Jeremiah's Strange Times

Zabaykalsk station A Real Russian Welcome Dawn on a Monday, the 10th of December. The tiny ramshackle border town of Zabaykalsk.  Down at the station, heavy with snow, the trans Siberian has just chugged in.  Tired passengers slowly drift down from the cooling train.  For the next six hours the train will be shunted back and forth between the platform and a long warehouse sitting between the station and the Chinese border,  here the carriages will be lifted up by yellow machines, shaped like inverted 'n's.  The wheels will be rolled out, and new wheels will be rolled in, upon which the carriages will then be lowered.  This is necessary as the rail gauge in Russia is narrower then that in China, and indeed to that of the rest of Europe.  This proved of use to the USSR during the Hitlers failed invasion during second world war.  A strategic accident however, American contractors constructing what was the most ambitious railway project of a...

New Friends I was sharing my cabin with a German named Wolf, his fear of flying meant this was his second time on the trans siberian that year.  A born cynic, he spent the first evening lambasting my traveling decisions "6 days!, 6 days!" "Why are you doing this?" Wolf had this unusual quality, he was a man who talks quite a bit yet somehow comes across as someone who says little. Somewhat eccentric, for here he was, traveling through Siberia in winter, back to Germany, without even a scarf, just his worn brown corduroy jacket, wooly jumper and shirt.   Wolf His plan on the train was to not eat, smoke or drink, for the entire trip.  This didn't last a day.   A Good man Wolf, couldn't have asked for a better room mate, but that first night, as he arranged his vitamin collection I thought, "Christ, what have I landed myself in?"  No doubt he thought something similar. China Construction That first night, we talked til a...

The Trans Siberian The Train So. The semi mythical Trans Siberian Express. For it was the Trans Siberian.  Not the Trans Mongolian I had thought.  Slightly after boarding I learned I wouldn't be needing my Mongolian visa.  The train wouldn't be passing through Mongolia at all, I'd somehow booked the wrong ticket.  It didn't matter. It was good enough. The Train itself.  My home for the next 6 days. This ain't no cruise liner.  This is a big tough working train.  Metal, burnt umber, about 16 carriages or so.  Heat is provided by coal, stacks of which are found at each end of the carriage.  As such the inside temperature fluctuates depending on whether or not someone is awake to stoke the furnace. But for me it was mostly very warm indeed. Samovar free glass Also heated by coal was the samovar.  It sat at the rear end of the carraige.  A stainless steel collection of pipes and gauges.  It provided a cont...