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Trans Siberian Express
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My Three Companions
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I again woke late this morning. I quickly washed and ate as
I wanted to buy something in the market before Sergey came to pick up the
apartment key at 11 a.m. I was due to
leave on the Trans-Siberian at 1:35 p.m.
today.
I wandered around the market checking out the fresh fruit
and vegetables. A lot of people were selling just a small bucketful of tomatoes.
Most of them were scarred. I picked out some that didn't look too bad. I then
mimed for them to write down the price. I also bought some biscuits and some
sweets, and some small bread rolls. Another thing I really needed was a change
of clothes. I had brought only one pair of trousers and one pair of shorts. On
the train to Moscow, quite a few
people were wearing tracksuits. These seem to be more comfortable for long
journeys. So I bought a pair in the market for 10,000 roubles. Which is about
seven pounds.
Back at the apartment, I chatted with Sergey for a while. It
is good to speak to another English speaker for a change. He was able to answer
some of my questions. He said that this was one of the better areas of Moscow.
Not all parts here have hot water. He says that as a consequence it is more
expensive to live here. Though the apartment where I am staying has a gas
cooker, there is no washing machine. The old-style scrubbing board has to be
used instead. Something I should have said earlier about the shops is that most
of them have an abacus to work out the prices.
I said goodbye to Sergey and thanked him for all of his help.
I then made my way to the Metro. This time I had to make a change to reach
Yaroslavl Station. But I am finding it easier now. If I had a few more days, it
would have been interesting to explore the Metro system more fully. Some of the
underground stations are said to be really beautiful. Also, I am sure that
there are other parts of Moscow
that I might find interesting.
Once I had reached the right station for the Trans-Siberian,
I showed my ticket to a number of guards, and they pointed out the right
platform for me. The train I am on is about 14 carriages long and is pulled by
an electric engine. It is green in colour but very dirty, especially the
windows. In fact, everything is dirty including the mattress and pillow. They
have given us clean sheets to cover these. I am presuming they are clean as
they are still damp from the laundry. I expect they used to be white but now
they are just a dull grey. I think I will use my sleeping bag.
There are nine compartments in this carriage. Each one
sleeps four people. They're not very big being only just over 6 feet wide and 5
and a half feet long. The beds are on both sides of the compartment and one
above the other. There is plenty of seating space as there is adequate storage
space for luggage below the bottom bunk, and above the door. I am sharing my
compartment with three Russian girls.
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