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Published: April 21st 2008
AHh, I have a splitting headache and I don't want to take tylenol because my stomach is also iffy and I don't want to make it worse. The train from Ulan Ude was brutal...I don't know if I mentioned it, but this is a problem with these trains..they are about 500 degrees, and the only escaping it is to stand in between the carriages which the provinistas (carriage attendants) don't want you to do. They have the broiler on to heat the water, and it is brutal.
I took the train from 10am (I spent the night at the train station in the dorm style rooms- I arrived from Ulaanbaatar at around 9:30, much later than the 5-6pm that they promised. The stop at the border wasn't too painful, although we did have to unload everything, which proves to be quite the task when you see how much these people travel with! They bring tons of bags and boxes everywhere they go...obviously they do shopping where it is cheaper.
By the time I got a cab, (after waiting for the mini-busses that the girl I met on the bus suggested for about 1 hour! with 2 passing me by), it was nearly 11pm when I got to the train station to purchase my ticket for the train to Irkutsk. Luckily there was a nice Russian girl who spoke some English, with her mom who helped me purchase the train ticket. It is a challenge to say the least, and it doesn't help when you have been in a cramped bus all day with little food of nutritional value. I met a girl on the bus who spoke some English and when we stopped for lunch, there was no menu, just some Cyrrlic on the wall, and chaos, so I told the girl to order me what she is eating and I would eat it, it turned out it was some Mongolian stuffed pastry with meat inside,but actually pure grease...I feel sorry for my stomach lately, I've been eating crap..overdose on mutton in Mongolia! and very little veggies. After a dose of the traveller's curse (which resulted in a quick run to a nice monk's bathroom in a Monastry..oh my), I'm even more paranoid about eating fresh fruits and veggies, but I think I will just have to do it- I got sick before when I wasn't eating veggies, so I may as well eat some. Anyway, I have to work on this, I'm just not used to a crappy diet.
So yeah, the girl and her mom were shocked to see that I was travelling alone and took me under their wing, sorting out my train ticket and getting me settled in at the resting room. They were very helpful, not sure what I would have done, I was so tired, and just needed to rest. The young girl asked me why I would want to travel alone, and after a pause said "...interesting" like I was planning on moving to the moon or something....haha She was very nice and even gave me a hug before leaving.
Ok, so this morning I got on a train to Irkutsk. The view was beautiful, supposedly the best part of the Trans-Siberian, but I just couldn't enjoy it due to the heat-inflicted nausea. I arrived in Irkutsk at around 5pm, and checked into a hostel. I'm the only resident! The host is around my age, and speaks a little English. It is an apartment,and it is pretty nice, which is good because I need a good rest. I went to the grocery store to pick up a few things, and 3 young people helped me to get the things I wanted (the food is all behind the counter, snf you need to ask for it- strange style grocery store! Not foriegner friendly). I heard from other people that Russians are very inhospitable and down-right unfriendly, but I've had great experiences so far. I think that is strange for them to see a woman travelling alone, so they are kind to me.
So far Russia isn't bad, just a little difficult to sort out train schedules, which seems daunting when you are tired, sick, headache, and have to pee....
It is really beautiful and the landscape reminds me a bit of Canada, which is nice.
Still having a great time!
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M Carrick
non-member comment
Hi Erin
Hi Sweetie: how are you doing? hopefully after a good night's sleep and some decent food you will feel better. It is amazing how we are so use to fruits and fresh veggies. good luck finding some. I was home on the weekend for Melanie's shower and saw your parents, they are really tanned from their Forida holiday, lucky buggers. your farm is looking nice and green , I thought Chevy had lost weight since I last saw her. Leland and Mason sure are cute. Growing really quickly take care love Mic