The Scottish Lemon 2.0

Who decided arriving anywhere in the middle of Siberia at 06:07 was a good idea?

I’m not a morning person at the best of times but the fear of missing ones stop so early in the morning can ruin what little chance I had of getting a good nights sleep. 

Arriving in what seems to be the middle of nowhere (with a jarring minty green paint job that is the station) being bombarded by very eager taxi drivers I was extremely glad we had prearranged our transfer to out hotel.  However, looking out the window as we were travelling I couldn’t help but think to myself “why did we decide to stop here again?”

Our hotel was, um… interesting.  I felt like I was stuck in a vortex cira 1972. 

The lounge area on each floor complete with vinyl sofa and plastic plants and once again mint green paint on the walls of our room.  If I wasn’t awake when I arrived, I certainly was now.

Apart from the shockingly bright wall colour and dated decor the rooms themselves were very comfortable and spacious.  The view was a bit lacking

 But we had a hot shower, a bed that didn’t rock violently from side to side and free wi-fi in the hotel restaurant.  Surprisingly we were permitted to grab breakfast after check-in even though we were only staying one night.  Yay! 

After taking a much needed shower to perk up and then filling up on breakfast, our group parted ways to explore this strange place called Omsk. 

Old wooden buildings can still be found in parts of the city and are in stark contrast to the 20th centure post modernist structures or just plain boring concrete blocks that are the epitomy of what we think of as the Russian urban landscape.

(notice that green paint again)

The Cossack Nikolsky Cathedral was built from 1822 - 1840 by Russian architect VN Stasov.

The ‘banner of Ermak’ (a legendary pioneer and the first Russian to explore thoroughly) was kept in the cathedral until it disappeared in the 1920’s during a failed coup d’etat.  The cathedral  had been used as a warehouse and later a concert hall during the Soviet era and was only returned to the Russian Orthodox church in the 1990s.

As Omsk is the 2nd largest city east of the Ural Mountains it also meant there was a decent sized grocery store from which to stock up for our next stint on the train.  One of the things I love to do when in a different country/culture is to check out the local grocery store.  I could easily spend an hour just wandering up and down the eisles looking at what’s on the shelves.  And when the language is in a completely different alphabet, guessing at what is inside of the packaging is also a fun game (what can I say, I’m weird).  I purchased a packet of what I am assuming is dehydreated beet borscht as a souvenier.  Half the fun will be attempting to make it at home not being able to understand the directions.

We did come across this lovely little cafe on a semi-main street called The Berlin Cafe.  Walking in it felt completely normal, softly piped in ambient music in the background, large BW photos on the walls of Berlin, modern furnishings, comfy leather sofas in the corner and complimentary wi-fi.

For our 2 days in the city this quickly became our main meeting point.

Three of us went into the Omsk State Museum of History, an interesting experience.  We managed to get our tickets without too much fuss.  We were directed to the basement which was where the cloak room was and a very strong smell.  The Museum also has a small interior zoo like space with an odd assortment of live animals in appallingly small cages with no access to fresh air or natural sunlight.  It broke my heart to see the conditions and I didn’t last long.

Upstairs one level and we start to enter a room only to be told ’Нет’, our tickets are scrutinized and then we are directed up one more level.  Best we can figure out is that the area we walked into was for school groups.  The upstairs has some interesting displays, no English translation though so I’m guessing.  It seemed to move in chronological order starting with old stuff that was dug up (bones, arrowheads etc).  Then moved into the settlement of the country and then into the various revolutions.  I spent a bit more time in the area that covered the Left-wing uprisings against the Bolsheviks from 1918 - 1922.  It didn’t look like it ended well.

The 2nd part of the level we were in went into the multicultural make up of the country and then ended with lots of dead, dusty stuffed animals and bugs.  There was one bit that seemed really odd.  As per usual we were followed from room to room by the unsmiling gruff room attendants as I guess we just looked like we were up to trouble.  But then we came to one display that had a painted scene with cut outs for heads and the attendant insisted that we pose and have our photo taken (not my camera so I can’t show you the end result).

For dinner we checked the guide book for a reccomendation that wasn’t too far away from the hotel and also on a street we could actually find and came across a place that sounded interesting.  However, once walking to the address it seemd to be closed.  Back tracking we went to a place that seemed full of locals (usually a good sign).  This meal would end up being one of the best stories from the trip.

As previously mentioned between the 4 of us we only had one phrasebook and it was ancient.  So translating a menu is usually just a matter of finding out which section has the mains and then each of us pointing to something different and see what we end up with (hey, it’s worked so far).  However, our host seemed genuinely concerned that we were not aware of what we were ordering so he muttered something to the waitress who went back into the kitchen and then reappeared with ‘Ta Da’ an English menu!

Perfect :) 

We passed it around, made our choices and then pointed to what we wanted.  One minor problem… the menu was ONLY in English, no Russian translation meaning the waitress still didn’t have a clue as to what our order was.  So again we went back to the Russian menu and tried to explain that we didn’t really care what we got, just as long as we all got something different.

More frowns and shaking of heads.  The waitress again disappears to the kitchen and comes back a few minutes later talking on a mobile and then thrusts the phone at us and says ‘my friend, she knows little English’.  We all burst out laughing.  So eventually a 3 way translation occurred and the girl on the phone explained what we wanted and off the waitress went to place our order.

I should mention at this point that I managed to order a bottle of red wine without too much fuss as the various grape varieties look very similar in Cyrillic (phew!)

At this point I can’t remember what we all ended up getting other than someone got fish, someone else I think got pork and perhaps someone else got chicken?  I ordered vegetarian and was presented with a lovely stew of tomatoes, mushrooms potatoes and onions.

We don’t get back on the train until 17:32 on the 19th so we’ve still got most of the 2nd day to explore more of the city side streets.   Once again I always find myself drawn to urban rather than the landscape.

Unsure of how long it will take to get a taxi we end up arriving at the train station a bit early so we’ve got lots of time to kill.  The Russians do believe in posh when it comes to the decor.

And here comes the 17:32 Train 55 which will take us to Perm.

I’d like to tell you that everything was wine, roses, romance, adventure and excitement.  But being on a train for a stretch of 2 nights and a day was anything but (granted this is just my opinion). 

There are 4 of us in a narrow carriage.  I’m on the top bunk which hangs down low enough that I can sit up without hitting my head on the roof but the bed itself is narrow which makes for harrowing nights as you are thrown too and fro as the train jerks from side to side.  And should the trail slow down suddenly, you need to grab onto something fast as the guard rail (if there is one) isn’t all that big.

But what to do for 2 nights and a day?  This isn’t like a hotel room where you get a TV with a movie channel or in-room broadband.  There are no plugs in the carriage either, although there are 2 in the hall but always seem to be in use by someone recharging a mobile.  We’ve all brought books along, mp3 players, a few games but after a while one starts to get a bit stir crazy from being in a confined space with no means of escape.

Did I mention that the heat is always on and pumping out?

There is the dining car which may have a small TV but as I don’t understand Russian so that provides limited amusement.  I remember feeling disappointed that the dining car wasn’t more of a communal meeting place for other travelers.  Most often I had the place to myself.

The one communal space seemed to be the narrow hall that extended the length of each railcar.  Everyone just standing at the window wistfully looking out at the barren landscape that never seemed to change.

The train does make periodic stops along the way (as trains do) but there is much confusion and uncertainty as to how long a stop is for (5 min, 15? 30?).  The guide book we have is assuming you are traveling in the summer and heading towards Vladivostok.  Whereas we are travelling in spring (if you can call it that) and going in the opposite direction, so the schedule isn’t the same.  So getting off to explore the platform is a bit of a risk.

Our last full day on the train provided some entertainment as we all decided to have dinner in the dining car.  You’re limited as to how much food you can bring with you as you’ve no fridge to keep perishables. 

Here were our dinner choices:

With one outdated phrasebook we managed to figure out what was soup vs mains.  But often we’d point at something only to be given a shaking of the head and waving of hands to be told no.  Eventually we all managed to order something and it was all wonderfull (apparently I ordered fish).

As the sun sets behind the birch trees our next stop will bring us to Omsk at something crazy like 06:07.

We say goodbye to Listvyanka and Lake Baikal after breakfast and catch our transfer back to Irkutsk where we will once again continue our journey across Siberia. Our train doesn’t depart until 4:30ish so we’ve got the whole day to explore the city.

Our guide has provided us with a simple map and points out a few places of interest for us before dropping us off in Kirov Square.  We are close to the river Alva and there are 2 churches near by.

Spasskaya Church (2 Sukhe-Batora street) built between 1706 and 1710, architect Moisey Dolgikh.

It is the oldest stone church in Eastern Siberia. You can’t see it very well from the above photo but the church has paintings on its external walls — a rare feature which is not found anywhere else between the Urals and the Pacific Ocean. In 1960 under the direction of Moscow architect G. Oranskoi restoration work was begun although it doesn’t really look it from the worn and weathered exterior.

The sanctuary is very small but the surrounding walls and iconosis are full of beautiful paintings of gold and vibrant colours. Again is strikes me that this is a way for the people to speak out against the bleak colourless landscape they are surrounded by.

Across the street is Bogoyavlensky Cathedral (2 Nizhnyaya Naberezhnaya street) built between 1718 to 1746. The cathedral’s decoration is a mix of old Russian motifs and baroque elements This style of construction was eventually named Sibenan Baroque.  It is unique for its multicultural tiles, presenting flowers and mythological animals. Between 1967 and 1985 it was restored by the architect Oranskaya.

The inside is much smaller than what the outside seems so I’m guessing there are more rooms hidden in the back somewhere. There is scaffolding everywhere and the main sanctuary bit is roped off as it is going through another restoration.

I do find it a bit strange that in these churches there is always the wee shop either off to the side or in a back corner where you can purchase your own icon, candles, crucifix etc. I am reminded of the scene of Jesus throwing out the money lenders from the temple but maybe if its selling religious iconography is ok as long as the profit is furthering the work of the church? No idea, but the ladies that work behind the counter have so far been what I would sterotipically call babushkas with their kerchief on their heads and aprons over their dress looking very serious and sombre.

When coming out of the church there is some kind of procession that goes by with men in uniform on horses. Very impressive.

No real idea where we are at this point but have a vague idea of what direction we need to go. On our way we came across the Irkutsk state gallery and decide to give that a look as it will get us out of the cold.

I should say at this point that it is a beautiful sunny day with no wind (I had forgotten that days like that can exist after living in Scotland for 3.5 years). But the temp is cold, the river is still about 50% frozen so it is warming up, but not enough to crack out the shorts.

The gallery is selling a photography permit for 100 rubles so I pay this and take my Nikon with my trusty nifty 50mm f1.8 lens. It is a good combination for taking photos in what I am going to assume will be low lighting conditions.

I’ve got a bit of an ongoing project in the works as when I wander through museums and galleries often I am more taken with the space the art is hung rather than the art itself. Don’t get me wrong, I love looking at paintings, sculpture etc but I’m intrigued by the space itself. Sometimes museums are purpose built, other times the building used to be something else. How a space is utilized is something I find fascinating and interesting to document.

Having said that my taking photos of this strange subject matter has resulted in me getting some strange looks, the odd reprimand or in this case my being followed the whole time. After this particular shot I could tell the little old lady that was the room attendant really had no clue what I was up to and had a look of worry and concern on her face so I walked up to her and showed her the shot (the joy of digital). I’m not sure if this helped my cause or if she now just thinks I’m seriously deranged J

After the museum we continue to make our way in the direction of the train station. We stop for a snack break in a park where a human teapot comes over and tries to make friends. It was a bit of a surreal experience. The teapot was very enthusiastic. in a country that does not have a strong economy you often find that you will not get proper change back as they won’t have any small currency denominations. So it’s hit and miss as to if you come out of it a little ahead or a little behind. I figure it all evens out in the end.  For the record I enjoyed a lovely bowl of beet borscht and something that I’ve no idea what it was. It was mince, rice and herbs in a filoish pastry. Very yummy indeed and cheap cheap cheap , always a bonus.

Continuing we make our way to the river where there is a park with two seperate wedding parties were getting photos. They do like lots of frills and flounce in their dresses here. The park had a path that followed the river and it seems everyone was out enjoying the sunshine. I was happy to find an abandoned chair to add to my photography collection.

Before we board the train again lunch is on the list of things to do.  The snack with the teapot wasn’t all that substantial.  Our dining experience occurs in what looks like a generic fast food joint. It was a buffet type place and we managed to order by pointing to what we wanted but paying the bill was more of a challenge.

Anytime you are Anytime you’re in a country that does not have a strong economy you’ll often find that you will not get proper change back as they won’t have any small currency denominations. So it’s hit and miss as to if you come out of it a little ahead or a little behind. I figure it all evens out in the end.

For the record I enjoyed a lovely bowl of beet borscht and something that I’ve no idea what it was. It was mince, rice and herbs in a filoish pastry. Very yummy indeed and cheap cheap cheap , always a bonus.

Back on the train again for the next leg which will be 2 nights.

The last time I was on a sleeper train was back in 1975 I think.  Our family moved from Thunder Bay, Ontario to Westbank, British Columbia.  At the time my Grandfather was still employed by Canadian Pacific Railway so was able to get my Mother and I the cheap family discount and we took the train as far as Salmon Arm, British Columbia while my Dad drove the family car across the country in the middle of winter.

My memories of that experience are a bit vague as that was 35 years ago.  However, I do remember the amazement I had as a child when in the evening our seats were magically transformed into beds.  I think we were doing the 3rd class thing so the carriage is a communal dorm at night with curtains pulled to separate each sleeping birth.  I could be wrong but I think I got a top bunk.

As we boarded our train in Vladivostok the 4 of us are sharing a 2nd class (Kupe) which means we are all in the cabin like thing.  Two sleep on the bottom and two of us are up top.  The top bunks fold up easily enough so we’ve got more head room during the day.  The bottom beds have storage space underneath for our bags (well all except mine which is somewhere between Vladivostok and Irkutsk).

There is a large window which is splattered with mud so not great for taking photos.  A small table which can fold down at night is in the middle attached to the far wall, is big enough for perhaps 2 place settings for dinner but not much else.  This will be our home for the next 3 nights.  I’m already feeling claustrophobic and we haven’t even left the station.

It’s already dark by the time the train pulls out. There is some confusion amongst us all as it is unclear if we are to pay for bedding or if it’s included (it is, phew!).  The base of the beds are kind of like a hard foam with a vinyl covering, not very soft.  But there is a bed roll that gets placed on top which helps slightly.  In our bedding pack we are given 2 sheets, a pillow case and what I think is supposed to be a hand towel but it has more of a tea towel feel to it.  The pillows are square in shape and feather in construction (my least favorite) and there is also a heavy wool blanket.  Very basic but functional.

In the train carriage there are 2 bathrooms, extremely basic but functional as well.  Stainless steel in construction there is a plastic mesh mat on the floor and there is a drainage hole in the middle which you can see (and hear) the track below.  The toilets also flush straight onto the track via a foot peddle on the floor.  We were prepared for this so the group came armed with many packets of wet wipes, toilet roll and tissue.

There is a large boiler type contraption called a Samovar at one end of the car for hot water.  This will be added to countless cups of tea and soup packets.  Any cold water is not drinkable but we were prepared for this as well and had purchased a large bottle of water when we’d done the grocery run.

Each carriage also has 2 attendants or provodniks/provodnitsas.  Ours has both a male and female one.  From what we can tell they seem to alternate days.  Their duties entail checking your tickets when you board, maintenance and cleaning of the carriage, providing bouncer duties when a seeming friendly, harmless, albeit slightly drunken Russian just not want to leave our cabin.  They also seem to have a small side business selling snacks and tea from their cabin.

The first day was spent exploring our surroundings.  For many of the passengers the pastimeof choice is to look out the window.  Many of the other cabins are closed as most people just tend to sleep.  This is understandable to me as the countryside doesn’t really change all that much and other than the odd small village there really isn’t much to see.

I think I am surprised by the lack of wildlife.  Perhaps due to the frozen tundra out there, the critters are still in hibernation but the land just seems so empty and dead.  I find it quite depressing.

Amusement over the few days is usually in the form of the dining car.  I go there to get some space as there is no other communal area on the train.  Unlike the journey from my childhood there is no observation car here.  Ordering my first meal (breakfast) was a bit of a challenge.  I was given a menu but it wouldn’t be until day 2 that I realized there was English in the back (doh!).  One of our guide books has some menu items translated phonetically so I manage to order eggs, ham and bread.  I’d already mastered coffee  as the Russian word is кофе which funny enough sounds pretty close to coffee :)

When my breakfast comes its a colesterol feast of 3 yummy fried eggs, sunny side up with runny yolks (yum!).  The eggs have been cracked into the pan which had some smoked ham in it, then lots of fresh dill has been sprinkled on top.  The bread is dark, fresh and perfect for soaking up the egg yolk.

The guide book had said the food was mediocre at best but I found it to be more than fine.  But what surprised me was that often I was the only person there. 

I was disappointedthat there wasn’t more opportunity to interact with other people on the train.  Other than people milling around the corridor, or shuffling back and forth to get hot water for tea everyone pretty much kept to themselves.

The afternoons seem to be chore time for the attendants.  They done their working clothes and the music starts to play on the carriage speakers.  The rugs and cabins all get vacuumed and the bathrooms get scrubbed.  The one attendant comes into our cabin to wipe down the top edge of the seats but looking at the colour of the rag I’m not sure that’s helping as I don’t think it’s ever been washed.

Halfway through day 2 I was starting to get massively stir crazy.  I can only sit for so long and I don’t want to be sleeping all the time.  A few of us had brought some games (cards, scrabble and M taught us how to play Mahjong) but its the fact that there is no where to move that’s driving me insane. 

And it’s so flipping hot on the train.  I know it’s cold outside, but why does the heat have to be blasting?  Some of the men are in just a pair of shorts and no shirt, and the girls are in tank tops.  At night it’s almost unbearable, heat rises and I’m on the top bunk.  There is no vent for air flow and our window doesn’t open.  For security we have to close/lock our door at night so that just adds to the stuffiness.

There are no bathing facilities on the train other than the small sink in each of the 2 bathrooms.  Wet-wipes only do so much and by the third day we are all feeling more than a bit manky.  With my missing luggage I’ve only got the one pair of trousers and they are in desperate need of a wash.  We are all looking forward to getting off in Irkutsk so we can grab a much needed shower.