The night of the runaway train

After 4,000 kms, finally a change of scenery.   Some hills, twisty railway track, darker trees … and finally the stupendous Lake Baikal.   We passed through Krasnoyarsk from which the paddle steamers used to take people to the Nickel mines at the infamous Norilsk, after which we resumed our seated position waiting for the next 10 minute break.

They swapped out the locomotive for a different one … only the Professor was excited about this, but then he is an engineer.   He got so absorbed by this that he almost missed getting back on the train

One thing that other countries could learn from the Russians/Siberians is the method for preventing drivers from running level crossings … not much chance of dashing through these … just look at the photo … all level crossings, and that’s a very big number our here, have them.

After a very quiet evening, during which we ate the last scraps of identifiable food, and washed it down with 1 litre cans of Baltika 7 beer, we went to bed.   It was an early night if you’re still on Moscow time, but after midnight if you’re on local time.

I got up a few hours later and took advantage of the 5 minute platform walk at Zema (site of an old Gulag) where nothing was happening except the taking on of buckets of coal for the water boilers.   Well, it was 2 in the morning.

So back to bed again for the runaway train experience.   It seemed that we embarked on a long gradual descent during which the train seemed to gather pace and career from side to side as if the driver had fallen asleep.   The noise and the movements made any sleep impossible.   The iron wheels screeched as they scrubbed against the iron track in each curve, with occasional but violent jolts as the carriage connectors got into or out of synch, all to the regular beat (ker thump, ker thump, ker thump) of the iron wheels bumping from one length of track to the next.   And all in total darkness.

Since our bunks were all crossways, the blood would rush to our heads on each RH turn, and then rush back to our feet on each LH turn.

A few hours later, we arrived at Irkutsk for a 30 minute stop.   As it was still completely dark, few people got up for the 10 minute stroll along the platform.   2 hours later, the train trundles along the edge of Lake Baikal for over 130 kms.  We have to rouse ourselves for this, because it is one of the few standout features of the trip.   Lake Baikal is the deepest freshwater lake in the world and hold enough water to meet the entire world needs for 40 years (700 km x 40 km x 1600 metres deep).   The water from the lake is perfectly good for drinking courtesy of live sponges that filter all contaminants.   It’s all the greater shame, and truly sad, that the entire coastline (at least the 130 kms that we saw) is peppered with heaps of rubbish.

It’s difficult to imagine how such a fragile place, with such low population density, can become so polluted with litter.    But then, the pollution from the ubiquitous open mines and chimney stacks probably does far more harm, and has been doing so for over 100 years.

This morning is very cold on the train, or perhaps  it’s the lack of sleep and decent diet) catching up with us.   But it’s probably real cold as well, because we’ve been looking at the ice floating on the edges of Lake Baikal as we near Ulan Ude.  All the more difficult for the washing of the hair … deemed necessary after many days and 5,000 kms since Moscow.

Ulan Ude is where the line splits … one to Vladivostok and the other to Beijing.

Note to self:

What a contrast with our train rides around Switzerland over the last 4 years.   Switzerland packs such a range of beautiful scenery into such a short distance.  Russia stretches the occasional variation across 7 time zones.

Is it any wonder that it felt cold in the compartment?

De Goin' home after 14 years

Was it worth waking up again ... this time at 4:30am?

De Goin' home after 14 years

Well, at least I got 2 photos along  the edge of Lake Baikal...

De Goin' home after 14 years

De Goin' home after 14 years

 

De Goin' home after 14 years

Anybody for fish ... at 5:00am?

De Goin' home after 14 years

At least the new buckets of coal will keep us in hot water

De Goin' home after 14 years

More cold dark platforms ...

De Goin' home after 14 years

ok, we've seen enough of these ...

De Goin' home after 14 years

Our last meal in the dining car ... because our supplies had run out

De Goin' home after 14 years

But wasn't the murder on the Orient Express?

De Goin' home after 14 years