Day 14: Almost In Irkutsk, Siberia

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Still in our Siberian Time Warp. I have woken up at 6.50am / 10.50am and it is a beautiful day. My scary Russian friend (with the scar) tells me that the next stop is "BIG CITY" - which I think is KRASNOYARSKY.

Feeling very hungry. Have been reading a book about China and I am craving something hot and spicy. The most exciting herb they seem to use in Russia is Dill.

Breakfast is Chloe's Coffee Creation, stale bread, cheese and a pastry with potato. Tasted okay with the free tomato sauce the train lady gave us.

Lots more villages today, all wooden, weather worn houses, most with cute blue or green shutters and many with blue tin roofs. Mostly industrial towns with loads of brick chimneys and timber yards. The 'cities' are a mix of drab Soviet era apartments and those gingerbread wooden houses.

Slowly making our way through the 20+ postcards we bought in Russia (have you received them yet people!!??).

Short stop in ILYANSKAYA where I had my favourite market food, the sweet cabbage filled roll. Tim had his second ice cream for the day.

6pm / 11pm. We have all decided that we are now ready to get off the train. Had a last supper in the dining car - salad of tomato and cucumber (avoided the piles of mayonnaise) and helped Tim eat some pickled beetroot.

Ended up drinking with a whole bunch of young Russian lads who spoke as much English as we did Russian. Once they started getting friendly I used my most powerful Russian word "MOOSH" and pointed at Tim (it means husband!). Also played with the phrase book to say 'Please to Meet You' and ask the how old they were. They found this all very amusing and showed us how to eat this really yummy dried fish.

They told us they were Russian soldiers who had been fighting in Georgia. But I think that this was just to impress us because their 'General' whispered 'NYET' to Tim. They were really all school teachers we figured out.

Cabin is going to sleep. I have been nominated the sentry to wake everyone up at 1am / 6am.

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Photos

Day 14: View from the Train
All of the towns had lots of huge apartment blocks

Day 14: View from the Train
Mostly industrial towns - we passed a lot of brick chimneys

Day 14: View from the Train
Market Stall ladies.

Day 14: View from the Train
Another passenger train at our stop.

Day 14: View from the Train
Passed a few lakes too.

Day 14: Train Schedule
All in Russian - tells you every stop we make over the 40 days (about 80 in total). and how long our stop is. Most are 2 minutes so we can't get off. The 10 minute plus ones were the ones we hung out for each day.

Day 14: View from the Train
Siberian train workers.

Day 14: View from the Train
These were what all the houses in the villages looked like.