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Published: August 9th 2007
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Train no 006
Waiting at Moscow Iaroslavskaia station
The direct train to Ulan Bator /Lelde/
Izbrauciens ar transsibirijas ekspresi 006 bija tiri jauka, vel nebijusi pieredze. Shi piedzivojuma izbaudishanai bijam norezervejushi pirmo klasi (kaut ka negribejas 4 dienas no vietas viena kabine ar nezinamiem ljaudim) - kruta, ne?😊 Nekads luksuss mus nesagaidija - braucamlidzeklja ziedu laiki jau vairak ka 10 gadus aiz muguras, vardu sakot, mus sagaidija tads baigais padomju retro 😊 Tualetes ljoti primitivas (nekadas dushas vai vannas, protams) nedaudz ar tadu urina iesmarzhu un diezgan prastu toaletes papiru - vismaz pirmajai klasei vareja "uzlikt" kvalitativaku produkti!!! Bet visa visuma laiks pagaja atri un omuligi. Lielaka dalja paikas mums bija lidz, bet nu pa celjam diezgan daudzas pieturvietas uz perona cilveki pardod da jebko - ka atnak vilciens, ta vesela brigade skrien pie durvim ar maisiem ar tachkam un tirgo preci nost ka varedami.
Ainava aiz logiem lielu laika dalju bija diezgan tradicionala - mezhi vai lauki, tikai, kad jau pietuvojamies Mongolijas robezhai, saka paradities kalni. Skaisti.
Uz robezhas ar viss noriteja visnotalj "gladka", bet nu ta ka ta Krievu militarnjiki kadi ir tadi ir - zinamu spriedziti iedzen, turpreti Mongolju robezhnieki likas daudz draudzigaki un laipnaki.
Ta nu esam attikushi lidz Ulan-Batorai. Centralaja stacija mus tulit pie izkapshanas aplenc apmeshanas vietu piedavataju
armija, bet, ta ka mes jau laicigi bijam norezervejushi hosteliti, kas piedava ari bezmaksas savakjishanu no perona, tad nacas no parejiem atgainjaties. Esam veiksmigi ieriktejushies jauka hosteliti ar brivu i-neta pieeju. Nogurums kaut ka pec tripa ir diezgan nezheligas, varbut tapec, ka laika zonas strapiba un pedejas divas naktis diezgan trucigi tika gulets... Bet nu pec jaukas dushas (BEIDZOT!!!!) un otras kafijas kruzes moshka pietiks speka izchekot perimetru. Te plks.rada 11.00. Ari shini valsti esam uz baigo budzhetu, apmeshanas hosteli gan ir ljoti leta 5 dolari pa nakti, ieskaitot brokastis, bet pilseta parak daudz nav ko darit, bet lai tiktu arpus tas ir japiesakas uz turem, jo publiskais transports ir mazattistits. Un te nu naudinja sak ripot igi jau gribetos redzet Gobi tuksnesi. Cerams, ka izdosies savakt lielaku grupu, jo tad mes ari varetu atljauties izbraukt 7 dienu celjojuma ar dzhipiem lidz tuksmesim un atpakalj :0 Tad jau redzes, ka kartis izliksies. Paliekam mes Mongolija lidz 9.Junijam.
Hello!! We have just arrived in Mongolia, Ulan-Bator. I feel exhausted although our 4 day train journey was rather pleasant and amusing experience! In a very post-Soviet style though 😊 I finnished my only book I had with me in the
and
a half (thank you MARK!!!!!!😊, but in spite of this time went fast! ok, our time at the computer is limited so by for now!!!!
/Steven/
Fri 25th May
This morning we woke up on our East bound train. We stopped at Belezino around 10 am There people selling trays of ready made salads, even ceramics, jewellery and one huge cart full of Russian toys.There was one lady carrying in one hand a bunch of fish and in the other a huge bag full of spirits and beer. We opted for 4 buns with various fillings.
Later, I tottered into the restaurant car (right next to ours and asked for a menu from one of the three workers there, handing it to me the lady smiled, displaying a row of brassy coloured gold teeth- bling! The prices were a bit steep - between 1.25 lats/pounds and 6 , luckily we had brought a prestigious supply of instant noodles, soups and even veg and sweet things. Two Swedes traveling with us reported later that the food was pretty dire- they sampled a sausage with a cold centre and squeaky rubber skin!
The scenery today features a lot of forests and
Our cabin
Lelde models our spacious pod and home for the next 4 days. rivers, interspersed with collections of little wooden houses and the odd industrial city- but of these, the forests are predominant- a lot of birch and pine.
Sat 26th May
A stop at Barabinsk produced a fine Kielbasa sausage and a loaf of flat bread for 2 quid(100 rub.)
The landscape today has more open grassland and a lot of birch trees.
We're playing cards and drinking tea- the samovar( "self heater") provides free hot water, and is multi functional- yesterday I found a Half chicken on the top keeping cosey.
We passed a wide river on the way into Novosibirsk. Just a 15min stop- just enough to take a snap of the station, which is in the ubiquitous turquoise colour that the Russians seem to love! Lots of soldiers on the platform and a smell of industrial smoke. Workers with orange jackets go down our train, tapping the undercarriage twice- bong, bing! This process will occur at many stops afterwards, adding a familiar sound to the station breaks.
Sun 27th May
7.00 am- stop at Krasnoiarsk woken up by blaring Rus-pop. The view South has a large, wide river with industrial
An old, Soviet engine on
Steel horse
An old, Soviet engine on display approaching Novosibirsk display approaching Novosibirskworks on the banks and large, forested hills- note to self- is worth a visit( I really felt I wanted to get off here, it may be just cabin fever, but this place looks intriguing).
Although it's 7 am inside the train( the rail system runs on Moscow time) outside in the real world, it's more like 10am. As we go further East, we are more and more living on a separate time zone to that around us. We are following our printed schedule( worth it's weight in gold, as you know when and how long the stops will be, but also a map would be nice for those intending to do the trans-sib, to chart progress)
Mon 28th May
Woke up at 1am Moscow time- 6 local time.An army of older French people get on at Irkutsk, to say they were talkative would, I think, be an understatement. Slept after a couple of hours. Woken up by the Provodnik ( the person -male in our case- who looks after the couch) with a damp cloth on the end of a stick, asking me "Francus, German?", to which I replied with a feeble and sleepy " Anglis".
Approaching a station
All the soviet buildings proudly show the year of their construction.The colour of this engine shed is typically Russian and was echoed throughout the journey. Seeming satisfied, he left shutting the door and returning us to darkness- we never did find out the purpose of this intrusion!😊
Tues 29th
Arrival in Ulan-Bator- all pics. to follow. We're at our hostel- very nice too- the central UB Guesthouse. and I must say are more than a little disoriented for what would be jet lag, but for the fact that we haven't taken the plane. More later....
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Kasaparasa
non-member comment
:)
Varbkt Mongolija popularaks transports ir ezelisi un par dzipiem nav ko sapnot!:)