Rambling Rosa: The 60 Hour Train Ride

To say that it is disorienting to be on a train for almost three days is an understatement. You can easily forget what day it is and you never know what time it is. The train keeps flying through time zones but you’re never exactly sure when that happens. I have never been so appreciative of the president taking away a few Russian time zones, which happened during our stay here. There were 11 different time zones when I moved to Russia in 2009, now they are down to 9. You know the phrase, "the sun never sets on the British empire?" I think it applies to Russia. When one part of Russia is dark, there must be some timezone, somewhere, getting light.

The train I’m on for the 60-hour leg of the trip is a slight improvement over the one before. It is called the "Rossiya" - train number 2. There is a super high-class train called the Goldern Eagle but we can't afford that one. But truthfully, the trains are not bad at all. For me, if there are no bugs and it’s warm then I’m probably going to be ok. It doesn’t hurt when the bathrooms are clean either but you shouldn’t ask for too much. It is also not bad to have a head cold on a 60 hour ride because you can just sit around and nurse your cold the whole time. There is really not much else to do. I’ve gotten through one book so far (The Russian Court at Sea-Frances Welch), a few magazines and travel guides.

Sleeping can be a challenge. There is absolutely no softness to your “bed” which is actually just a bench with a thin, prison-like mattress over it. If you sleep too long in the same position you might end up bruising yourself by the time you wake up. Or you might not sleep at all. People come and go all night long, getting on and off at various stations. People also stay up all night partying.

One of the things the Trans-Siberian is known for is making friends and sharing food and drink. Last night we found a lovely cabin neighbor who had brought along (mind you he was travelling alone) 2 bottles of champagne, a bottle of aged Chivas whiskey and a bottle of rum. He also had a stash of food including Russian black bread, salami and some kind of spread. He was beyond hooked up and he invited us in to share. Some of our party stayed up until well after 3am chatting, drinking, etc.

Food and drink are what you think about the most on a trip like this. Eating is the only thing you have to actually set a schedule for. And as a good American you must have a schedule, you can’t just relax and do nothing. But you are conscious the entire time of not wanting to eat too much because you are getting zero exercise. The meal car on this train leaves a lot to be desired. And it is clear the people who run it are out for tourist dollars. The train does keep a huge vat of hot water - in the spirit of the Russian samovar - on each train car. So access to hot water is never restricted and always available. I have eaten my weight in ramen and drank so much tea that I am constantly in the less than amazing bathrooms.

There is a woman named Natasha who roams the halls in a black leather skirt and high heels. She has the biggest fake blond hair you’ve ever seen - very Barbie like. She appears to be selling cabbage-filled pies. Yet she only offers pies to men. With my own eyes I saw her sit on a man’s lap while “selling pies”. The reason I know her name is because she told a man her name and he told me. I’m pretty darn sure she hustles more than those pies…. I mean, why wouldn’t there be “ladies of the trains” in Russia? It somehow fits with this feeling of travelling through some forgotten frontier land where the biggest industry used to be the national prison system. You begin to get the feeling that Siberia is run by it’s own sort of “law of the land”. We are so far removed from anything I don’t know how anyone could have a clue about what goes on here….

At certain stops it is nice to jump off the train and get a breath of air. I don’t say “fresh” air because sadly, it’s not. You think it’s going to be crisp and refreshing because it’s so damn cold but it is actually filled with the fumes from all the incoming trains. It is also so cold that it is not refreshing, it hurts your throat, and you end up coughing. The fear of straying too far from the train is always with you. I have no greater fear than the train leaving without me and stranding me in Siberia.

I wrote these words on hour 58:

Going to lose my mind. Have serious cabin fever. Must get off the train. The food car workers have become our sworn enemies. During our one meal there they charged us too much, didn’t have enough change, there was hair in our food. And to add insult to injury, they told a passenger that he could not work on his laptop at a dining car table - even as the “manager” of the place sat there typing away on her own laptop. We have existed on cups of instant noodles, bread, cheese, instant oatmeal and granola bars. I want a veggie stir fry very badly……

Before the 60 trip-a quick stop at the memorial to Tsar Nicolas II and his family. Since we didn't have skirts on they made us wrap these apron things around us. To demand women wear a skirt in sub-zero temperatures in un-Christian!