Day 32: Somewhere in Siberia on a Train from Novosibirsk to Kazan

Monday, October 17, 2016

I spent two nights and one whole day riding the train from Novosibirsk, the largest city in Siberia and the third largest city in Russia, across a bleak and snowy landscape. I spent the entire time in total silence since no one on the train spoke any English.

I chose 3rd class hard sleeper which is also called platzkart. There are no doors or compartments, and unfortunately I got stuck with an upper bunk. To climb up you have only one step, which made no sense to me. The woman below me was 73 years old, so I wasn't going to ask her to switch. And on the other side was a big guy who also looked like he needed to be on a bottom bunk. We all had a good laugh at the many attempts it took me to get up to my bunk.

The funny thing is the difference in temperature between the over-heated train and the freezing outside. Many passengers on the trains travel in shorts or pajamas, and some guys even go topless. Then when the train stops at the bigger cities, they all jump off the train to have a smoke...in their shorts or PJs. I would get off to walk up and down the platform and pretend I was getting some exercise.

I didn't take many photos because there wasn't much to take pictures of.

My very sweet compartment companions. Somehow I thought they were getting off before me, but I think they were all going to Moscow.

One of our stops along the way.

Like many train stations in Russia, this one has an old steam engine on display.

Nice how the houses and the fence were color-coordinated. Or a special sale on aqua blue paint?

i remember sleeping like this, with my feet or my head on my bags just in case. But I felt the Russian trains were quite safe from thieves.

Another older pre-Soviet train station. I could always tell the ones built in the Soviet era -- gray concrete and boxy.

Siberia seemed to be nothing but woods and snow.

These three women had a great time chatting the whole way. Too bad I couldn't understand one word.

I packed plenty of food this time. Here's my beat and carrot salad.

View down the aisle of the platzkart. I've heard some men complain they're too tall for the beds, so their feet hang out into the aisle, but I sleep just great.

Like many of the men especially, my compartment buddy wore shorts, even when he hopped off the train for a break.

No clue why all these police officers were at the train station.