Day 17 - Irkutsk-UB train

The landscape outside the train has changed utterly - no more autumnal golds and reds, birch and pine intermingling and showing off their contrasting colours. No, now we have rocky wasteland, with sparse growth of red and dusty green.

We're on the train to Mongolia now, boarded last night after using the last of our roubles on a pint in Irkutsk. Sergei took us on one last walk through the forest in Listvyanka before we left, up to the site of a telescope, with more views over the lake. He showed us a few of the sights of the city in Irkutsk during the evening.

Selling fish at the side of the road 

As before, we have three full cabins, and one half. Myself and Andy volunteered to take those beds, and though we feared sharing with two Boris clones, we were pleasantly surprised to meet two German girls, Hannah and Alex, who have been travelling around Russia - Moscow, Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk. They've couch-surfed and taken 3rd class sleeper trains. I am somewhat jealous of their independence, but four hours to buy a train ticket is crazy. Each type of travel has its pros and cons I guess.

Andy with Hannah and Alex

***

I keep getting the timetable wrong - border crossings, and boardings and alightings.

***

http://domcheeseman.blogspot.ie/2011/09/day-107-listvyanka.html

Day 16 - Lake Baikal

I think this stop has been a bit of a letdown for everyone. After the intensity of the train, the freedom of choice and fresh air has made us all tired and confused. Or perhaps it has more to with the town being a big tourist trap. They charge for wifi in the hostel, 50r, despite it being the worst connection we've encountered yet. Dinner was not included, but automatically served to us, and therefore added to our bill. I could stomach all that if the women who run the place were a little friendlier, but Team Swiss had to endure a very cold night with little sympathy.

But Listvyanka is surround by some simply beautiful scenery. Before supper yesterday, myself, Dom, Seb, Lukas and Hollie were lead along the lakeshore by Sergei. It soon narrowed out into a small mountain trail. I could've walked for hours, but night was coming soon. Supper was some wholesome Russian home cooking again, delicious, followed by some good conversation, and bed at 12.30. Today we have a lie-in, with breakfast not 'til 11, but I woke at 8.30 anyway.

Lukas, Sergei, Dom, Seb and Hollie

***

Side note - I'm cursing too much, need to cut that out.

***

http://domcheeseman.blogspot.ie/2011/09/day-106-listvyanka-on-lake-baikal.html

Day 15 - Lake Baikal

It's 12.30, and Andy is snoring. Quite tired from the day, and the adjustment from Moscow time, but can't quite get past the snoring.

***

We had one giant game of arsehole last night as part of our last nigh ton the train, and Brigitte had a couple of shots of vodka, including one rather large self-administered one, to kick off her 21st birthday.

Woke at 07.30 for a 09.45 departure from the train. At that point it had become home, despite its flaws of toilets that are locked 90% of the time, a diet of instant food, and Russians taking photos of us, and then telling us to be quiet. One also developed quite a thing for Jake, going so far as to photograph him from the train while he was on the platform, without him knowing - or least that was the intention.

Our guide was waiting on the platform at Irkutsk (I'm on the Risk board!) - Sergei, a long-haired native, who took us to Listvyanka on a small bus. First order of the day was 'breakfast', at 13.00 local time - an omelette we'll be paying 250r for the pleasure of. Further discussions with the warden revealed that laundry was 250r per person, not per load, and the wi-fi is 50r each. Despite the connection being the worst we've encountered so far.

We took a walk along the shores of the lake in biting cold. The local sights were a collection of vintage cars and crazy scrap metal sculptures, and the orthodox church, accurately described by Lonely Planet as "pretty but unremarkable".

I'm on the Risk board!

Nicci and friend

First snow of the season

Then at 6pm we had the banya. I'd been looking forward to this since watching it on 'The Long Way Round'. This particular one was attached to the hostel, so rather private. We split into two groups, with me in the second group with the three couples. We sat and drank tea, before taking our turn in the sauna. Once at hot, a second time at hotter, and a third time being thrashed with birch branches.

Ultimately it was a little disappointing for me. By the time my turn came around, Sergei has exerted himself a little too much, and probably spent too long in the steam room and the extreme heat. Scott gave me a quick strong thrashing, which was rather pleasant, but I think the absurdity of the whole situation overpowered it. Hearing phrases like "Change the position", and "turn around so I can make on your face" reduced us all to fits of laughter.

***

For supper, we had some nice fresh salad, and a chicken, veg and rice mains. Vodkatrain (or more likely, Sergei) very kindly bought two cakes to help celebrate Brigitte's birthday. We stuck up some balloons, and had a toast. I'm not sure i f I made a mistake in over-organising things, or (what I'd like to think) everyone was tired from the time adjustment. Everyone was a bit quiet, and most were headed to bed by 22.30. Myself, Dom and Kim took a walk along the lakeshore again, but there was nothing much to see. Too overcast for stars.

Sergei and Brigitte

Andy, Scott, Ali and Jake - Andy showing his balloon skills

***

Still the 15th, now the afternoon. Went for a Siberian swim this morning in Lake Baikal. Jake, Seb, Dom, Lucas, Brigitte and Sergei took a dip as well, while Hollie, Kim and Regine operated the cameras. Average temp. for this time of year is 3-4 degrees, but I don't think it was that cold. It was like soup! Managed a quick breast stroke and a nice front crawl, as suggested the previous night. Recovered swiftly afterwards (definitely quicker than a Forty Foot dip) and back for breakfast.

Seb, Brigitte and me

A 20r bus trip and a short steep hike brought us to a viewpoint with a fantastic view over the lake. Today is much clearer than yesterday, and the snow-topped mountains looked magnificent on the far shore.

***

Surreal moment to remember #1: giving cash and all our passports to a man we'd met only five minutes earlier.

#2: drinking tea with Seb and Lucas in the banya, wearing silly hats and talking about Alice in Wonderland and the fourth dimension.

***

Just received a text from Mairead to say "Anna or boy Anna is on the way". Amazing news! Delighted, and looking forward to seeing her even more now.

***

http://domcheeseman.blogspot.ie/2011/09/day-104-still-on-bloody-train.html
http://domcheeseman.blogspot.ie/2011/09/day-105-listvyanka.html

Day 13 - Moscow-Irkutsk train (somewhere near Krasnoyarsk)

Adjusting to time difference now. Some antics last night when a couple of the Russians found an English phrase book. "I can ski well" was a highlight.

Trees are beautiful this morning - lots of golden leaves, split by the silver trunks of the birch, which seems to be the most common tree across Russian. Spent about 30mins this morn just staring out the window.

***

Briškula - a Slovenian card game, taught to by Natasha, part of the Adventure Taxi crew (also Jules, and Jack and Mya - https://www.facebook.com/theadventuretaxi).
* Everyone is dealt five cards, and a trump suit is picked.
* First player plays face-up, and everyone must try to follow suit.
* Any trump beats suit, and cards go from 2, 3, 4... 10, J, Q, K, 3, A.
* Player who wins the trick keeps the pile, and all take another card.
* At end, total cards in tricks won: J = 2, Q = 3, K = 4, 3 = 10, K = 11
* Highest score wins

***

Blob - a card game thought up by Dom, best played with 2-3 decks
* 12 rounds, each round has a magic number, starting with number 3, going up to A.
* The card of the magic number is wild, and can be used as anything
* 3+ cards of the same number scores zero (e.g., 3 sevens, or 4 Jacks)
* A running straight of at least 3 cards also scores zero (e.g. 6, 7, 8 of different suits)
* At the start of each round, players are given X cards, where X is the magic number
* A card is then burned from the top of the deck, face-up
* At the start of each player's turn, they can either take the burned card, or a face-down card from the top of the deck
* They then burn a card themselves, and the next player goes.
* A player knocks on their turn to signal they are ending the round, and then on their next turn the cards are revealed and totalled.
* Everything else scores as the number on the card, with J = 11, Q = 12, K = 13, A = 14
* Final scores after round 12 decides the winner

***

http://domcheeseman.blogspot.ie/2011/09/day-103-train-again.html

Day 12 - Moscow-Irkutsk train (somewhere near Omsk)

Well, two of my worst fears have been realised - I got sick, *and* I lost my passport. Both had happy resolutions (or as happy as can be!). A sober Seb joined in at the end of a game of Kings, and tipped me over the edge. My lasting memory will be of lying in the carriage of a Mongolian fur trader, as comfy as can be, but slightly worried about getting back to my bed. My passport was under my mattress, must've taken it off during the night.

Trans-Siberian Kings:

A - toilet card	7 - thumbs (play any time)
2 - drink two	8 - nominate two
3 - drink three	9 - nominate three
4 - make a rule	10 - bust a rhyme
5 - "A ship came into the harbour"	J - boys drink
6 - fingers	Q - girls drink
	K - drinks

***

I'm pretty content, all things considered. Sitting, cards, drinking, watching Russia roll by through our window on the world.

***

I nearly forgot about the random passport check last night. During the game of kings, our carriage attendant came in with an official, and asked for our dokument. But they only checked our room, and nobody else's. After some sign language chat with the trolley dolly and an attendant, it seems they thought it was funny that we had so many people in one room playing cards. The giggling should've given it away really.

***

Some Russian phrases (probably spelt horrifically badly):
Kvas - a sweet Russian low-percentage ale.
Svetya - carriage attendant's (provinista) name
Priviet - hi!
Pocca - see you!
Kruta - cool
Khak de la? - how are you?
Normalno - normal
Khal na sho - good
Spa-qo-na noche - good night
Dobra jutro - good morning
Dos va dayna - good bye
Yea dorak - I'm stupid
Ne pan-e-mai - I don't understand
Ya pee-an - I'm drunk
Ya us-tao - I'm tired
Priviet chu-vak - hey dude!
Khak de la? Ba-ka ney red-u-la! - How are you? I haven't given birth yet!

***

Some Dutch:
Hoi! - Hi!
Hoe is het? [who is hed?] - how are you?
Goed, met jou? [Ghood, met yuo?] - good, and you?
Doei! [Doo-ey] - bye!

***

I must make sure I return to the Apple hostel some day. Oksana, Irina, Jennia, Roman all made me feel so welcome The other guests were also super friendly.

***

PS Dom's diary for the day:
http://domcheeseman.blogspot.ie/2011/09/day-102-still-on-train.htm

Day 11 - Moscow-Irkutsk train (somewhere near Balezino)

First morning on the Trans-Siberian. Slept far better than the previous train, aided by the many vodkas downed after lost games of Shithead. Moscow is not a pretty city, but there are some wonderful sights - the Kremlin, Red Square, St Basil's Cathedral, the Space Museum. Strangest of all was Lenin's Mausoleum. After a few attempts to beat the system of checking in ours bags, we went in. It is eerily silent, soldiers at each corner mutely point you onwards, demanding respect be shown by removing hands from pockets, and taking off hats. And then there's Lenin, reposing in a glass-sided showcase. His skin is shiny, looking all the world like a dead mannequin. Stopping is not permitted. It's odd that he is on show at all, but that he is still part of the Russian state system, and minded by military, not some museum curators.

Lenin's Mausoleum

***

We've reached Balezino, and a swarm of babushkas have gathered around the door of the carriage. They sell everything from fish to meat, or beer, or furs. They are mostly old women ('babushka' translating as 'granny'), but some young people too.

***

The highlight of Moscow was almost certainly the circus - a high wire act that opens with two men passing a woman across their heads is going to be fantastic, and it didn't disappoint. Some ballet, an aerial dancer, an African tripe who danced and performed acrobatics on a pole. Some little dogs did tricks, which was cute, but the dancing horse looked uncomfortable. The final act were the monkeys. It wasn't even a good act, just dressing them up and making them jump. But then the trainer started hitting one monkey with a stick. It was horrific. Left a sour taste in everyone's mouths.

***

Maria was our Moscovian honcho. Not as laid-back as Nazeem, she seemed like she would be efficient. I t was, however, her first tour, and she wasn't sure where the hostel was. But she made up for it with her recommendations - a boat trip and a look at the Moscow skyline. She seemed taken aback by our genuine interest in the sights of Moscow, rather than drinking and partying all night.

***

Travelling on the train so far has been mostly pleasant. The compartments are roomy enough, and we haven't even been to the restaurant car yet. Within an hour of leaving Moscow, two locals joined us in a compartment, with no respect for personal space. Funny at first, but tiresome after a while. Inevitably we nicknamed the biggest guy Boris, who was making advances on Hollie. Eventually he left, purely out of boredom I think. We locked the door then, but he returned quickly, a little angry, but he left us alone then. He returned about three hours later to ask us to delete our photos of him. He roams the carriage still, like a grouchy bear.

The attendants are quite nice though, minding us at stations, making sure we don't get left behind.

***

I've been in Russia a week and a half now, and so have some impressions of the place and the people, at least in the cities. There seems to have been an explosion of wealth in the last few years, so that there's an obsession with showing off wealth, and conspicuous consumption. It's evident in the cars many people have, and the habit of Russian girls posing for photographs like models - a trophy wife phenomenon. Weddings are also a huge deal, and frequent in SPB. I counted 13 on Saturday, and we saw at least 10 on Monday. There is a Russian tradition of shouting 'gorika' at the bride and groom so that they kiss - it translates as 'sweet'.

It's also apparent because there's a price for everything. In the Peter & Paul Fortress there was an extra charge to climb the battlements. On the plus side, services are provided in a more widespread manner - especially public toilets. Public amenities are well looked after - workers sweep and clean often, there's very little rubbish anywhere.

***

Dom's diary for the days:
http://domcheeseman.blogspot.ie/2011/09/day-99-moscow.html
http://domcheeseman.blogspot.ie/2011/09/day-100-moscow.html
http://domcheeseman.blogspot.ie/2011/09/day-101-train-to-irkutsk.html

Day 9 - SPB-Moscow train

5am, can't sleep. Too hot, too cold, too paranoid about passport, etc. We're stopped somewhere in the middle of nowhere, trains whizzing past.

The group has only been together two days and one evening, but we already have a good bond. Five English, two Australians, three Kiwis, a Swiss couple and a Dutch girl.

***

My above complaint about the Apple hostel was rather pleasantly proven incorrect later that same evening. A Russian girl in the hostel, Jenia, took myself, an English couple - Andy & Laura - and Adrian, a Swiss, out and about, and showed us the sights of the town. She's not a SPB native, but did her best.

The next day (4th), we went out to the Peterhof, a huge garden on the coast about 20miles outside the city. It was v. busy, due to it being a Sunday, and the fabulous weather. The grand cascade of fountains was was of the original reasons I wanted to visit SPB, and it not disappoint. The four of us spent hours wandering the gardens, and then went out to watch the bridges open that night. Bit anti-climactic really.

Andy, me and Adrian

Decided to give A&L some space on Monday (5th), so Adrian and I set off to get him a train ticket. Russian bureaucracy at its best. A wander through some random areas on our way to climbing St Isaac's Cathedral, before returning to meet the VT group.

Myself & Adrian have been teaching Jenia to play Switch, so that was a good way to get some introductions going. Nazeem was our first guide, a curly-haried Siberian of ~24. He was warm and pleasant, a perfect first honcho.

We had dinner in a local café - borscht & chicken kiev for me, then on to a local pub, Fiddler. Some late night card games, and some learning of fun Russian phrases from Jenia - "How are you?", "I haven't given birth yet".

The 6th was another beautiful day, so we set out for the Peterhof. I was reluctant at first to repeat myself, but it seemed important to socialise with everyone, and Naz could add to my enjoyment of the park. A picnic on the Finnish Gulf was also very appealing! It was definitely worth a second visit. Dinner at a Georgian restaurant that night, where Andrew had the misfortune of having his camera stolen from his closed bag. Professional work, and rather dispiriting. He bought a new one today though, and is hoping he can make a claim on his insurance. Ireland and Russia drew nil all in football also.

Dom, with Nicci, Scott and Seb

Seb, Jake and Dom

Earlier today (yesterday), Naz took us around town. Weather was misty, but we heard the midday gun at the Peter & Paul fortress (which had scared the hell out of me last Saturday!). The group then went on to the Hermitage, but I took a time out to get some shots of the marriage locks. I know also I'll return here, and the Hermitage will still be here. Dinner at a traditional Russian restaurant, slightly up-market. Golubsky (cabbage rolls) & venison, and I had rabbit pie for lunch. Then it was back to the hostel to grab our bags and get the train.

Said goodbye to Jenia and Roman, and Oksana earlier in the day. Adrian is already in Moscow, and I'm looking forward to seeing him again. Andy & Laura are also on the train somewhere. Missed Irina, but I invited Naz to come to Ireland some day.

Was in bed by 1.30, knew sleep wasn't coming by 2.30. Train stopped at a station from 4-4.25. Moscow by 9, with breakfast tea at 8am. Full day ahead, so will try sleep again. Would love to watch the sun rise, but no sign yet. Dos vedanya!

Me, Seb, Nicci and Brigitte

***

Standing here, watching Russia roll by as everyone sleeps, I feel a great sense of private attachment. All I can see are black outlines, but out there is the vastness of the Bear nation.

Forgot to note that Adrian caught his train last night. I waited with him in the hostel, and we were treated to a broth of mostly potato and onion - shee (sp?). A most welcome meal after the disappointment of the ovdukh at dinner - a cold soup, containing scallions, sour cream, and egg. Never again.

***

PS Dom's diary for the days:
http://domcheeseman.blogspot.ie/2011/09/day-96-st-petersburg.html
http://domcheeseman.blogspot.ie/2011/09/day-97-st-petersburg.html
http://domcheeseman.blogspot.ie/2011/09/day-98-st-petersburg.html

Day 3 - St Petersburg, Russia

Got a mini-bus from the airport - I got out when I saw the river. Quite lucky really, it was only a small river, but it was the right one. Hostel is a friendly & welcoming place, very like the Chilton in Belgrade. Had some shasliki for dinner. So odd to see people smoking in restaurants. Got an early night, but chatted with some Costa Ricans and a Russian girl before sleeping.

Up late, and with no watch, had no idea how late! Only 10am. Cheese + bread for breakfast. Not staying anywhere for long is going to do odd things to my diet. Walked down to the Hermitage, but it started raining. Absolutely pouring. It's raining again now, while I hide in the cathedral in the fortress of Peter + Paul. Have spent several hours walking around. There seems to be a thriving market in offering English language tours to small groups of 3 or 4. Also, a lot of soldiers about - some ceremony.

***

It's a complaint I've made before, that hostels are losing their warmth. Knockree has a TV room instead of a common room, here there are PCs in the common room, but a lot of people have laptops anyway. Conversations are sparse.

Day One - London

Day one. So much lies ahead. Every now and then I'm overcome with nerves at what might go wrong, the terrible things that could happen. No point in worrying of course, but that doesn't stop it.
Goat burrito with Nora for lunch, looking forward to dinner, mostly to see Sara and Michiko, and spend an evening with Nora & Adam, and Neil.

It was an odd feeling, leaving Ireland. Anti-climactic in many ways. No tears at the airport, but I'm not emigrating, only going on holidays - as I keep telling everyone. It still felt like I was abandoning Ireland, betraying her. Like I had no right to miss her green hills - I'm the one leaving her.

Six months. Six bloody months.

What was I thinking!?

Bring on the world!