MAY 15, 19 .. OUR TRANS-SIBERIAN TRAIN RIDE TO CHITA (ЧИТА), RUSSIAN SIBERIA.

I can see it now coming down the tracks ..

We were standing on Loading Platform Number 3, here at the Irkutsk, Russian Siberia railway station when, down the tracks, I could see our train to Chita arriving.

Our coach.

You can not see Patti, but she is waving to us from behind the center, tinted-glass window below.

Our first class coach (wagon) was number 12. 

Our train is heading for Vladivostok ( Владивосток ), Russian Siberia.

Looking down the corridor outside of our cabin.

A look at our first class cabin.

As you can see, Patti and I were the only occupants in our cabin-for-two.

Lots of pillows and bedding along with towels for each of us.

With our ticket came a full dinner. You can see our menu in the below photo. We ordered dinner shortly after we were underway. We had a three hour time window for dinner. We opted to eat at 8pm. 

"Patti?"

"Yes Cap?"

"It is May the 14th and just look at the snow. You'd think that we are in Russian Siberia Patti!"

The snow continued to come down. 

We are now in the Lake Baikal area.

From time to time we would veer inland and away from Lake Baikal.

And we'd come back to Lake Baikal.

And then, Lake Baikal was past us.

Later in the afternoon, the sun came out to greet us.

Now for a few photos of the dining car. We spent a fair number of hours sitting in the dining car enjoying the views and the open and airy space.

And what did we enjoy in the dining car?

And then?

It was five o'clock in the morning and we were in Chita.

It was a fun, it was a great trip, and it was tiring at the same time.

Hugs from Patti and Smiles from Cap

JAN 22, 19 .. OFF WE GO .. THE TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY FROM NOVOSIBIRSK TO MARIINSK RUSSIAN SIBERIA.

One day, one time, one train ride will be the last one I ever make. So I really strive to make-the-most out of each and every train ride that I take at this late stage of my life.

NOVOSIBIRSK TO MARIINSK RUSSIAN SIBERIA

I'll begin with photos of the Novosibirsk Main Railway Station. It truly is one beautiful building.

We are now inside at the ticket purchasing window area.

In comparison with the train stations in Abakan and Krasnoyarsk, the wait was much longer here in Novosibirsk.

The Trans-Siberian Railway is a very special experience. I have provided you with the below link to check it out on Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Siberian_Railway

As you will see if you go to, and read, the above reference, its route runs between Moscow and Vladivostok.  

Moscow in Russian is spelled : MOCKBA

Vladivostok is spelled : ВЛАДИВОСТОК

Now look at the below train schedule board and see something very special.

Train 100 above is the Moscow (MOCKBA) to Vladivostok (ВЛАДИВОСТОК) train. This is our train and we will exit at Mariinsk.

Right below Train 100 above is : Train 989 which is the Vladivostok (ВЛАДИВОСТОК) to Moscow (MOCKBA) train.

Do all of you get it? Novosibirsk is the halfway point between Moscow and Vladivostok and both trains are side by side on platforms 2 and 3.

The next three photos below were taken between their respective tracks.

To refresh your memories ..

Moscow in Russian is spelled : MOCKBA

Vladivostok is spelled : ВЛАДИВОСТОК

Now this is very special to me. 

Because I am able to sound out quite a few words spelled using the Russian Cyrillic Alphabet, I figured the above phenomenon out without anyone telling me that the two trains were side-by-side on tracks 2 and 3.

Now I am going to go back and show you how we got to the above tracks 2 and 3.

Below is the first flight of stairs down to tracks 2 and 3. To get to this point we had to go up other flights of stairs.

Looking down (above) and back up (below) this one (of several) flight of stairs shows you what a rigorous and arduous (involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring as in "an arduous journey") trek it was to get to the train.

"Oh My Cap!" I could hear Patti in my ears as I made the above arduous trek! Mike carried my bag for me.

Here we are at coach 16 located at the farthest end of the train. Stairs and a long walk. You can see that (Vladivostok is ВЛАДИВОСТОК) we are indeed on the correct train.



Not too scenic but it is what it is.

Now we are in motion and the train is rolling!

We were in Third Class.

We were lucky to even be on the train! We got the last two seats on the train.

The next two photos below show what both First Class and Second Class look like. 

You are in a cabin with a locking door. Outside of your cabin door is an aisle way. 

Nice and neat and clean and precise.

In Third Class, you have the following 'aisle way' to deal with.

A station with scalding hot water for tea / coffee. Clean and sparkling.

A stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

I could have told you that I had a very bad camera trip but I decided to show you what a bad camera trip looks like!!

I slept a lot. I was beyond being merely exhausted.

We have arrived in Mariinsk!

To get up here to shoot the below photos and to get to the station you must climb ever more stairs,

I really like the Mariinsk Railway Station.

Here they are. Stairs.

And here they are .. More stairs.

I am so impressed with the cleanliness I see here in Russia's public areas.

There you have another of my trips on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

I've talked to travelers who have told me that to do the entire Trans-Siberian Railway route becomes a real grind. For one thing, the scenery does not change all that much.

Smiles Cap and Patti (wondering about all of the steps).