Special, free train to Siberia

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Kasha called us last night saying her car will not be ready tomorrow, so the three of us will have to ride the train from Krakow to Prague.

"That’s fine," Nancy told her, "Bill and I know where the Orbitz Travel Agency is on Market Square. We will go there early in the morning and buy the tickets."

Kasha explained there are three classes. One is for a seat only. The other two are for sleepers. "First class is more expensive, but really not that much better," Kasha said. "So buy the cheaper sleeper if it is available."

Orbits opens at nine each morning. Breakfast at the hotel begins at eight. I checked the dining room at seven forty-five and it was open with food already set up. I walked back to the room and told Nancy we could go to breakfast early. As soon as we finished breakfast and brushed our teeth, we set out for the travel agency and arrived just a few minutes before nine. The door was open, but a chair had been placed blocking entrance. One person, a man about my age, was waiting.

"Good morning," he said as we walked up.

"Good morning," we replied.

We chatted for a few moments and then he asked, "Where are you going?"

"We’re returning to Prague. How ‘bout you?"

"I hope I can make arrangements to go to St. Petersburg, then to Moscow and then to Kazakastan. I’ll hope to return to Moscow and then back to Krakow. I don’t know if this can be arranged."

Just then a man waved the three of us into the office. Our new friend explained what he wanted to the woman selling train tickets. They talked a few minutes and then he turned to us.

"This is very strange," he said, "she says the reservations I need cannot be made. I say it is strange because they used to have special, free, trains that took us all the way to Siberia."

Nancy-Later someone explained to me the reason for this problem. Russia does not allow travel agents in the rest of Europe to sell any tickets for their trains. This arrangements could be made to St. Petersburg but the rest of the travel would have to be arranged once he arrived in Russia itself. Sounds like China to me!

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Photos

Waiting for the train?
We are not sure what he was waiting for, but he certainly is a quiet fellow.l