Trans-Siberian

As I step into the legendary train, I thank Sergey on last time, as I am welcomed by Tchen To, the man in charge of my wagon.

I discover the room that Natacha has booked for me, 1^st Class, two beds, a table, a personal light, carpet on the floor, and my own bathroom. All this just for me. Which is actually pretty good as I have to stay in that train for 99 hours.

I feel like I need to give you some precisions : 

The Trans-Siberian line is the longest railway in the world. There are different routes and the main one heading to Vladivostok was built between 1890 and 1916. I am heading to Mongolia so I will be on the Trans-Siberian line for 5,655 km until Ulan Ude, and then on the Trans-Mongolian Line for the next 650 km to Ulan Bator.

I am too excited to go straight to bed so I chat with Tchen To. He seems very happy, (ofering me a Chinese cigarette) apparently not so many tourist take the time to have a talk with him.

I meet many different people on board, and there is not so much to do after contemplating the view from the window. It's a nice view alright but after an hour you might want to do something else. So 2 Finnish guys counted 18 different nationalities.

There is a restaurant in the train, so I go there for my first meal to try some Russian food and a beer. (I'll have plenty of time in Mongolia to try the Vodka). The food is very bad, I should have listened to the tour guides.

Anyway as I gave most of my cash to Sergey for the crazy ride, i'll have to get my food from the small shops and people when the train stops. There is always someone who want to sell you something.

So one morning I was getting some stuffs, using my body language skills to understand what's in those boxes, soup ? Mash ? Noodles ?

And as I'm paying the lady, I realize that there is some kind of familiar sound coming from behind me, like... a train leaving !!

Tchen To is at the door : “Run Thomas ! Run ! ”

So here I am, racing (again) with that train.

I have to let go with a soup to catch the outside door handle and jump inside.

Tchen To closes the door laughing like a drain. He offers me some cigarettes again for the fun.

From Vladimir to Irkoutsk, birch and pine forests spread as far as you eye can see. From times to times we come across some isolated picturesque villages, it seem you could see Michel Strogoff riding his horse through the mighty Taiga. But at some point, admiring the scenery is a bit boring.

So I open my book to learn how to speak mongol. The grammar is actually quite tough. And I feel like I am really going to struggle to speak to the Mongols and understand them. But I know that once i'll be immersed in that culture I will have no choice but to improve.

On one end of every wagon stands a Samovar. It's the social corner of the train, where people meet and chat about their trip, where they come from and how confusing it is to travel through time zones. My neighbors inform me that early in the morning we'll be able to see the Baikal lake. They promised to wake me up so I could take some pictures

I knew that it was the biggest and deepest lake in the world, but it's when I actually sees it that I realize how huge it is. 

From the train I can only see a small part, it's like looking at the ocean, you can't see the opposite shore. The lake is so blue that it is hard to see the horizon (I must have had some good weather condition) and that makes it look even more impressive.

At that moment I regret not to have make any stop in Russia.

I am now very close to the Russian border. There, we wait for many hours on the platform so the Russians can check our luggage and our rooms while a different engine and a different restaurant (Chinese) is set to the train.

The sun is rising and we are ready to go again.

The scenery is changing. 

We enter in a different territory covered with small bald green hills, the train is going very slowly and there is only one railway. From shiny greens, the colors are changing into a dusty yellow. Here and there a stream ad some nuances to the steppes. Horses are running away from a 10 year old riding to get them closer to the Gers spread in the middle of nowhere.

That's Mongolia.