The Scottish Lemon 2.0

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With one outdated phrasebook we managed to figure out what was soup vs mains.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.

I’d forgotten what real cold feels like but it all came back to me soon enough.  Listvianka would be our brush with winter in Siberia. The snow covered mountains, a completely frozen Lake Baikal, crystal clear blue sky and ice crystals in the air.  The temperature itself wasn’t in the extremes, probably something like -17 C.  But when the wind would kick up it was the -32 wind chills that brought back memories of winters in Edmonton and Toronto.  When it hits your face it stings your skin and you quickly feel  numb.

Walking down to the main road from the chalet I came across this guy poking his head over the fence and gave us a friendly wave.  He happily agreed to my taking a photo and gave a big smile. 

 F and I were off in search of an old wooden church our guide had told us about.  We snaked our way through the frozen muddy streets looking at the weathered looking wooden houses.   We found the church eventually and it’s tiny and painted a peach colour. My thoughts on the choice of bright colours we’ve seen in Siberia are it’s a way for people to balance the gray/brown bleakness of the surrounding area.  Either that or they’re trying to look like a Russian version of Miami.

We wander around the building and take some photos of the exterior.  I notice one elderly lady walking across the church yard and go inside.  I put my camera away (you’re not allowed to take photos inside) and slowly open the inner door that leads to the sanctuary.  I open it about 6 inches and much to my horror I look inside and see before me an open casket, the priest and 3 mourners all looking back towards me.  Seems there is a funeral in process, oooops L  So much for seeing the church. 

We quickly exit outside just as C&M arrive and we break the bad news.  Didn’t have much planned for the day apart from that to be honest.  Seems like a good a time as any to find the bakery that we’d been told about and warm ourselves with a steaming cups of espresso and pasteries that were still warm they were so fresh.  I had something like a banana Danish, extremely yummy.

 Listvianka is a very small village but the idea of a frozen lake was a new experience for the friends I was travelling with.  They found it so strange to see trucks driving along it’s surface.  You could also see past ice fishing holes that had since frozen over when  no longer in use.   Goofed around taking some silly shots jumping up and down on the surface. 

We walked around a bit more and C wanted to go back to the cafe as she was trying to load iTunes on her het book and there was a wi-fi connection next door.  It was around this time that I noticed the lens cap was missing from my camera.  I parked C at the cafe and I decided to try and retrace my steps back to the church as that was the last I remembered putting it on.  As I started back walking through the snow covered path this little ball of fur came happily bounding after  me. 

 I’m pretty sure he was a stray as his fur was looking a bit matted but he was so cute and he just decided to start walking with me.   When I got to the church he stopped at the steps and then sat down looking at me as if to say, I’ll wait here.

I once again slowly opened the door and this time there was no dead body or mourners to be seen so I took the opportunity to take a look around.  The walls were white washed and there was much artwork in guilded frames hanging but it the overall look seemed subtle and understated.  I came out and my new found companion was standing there waiting for me wagging his tail.  Walking back I’m happy to report I did find the lost lens cap.  When I got back to my starting point the puppy then looked up at me and tilted his cute head as if to say it’s been fun and then off he went to sit on some steps in the sun as I walked back to the bakery to collect C.

We wandered along the main street and found the market area where many of the stalls were selling dried Omal fish.  A few other stalls had handicrafts but as it’s not tourist season yet many stalls were empty.  We got to the end of the road and there was a large gate that was open so I wandered in and took a few photos.  Shortly afterward I heard some harsh words that I’m guessing would be translated into something like “hey, what are you doing, you’re not allowed in here”  Ooops again J  I think the resulting shot was worth it though.

Back to our chalet for another wonderful home cooked meal and conversations with the mother/daughter we had met on the train.  This is our last night as tomorrow morning we go back to Irkutsk for the day before boarding the train for the next leg of our journey.

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.

Our train doesn’t depart until 21:52 so we’ve got the whole day to explore.  Check out is at noon, but we can extend that to 14:00 for no extra charge plus they have a left luggage room so we are fine to leave our bags for the day.

The plan is to find the train station, a grocery store then the rest of the day is left to wander the city.  It’s Sunday so not sure what all is going to be open.  M wants to do some writing, C wants to sleep so F and I wander over to the abandoned play park and explore.

It seems like such a strange place.  I can see the remains of a BBQ stand, change rooms, picnic tables and a stage and outdoor dance floor.  It’s seen better days and everything is rusted and in some need of TLC.  Yet it is still in use as a public space even if no one is taking care of it.

There are 2 men doing some kick-boxing sparring, a young couple comes with their little girl to play on the rusty slide, an elderly Grandmother comes later with her infant granddaughter to play on the merry-go-round.

There is a small concrete dock that you can walk onto and listen to the ice.  Depending on the tide the ice floes will come right up to shore as they did this morning with the fog.  It’s bright, clear and with the sun shining it’s not nearly as cold as I initially thought so I already need to take off a layer.  And mud, did I mention the mud?  It’s everywhere and on everything, including my sneakers.

We circle back to the hotel and pick up the other two and head off to find the train station.  It’s just a quick 10 min walk and the grocery store is right across the street so that’s simple enough.  The station is right down at the harbour and there are lots of boats and ships in the area as well as lots of sailors.  Can I just say at this moment, how sexy the Russian Sailor uniform is, just sayin J

In our wanders we were approached by 2 young men that ended up being 1^st year students at the Mariners college.  I think they just wanted to practise their English as there didn’t seem to be a purpose other than to say a friendly hello.  They were nice enough to pose for a photo as well which was appreciated.  It wasn’t until after we left that I realized we didn’t get their names.

There is a main square down by the water with a large statue commemorating some military conquest I’m sure.  There are also a number of military vehicles and guys in fatigues so I’m thinking now is not a good time to take a photo.  We find the GUM shopping centre which is the old Soviet style mall.  Kind of like a House of Fraser but with kiosks and lots of empty space.  All I know is it’s incredibly hot in here and I last all of about 10 min before I need to go outside.

In our wanders of the day I come across a submarine, a military memorial, some onion dome thing that looks more like a tourist place than a church and a fancy Arch.  There is music that is being piped in from the museum across from it playing a waltz\z and there are some little kids dancing.

We take a tram ride up the side of a hill to a viewpoint called the Eagles Nest.  I suppose it would be beautiful if there wasn’t so much smog in the air and the city wasn’t so industrial looking.  I hesitate to call Vladivostok ugly, but it certainly doesn’t have much going for it aesthetically from what I’ve seen so far.  Everything is dusty, gray and extremely tired looking, especially our hotel.  At one point in time I’m sure it was a gleaming white concrete structure.  But in looking at it today it looks forgotten with peeling paint and no landscaping just brown weeds and mud surrounding it.

Claire and I head back to the hotel before the others and find the little snack shop above reception and purchase a bottle of local brew and a large bag of crips.  It is a nice view overlooking the water and the ice floes have wandered further out to sea again.  There is no wind so the sea is like glass.

Down in reception there is a little girl dancing and leaping around the large space in a tutu.

We stop for dinner enroute to the train station.  Just a wee little place where you order from the counter and we get 4 different kinds of perogies (cabbage, potato, sweetened cheese (kind of like ricotta) and one that has some kind of meat (not my fav).  There is a wee little girl that keeps walking past our table, maybe 3 yrs old?  There is also a small gift shop attached to the cafe and when looking around I spot my opportunity to snap her picture (her mom is behind me).  I take it then show the little girl and she bursts into a giggle.  Then keeps following me around tugging on my trouser leg and pointing at my camera so I show her the photo again.  Adorable :)

Dinner finished we make our way down to the station and I do guard duty with the bags as the other 3 head to the market across the street to pick up some food to take on our 3 day journey on the train.

When the time comes we make our way to the platform, find our carriage and board.  They really should adopt the ‘mind the gap’ campaign here as the gap is ridiculous.  I have to pass my bags to M as I haul myself up onto the train (no steps) using both handrails.

We are staying in 2^nd class with a 4 berth sleeper (think bunk beds). A mattress roll, feather pillow, sheets, wool blanket and what looks like a tea towel are supplied.

We are ready to begin the first leg of our train journey across Siberia from Vladivostok to Irkutsk (3 nights/3 days).  Not sure just what I’ve got myself into here.

Well the airport isn’t anything special.  We get off the plane and are put on a bus to take us to the terminal.  We walk in and are greeted by a wall of people.  It seems they won’t open the door to the baggage room until everyone is in from off the bus (fire hazard anyone?).  The baggage room is tiny with only 2 carousels.  What I notice is that as people pick up their bags they are not allowed back into the terminal but must exit to outside.  Another bottle neck is created due to just one person at the door checking that the baggage tag on your suitcase matches the tag on the back of your passport/boarding pass.  I suppose this not having a suitcase is a bit of a blessing at this point.

I just stand off to the side with the girls stuff as they go to pick up their luggage.  F & C had already seen our taxi driver that had been prearranged for us so he is now waiting outside.  All bags collected (except for my missing one of course) we head to the mini-van that is to take us to our hotel in Vladivostok.

It’s just before we’re about to all pile into the van that we notice one of our party is looking a wee bit panicked and she informs us that she can’t find her passport.  Between the 4 of us we check all her bags 4 times but no luck.  2 head back to the terminal to try and find some assistance as the thinking is either it was left on the plane or she’s been pick pocketed in either the queue to get into the baggage claim area or the queue to get out the door. 

What I find a bit annoying/strange is that at no point did our driver offer any assistance to help out.  I mean he does speak English so I’m sure an interpreter would have been appreciated but he just sat there looking bored.3 hrs later they both finally immerge after having survived the ordeal with the police & airport security with a police report of the incident which we hope will be enough along with the photocopy of her passport until she can reach the UK consulate to get a replacement issued. 

The drive to our hotel takes about an hour.  This is a strange place, everything is gray and muddy yet so many people seem to have chosen white as the colour for their car.  The architecture reminds me of a mixture of Caribbean (plain concrete block walls with corrugated tin roof) and frontier town with very weathered wooden buildings.  In general everything looks tired.

The driver stops to add some petrol yet keeps the vehicle running which doesn’t seem like a safe option.  There don’t seem to be any lines painted on the roads that I can see so I’m unclear as to if this is actually a 4 lane highway or just a make it up as you go along kind of road.  And the pot holes!  I swear some of them were big enough to swallow a VW Beetle. 

We arrive in our hotel and the lobby looks like your typical generic hotel lobby.  A young guy is behind the counter and his English is very good.  When he finds out that the girls are from Scotland right away he mentions football and his favourite player is a Mc something and he was Scottish.  Being that none of us are football aficionados we weren’t of much help to narrow it down any more.

Our rooms were what you would expect for a circa 1970ish hotel in the communist bloc.  Very dated, small, the bathroom was a bit on the creepy side.  But fresh sheets and towels and a surprisingly very comfy mattress.  There is a balcony that opens up to the bay and you can see the remains of what looks like a play park.

I grab a nap (it has been 48 hrs since I last slept) while the others go for a short walk to get their bearings.  Once back we hit the restaurant attached to the hotel as one of the guide books mention it so figure it can’t be that bad. 

As Vladivostok is so close to China it’s not surprising that Chinese food here is supposed to be good and tonight is our chance to see if it’s true.  Our feast consisted of fried eggplant in oyster sauce, sweet and sour chicken, a Halibut dish and scheuzean pork. It was all amazing and really flavourful.  We also ordered a bottle of red wine that wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t anything to write home about either.  We pretty much ate everything and were too full for dessert.

We get back to our rooms to find the bar below is playing loud thumping music but to be honest I’m so tired I really don’t care.  I nip down to the lobby to attempt to log into the internet to see if I can find any more information about my lost bag but no luck.  The signal is far too weak and slow to be of any use.  I’m able to borrow some PJ’s and an assortment of clothes from the girls since it will be 4 days until we arrive in Irkutsk where I hope to be reunited with my bag.

 April 9, Time Zone GMT, Airline 1 - KLM

It starts with a 6AM flight from Edinburgh to Amsterdam.  I’ve never taken the city bus out to the airport before, and taking one at 04:00 is interesting to say the least.  The regular airporter bus links up with the N22 ( night bus) off hours.  It’s a cheap ride at  £3.00 compared to a £25 taxi ride, and the entertainment (inebriated wanna be passengers arguing over cost with the driver) is thrown in for free.

I had tried to pre-order my Roubles the week before my trip but I wasn’t able to make an online order unless I was purchasing £500 or more.  My decision to risk it and just pick them up at the airport was a bust as they didn’t have any.  We’ll come back to this a bit later…

Flight to Amsterdam was uneventful, had an interesting seat companion who managed to chat for pretty much the whole 1.25 hrs.  He was an older gentlemen that works in Oil & Gas and was enroute to Saudi Arabia for his next contract.    

Time Zone 1 : GMT +1

We touch down at Schipol and I look at the time and my connecting flight is supposed to be boarding in the next 20 min.  But I REALLY need to use the loo.  I rush to find the toilets and there is a line up outside the door.  I go back to my gate and give the sign the once over and figure I’ve got 15 min before they do a final boarding call so  I should be ok.

I’ll stop at this point to say “no Mother, I did NOT miss my flight”.

I join the queue for the ladies room and while standing there a janitor just walks right in and starts emptying all the garbage receptacles in all the stalls.  Maybe it’s the Dutch way of life but isn’t the normal protocol to close the loo down while a person of the opposite sex is doing maintenance?  It was just kinda weird.

Boarded my flight to Moscow with no troubles even managed to catch some shut eye since I never did go to bed last night.   The flight is under 3 hrs so no onboard entertainment which is fine by me.  I’ve got my iPod to drown out the engines.

Time Zone 2: GMT + 3 or Moscow Time

We come into land at Moscow and I’ve got a window seat.  It’s a clear sunny day but once our altitude drops I’m noticing how heavy the smog is.  There are trees everywhere but no leaves budding yet so it just looks brown and gray.  There seems to be a lot of rivers and waterways down below that are in some combination of frozen solid or the beginnings of a spring melt.  The Pilot announces that it’s +13 C outside so at least that sounds pleasant.

 Because I’m arriving international, but departing domestic I have to go through passport control, collect my bags, change terminals and check in again.  I’m one of the last to get through passport control and I wander over to the baggage carousel.  There aren’t that many bags left and I don’t see mine anywhere.  I then begin to think of that tight connection time in Amsterdam and I realize that although I caught the flight, my bags did not.  I stand in the queue at lost luggage and start the process. Over the course of the next 2 hrs I deal with at least 4 different people one of which thought I spoke French and thankfully a very nice young man who spoke a little English .

Normally if you’re bag is delayed it’s not really a big deal.  They just ship it out on the next flight and deliver it to your hotel.  Except I’m not staying in Moscow, but travelling on to Vladivostok and only staying for one night when we then board our train.  It’s all very confusing to them, I haul out my travel documents to show the dates/times of my arrivals/departures and I just see a lot of furrowed brows and shaking heads.  The nice man explains that my bag won’t arrive in Moscow until some time between midnight and 2AM.  Then it will need to get on the next flight to Vladivostok (which is a 7.5 hr flight).  By the time the bag gets there I will already be on the train.  Hmmm not good.

Its decided my best chance is for my bag to be sent from Moscow to Irkutsk.  Except a small snag there as although our train is stopping in Irkutsk we are being driven out to a small town on Lake Baikal called Listvyanka.  To make it even more complicated, because there is no KLM agent in Irkutsk my bag will need to be picked up at the airport.  I’ll come back to this later.

So once all the paperwork is done, I need to find my way to Terminal D for the domestic flights and that is also where I will hook up with the girls.  But first I still need to purchase some Roubles.  I see a Travelex counter off to the right so I wander over and say I’d like to exchange some pound stirling.  No problem they say until they see me pull out my cash and notice that it’s Scottish pounds.  No, no no, they say.  Apparently they will only exchange British Pounds and refuse my Scottish pounds.  ARGH!!!  As luck would have it I find a Barclay’s ATM and thank goodness it accepts my Bank of Scotland ATM card and I take out some money, phew!

In all the airports I’ve been in (and I’ve been in quite a few) the signage is usually fairly universal.  Bright yellow signs with black lettering pointing out where the taxis are, the train into Moscow, check in, departure desks etc.  What I am NOT seeing is where the heck terminal D is.  I’m assuming if it’s not walking distance or attached then they should have an inter-terminal shuttle bus.  But you’d never know it as there is no signage and a plethora of slightly sleezy looking men trying to flog their taxi services. 

Being a woman I’m not afraid to ask for directions, but I can’t even seem to find the information desk (there is signage for it, but can’t find the actual desk).  So I settle for the Air Italia counter and they inform me that yes there is a bus and the stop is just outside.  So out I go, more taxi drivers wanting to offer me a ride but I still can’t see the bus stop.  I ask the traffic warden and he points me in the right direction and I wait in the queue.  The bus comes about ever 15 min so I don’t have to wait too long and it’s literally a 5 min ride.  I’m sure I could have walked it had I known what direction it was (next time). Makes me glad I held my ground and didn’t believe the guy that told me I must take a taxi and it would cost 1000 roubles to get me there (approx £25).

I’m not sure if it is due to the recent bombings in Moscow but I need to once more go through security.  Hand luggage is x-rayed for the third time today, I am instructed to walk through a metal detector and even though I’ve not set it off I’m still frisked.  Did I mention this was just to get inside the building????

I do the self serve kiosk check in and get my boarding pass.  No line up as I have no bag now.  Go through my final security for the day (4^th time now). At this one we are all instructed to take off our footwear and we are to put on these oh so attractive blue slippers.  I get to the other side find a seat and attempt to stay awake and upright for the next 2 hrs waiting for the girls.  The insistence at keeping the departure lounge I was in at what felt like 0 degrees helped a bit.

From what I can gather this terminal is fairly new as it still looks kinda shiny and fresh.  The downside is not many services are actually open yet other than a handbag/lingerie shop, an Irish pub (they’re everywhere) and small cafe.  I was wanting to find a book shop so as to purchase a phrase book but there isn’t one to be found.  I eventually run into the girls and it’s not too long before we are called to board the flight

Airline 2 - Aeroflot

I’ve never flown Aeroflot before so not exactly sure what to expect.  But on first impression it looks pretty much like any other big plane.  It’s got the in seat monitors for movies, a pillow and blanket waiting as it’s an overnight flight.  As luck would have it I’ve got 2 seats to myself so I am able to stretch out a bit for the long flight.  I won’t kid myself with the illusion of being able to sleep (I never do) but it is nice to give the knees a chance to stretch out straight for a change.

The flight is 7.5 hrs and skies look clear and calm so should be fine.  Even with room to stretch out it’s still a long time to be sitting in a confined space even if you’re only 5’ 2.5”  We are served 2 full meals (one dinner, the other breakfast) and it’s fairly healthy and not half bad for airline food.  

One thing I’ve not seen before is the under the fuselage cam.  As the plane taxis the runway the camera is on right through take off, then again on landing.  Not sure that’s such a great idea so I turn my monitor off until the on-board entertainment is available.

April 10, Time Zone 3: GMT + 10 or Moscow Time + 7

By the time we land in Vladivostok I figure I have been travelling for a little over 22 hrs since I left my flat Friday April 9^th at 03:15. It’s been one incredibly looooong day.