Happy Birthday to Colin

Thursday 10 August

Today is Colin’s Birthday – 59th to be precise – and it has been another day of inactivity. Our third day on the train with no stops for visits (not even for churches) and when the train pulls into a station to take on water, the passengers are out on the platforms, almost running up and down in eager anticipation of exercise! Quite a sight to see, some of these oldies walking with their arms working hard at their sides, as they attempt to get some oxygen to those cells almost dormant from doing very little.

Actually Colin has picked up a cold – lack of fresh air – being incarcerated on a train with over a hundred other beings – you can’t help but pick up a few foreign germs! Hopefully he will improve when we get to Vladivostok.

Today we had the inevitable questionnaire on how we thought the trip had gone and what we would tell our friends about it – highs and lows. Coming at the end of three days on the train, they obviously hope that everyone has had time to cogitate. Both Colin and I were very enthusiastic in our comments about the trip – who couldn’t be when faced with Gold Class (we still haven’t got to the bottom of the change) and the local guides have been excellent at showing us what their country had to offer.

We thought St Petersburg was excellent (despite the mugging) – but perhaps this was because Julia our guide was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about her city and was willing to share with us her views on the new culture enveloping Russia today. We also met Millie and Jim here, who have been our stalwart companions throughout the journey, despite living at opposite ends of the train.

Mongolia was a country of extremes – the city was manic, all about rushing and not letting your neighbour get in front of you - the exact opposite of queueing in Britain - and roads where all vehicles cut in front of each other regardless of size, just to be at the front at the next set of traffic lights. The countryside, on the other hand, was still steeped in history and tradition, it felt peaceful and unmaterialistic, - perhaps the west could learn a lesson or two – but how would I cope without a washing machine or refrigerator and a camel instead of a car? It will be interesting to see what changes they make over the next five years or so.

We would like to see more of Moscow – like Berlin - it appeared a fascinating city with lots to see and do – and would benefit from another visit.

And Vladivostok tomorrow – we have heard so many descriptions of this city – from almost medieval and back in time, to a modern thriving port. We shall see.

And we have been entertained by a variety of activities:
Russian classes – sadly too short, but we can read quite a bit albeit slowly, and say a few words
Films – mainly BBC with English subtitles – that sometimes don’t work quite so well
Concert - in Irkutsk – a small and personal recital of classical Russian music
Folk music and dancing, with wonderful sounds and colours
The Wedding Ceremony – highly entertaining and amusing too – everyone liked the vodka!!
Barbeque – who thought that coming on a train we would stop trackside for a barbeque
Voyage down the Volga – another interesting sight into local life
Horse riding in Mongolia – a first for me

The weather was cooler in St Petersburg, though hot at Peterhof, and warm in Moscow. Temperatures fell for the next couple of days, to a distinctly cool 15 degrees C, but since then it has been wall to wall sunshine most of the way – we did have a thunderstorm before the barby, but that’s what you expect coming from England. Today is very clammy and feels quite stormy.

Our last night had another first – we had sturgeon for dinner – I didn’t realize you ate it, I thought it just produced caviar. It can be a very large fish,(size of small sharks), and is white in colour and has the texture of turkey – quite dense. But not lots of flavour.

We spent the next few hours in the bar car celebrating Colin’s birthday with wine, …… and songs. Apparently Ian (tour leader and another extremely interesting person who has been everywhere and given us lots of tips about China and South America), had persuaded two of the Turkish ladies to belly dance for us, but their tour leader forbade them to “dance for the English”. It could have been a way for them to repair their relations with us, but now it’s a definite No No for them to join the EU.


10,000 km or 6,000 miles across one country – and whatever way you look at it, it is a tremendous journey. We have met some really interesting people from all different countries – Brazil and Argentina, Australia, Japan, Swaziland and Europe and the US. Obviously we have become close friends with Millie and Jim and will hopefully keep in contact – who knows, a trip across the pond to see our colonial cousins may be on the cards next year?! – and of course there’s Margaret and Terry, our Lord and Lady – we might meet up with them again in Kirkby Stephen when we’re next up north. But there’s all the other passengers, many of whom have very interesting tales to tell of their lives and expeditions (such as the doctor – a German living in Scotland, with property in Romania, who seems to travel the world continuously for work and pleasure). Our car attendant, Katerina, who has looked after us during our journey and kept us supplied with a never ending stream of green tea! It will seem strange to leave this cocoon and step on terra firma tomorrow and sleep in a bed that doesn’t rock with the motion of the train.