time to take the metro from our arrival train station (Kursk) to our departure station (Yaroslavl). It's only 1 stop on the ring line so it wasn't bad. We ate some really bad shavarma and our train departed 0035, right on time.
Our first day has been quite uneventful. We woke up about 1030 and spent most of the daylight watching the landscapes. It is quite beautiful with teh snow and I'm not sure if I'll ever get tired of watching it. I did.
The Russians probably think we're weird just standing at the windows in the corridor and looking out, but oh well. Our suitemates are a nice older couple. Valentina is from a city close to Perm and Jose, her husband, is Spanish. They live in Spain and this is her first time back home in 4 years. They were nice enough to share some of their Spanish ham with us this morning. It was delicious! They will be getting off tonight though. I'm not sure when (or if) we'll be getting new suitemates. I'd envisioned sharing bottles of vodka with Soviet era Russian guys, but so far things have been quite slow. I've been remembering more Spanish in trying to communicate with Jose (neither of them speak English and Jose doesn't speak Russian) but it is slow in coming. I find myself defaulting to Russian when I can't remember a word. After telling Jose that we'll be on the train until Tuesday I couldn't remember the Russian word for Tuesday when talking to Valentina and could only think of "Martes". Funny how the mind works.
I just can't get quite comfortable in these beds. Whenever I think I'm good my ass/elbow/leg begins to hurt. Beds could be a bit softer! It will be interesting to compare this train with the one we take from Irkutsk to Vladik. That one is supposed to be the nicest long distance train in Russia! It's called the "Rossiya" and you can take it all the way from Moscow but it's much more expensive.
It's a weird feeling being on the train and having nothing to do. You forget that there's a world out there moving along while you are idle. I just
Water Heater
This is where we got our hot water from...for the tea. read about something of the sort in "Fellowship of the Ring". Tolkien describes a similar feeling after the Fellowship leaves Lorien. I don't think there's a magical elf ring behind what we're feeling, but maybe Tolkien took a long train ride and was remembering the experience while writing! I apologize to everyone who has no idea what I've been talking about for most of this paragraph.
Today the Americans are gone from Russia! they are back in London preparing for that last flight home. I'm a bit jealous! I'd love to be going home for xmas! I'm looking forward to the rest of this trip and being in Riga for a medieval xmas experience, but the sentimental part of me will definitely be thinking of home. I guess I can admit to being a little homesick.
Another thing that irks me about these rooms is that they are way too hot! I already stink enough without sweating the whole night because I'm roasting! Tomorrow will bring a brief reprieve from the train. We will be stopping in Yekaterinburg. I'd like to visit the Europe/Asia milestone but it's too far to make it there and back in 42 min.
Self-explanatory
When you press the pedal to flush, the pan opens onto the railroad tracks...except when the pipes get iced up in Siberia...then it doesn't open until the wagon attendant gets out at a stop and breaks up the ice with a pick. I have my alarm set for 0800 so I'll hopefully be up, dressed, toileted, and have eaten by 0909 when we pull into the station. Fun fact: Yekaterinburg was called "Sverdlovsk" in honor of one of the most murderous Bolsheviks, Sverdlov, during the Soviet period.
Hopefully we'll have a chance to eat in the restaurant car tomorrow evening, but it depends on who our suitemates are. I don't want to chance having our things stolen while we eat. At least my cell phone is working again! For now anyways. I've been able to communicate with some friends back in Piter so that's a win. Is it kind of odd that someone would choose to travel on a train for a week as part of their vacay? My Petersburg friends seem to think so. Can someone please turn the %!&(MISSING)^$#%!h(MISSING)eat down!
No one ever did turn the heat down. Instead it got so cold that it just didn't matter anymore because the freezing wind was coming in through the window, creating a nice balance. That's all for today. I'm tired of typing and I'm sure you're tired of reading.
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Jennie Williams
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Tolkien
Tolkien makes some very interesting appearances into our world by working his experiences into his adventures with the troll like population. This includes the underground homes in southern Sweden and the ones occupied by Frodo's companions. In some of my readings I have found the Viking connections in Russia fascinating. A friend from Sweden also had told me of a settlement which had been discovered in the not so long ago past where the people were still speaking Skandinavian language. It is not to be accepted by the citizenry of Russia, but the foundations set by the Swedes and other Skandinav companions are deep within Russia. It makes a very interesting picture of the northern parts of Europe. So to conclude, yes you are most certainly correct about Tolkien. I do hope to someday be able to discuss this face to face with you, but of not I am so pleased to read of your reflections. Erika had a wonderful History professor who had spent several years living up in your environs. Best of all wishes to you and God speed, Jennie Williams