RTW 13. Tough audience

Saturday, 15 May 2010

Novosibirsk to Irkutsk transit, Russia

Full day’s journey on the rails such is the distance between Novosibirsk and Irkutsk. Leisurely day.

Excruciating talk on the construction of the Trans Siberian Railway. Talk goes on as long as it took to build the flipping thing. It’s by our Russian train leader. Half of us fall asleep. You’ll note the ‘us’ in that sentence rather than the ‘them’.

Now seeing remnants of winter snow by the trackside as we trundle eastwards.

Platform stop for half an hour at Krasnoyarsk. Jump off for some fresh air and leg stretch out through the large chandeliered station hall to the piazza outside. A large Nelson’s column like monument stands proud in the centre. Surrounded by the usual assortment of people, passengers and pissheads. You know. The usual assortment of people you find near every station entrance. All over the world.

Definitely a lot more Chinese/Mongol looking faces as we head east and more Asian style architecture. Much less European. Increased numbers of cars with right hand drive imported from Japan rather than the usual left hand drive.

Time up scurry back to the train. Old lady selling newspapers sidles up to me. Ask if she has the Daily Telegraph.

She doesn’t.

Bizarrely, the platform kiosk selling snacks and drinks has a Cadbury’s Fruit & Nut box on display. Sadly. They’ve sold out.

Dinner with the old ladies tonight. Hinge & Bracket from Devon. Fanny from Omaha, Nebraska.

Am normally good with little old ladies. Tough audience tonight though. Hard work, dear reader.

There’ll be a large Jameson’s waiting in my cabin to recover.