The Trans-Siberian

The trans sib is a great way to travel. Not the fastest, and not the cheapest (though its pretty damn cheap, aerofolt could be slightly cheaper than one of the nice trains). Its very relaxing, or at least in my case it was (vodka), but then I wasn't in some plazcart (Russian for gulag transport) with half the red army for company. It takes about 7 to 8 days on one of the faster (better) trains.

And believe me you don't want to do these 7 days straight. After 2 days of seeing the same trees and grass go by with absolutely no interruption, you beginning to develop what I call
Napoleonic/Nazi brain fever. Try as you might, you cant shake of the uneasy feeling that the train isn't really moving, that its some kind of trick they play on tourists, that the tracks must be placed in some kind of large circle. You try to tell yourself, no, why would they do a thing like that, then you realize that its just the kind of thing that would make Putins day.

If you've seen any of those WW2 documentaries where they have some ancient Nazi sergeant talking about how the land in Russia drove them mad, how it just goes on and on, how it swallowed their company, you know what I mean.

God the music in this cybercafe reeks. I know this has nothing to do with anything but its hard to type while being serenaded by some chipmunk singing that abomidable "so lonely" atrocity, followed by some usher perfidity. Next will no doubt be that "Gassolina" horror. Its worse. No less than that child molester R.J. Kellys "I believe I can fly". Yeah right, I bet he "thinks about it every night and day" in federal pen that sick fucker. I don't see him "running thru that open door" anytime soon.

Well enough griping, back to the train. All I can say is that its was a good experience(If lengthy), but don't do it as then I wont feel as special. On with the pics:

A typical view from the train window. This is what you see for days on end, with only the telegraph wire to remind you of that its not sometime B.C. (Well, that and the train.)

The occasional village. Its funny that even in these miniscule villages with tons of land all around they still have the standard Stalinist apartment blocks. Whats the point of that?

The dining car. When I was taking this picture the waiter came up to me and said "What are you doing, you American spy?" He was a cool guy. Bizarrely, he spoke fluent German but barely and English. It seems that the Germans still enjoy invading Russia, in the form of tourists, loads of them.

Another Russian invention. Its a hot water heater. Everyone is drinking tea all day so they have this thing constantly boiling. They use an open wood fire to heat it! I mean like each car has a chimny with smoke pouring out. Note the fire extinguisher.

The corridor of the second class car. Each door opens to a small room. There are four beds to a room. I have no idea what the balloons are there for. Someone's birthday?

Some freaks who we hung out with. The guy is Kevin (Sin City). The girl had never spoken to a foreigner before, but she could speak English well, with a crisp British accent (?). Apparently they have a pretty decent educational system. (For those who go to school, that is)

Another cute girl, with a British accent. It was surreal.

Well must go find some food.