Blogs from Irkutsk, Siberia, Russia, Europe - page 4

The guy who drove us to the station was the same one who picked us up when we arrived from St Petersburg, still as grumpy as before so it wasn't down to the early start as I'd assumed. Still, although he didn't speak a word of English he was able to get the message across about which train we should catch, which platform it would leave from and what time we could board - most of which was printed on the tickets or I had found online while I should have have been working (hello Andy!). Boarding was a long walk down the train to find our wagon and show our tickets and passports to the conductor (or Provodnista in Russian - see I'm learning!). Our compartment was more basic than our Cologne -> Moscow sleeper ... read more

While travelling from Moscow to Vladivostok by Transsiberian train, you will be crossing the deepest (1,642 meters) and affluentest lake in the world - Baikal. The lake is marvelous during all four seasons and its wild nature attracts tourists all year round.An interesting fact, that on Baikal's bank you can meet the oldest trees in the world: 500 years old ceder and 750 years old larch are growing there. Take a tour to Baikal lake and see the beauty of its nature.... read more

55 hour train journey - enough said... read more

As we stood on platform 9 of Beijing Railway Station, awaiting the departure of the first train of our trip from Beijing to Moscow by the China, Mongolian and Russian Railways, we couldn’t help feeling exited at the prospect of the longest overland journey of our lives. A distance of 7500km stood ahead of us. The first leg of the trip was from Beijing to Ulan Bataar, the capital of Mongolia. Within a few hours of setting off and leaving Beijing behind we entered the hills of northern China. The scenery was immediately beautiful, as we travelled through valleys & over rivers, our eyes constantly glued to the window as we watched the picturesque chinese villages pass by whilst listening to the hypnotising sound of the train wheels turning. As we settled into our first day ... read more

Hi Everybody! We are halfway to our quest of making it around the world. FYI: This is my 100th Blog! We got off the train on Sunday in Irkutsk and were happy to be met by our guide/driver - Ivan. He took us for breakfast and then for a nice tour of the city. In 1920, Stalin closed all churches in Russia. People were not allowed to legally worship again until the fall of Communism. Stalin blew up the largest cathedral in Moscow and in Irkutsk (& possibly in many other cities.) Some churches remained vacant but others were used to store grain and other items. Of the 10 churches that survived in Irkutsk, some have been renovated and are now functioning. A few are not being used but are being renovated. I saw a beautiful ... read more