Much less to report today. The train is doing it's thing and as I write we are 1320km from Moscow. Time means little on the train as we have already put our watches forwards twice. there have been several stops, often in bleak backwaters. The scenery is a long procession of birch tree forests interspersed with villages of wooden huts with no proper roads. Occasionally we pass though a town with it's grim high rise blocks. I bought some tomatoes, water and beer at one stop and some apples at another  some hours later. The electricity is off during the day but the semi-hidden plug for the LG Plasma screen is accessible so I can still charge the laptop.

Chatted briefly to four Russian guys, two of whom had black and white striped vest tops the other two had large peaked military caps. They were all high on vodka and we toasted Russia and then England together, although I had beer.

Lazed around and watched a film, had lunch in the buffet car - a salad and then chicken and chips. The chips were half cooked, just and the chicken was a cut I've never seen before. It certainly wasn't one of the usual ones. I  hope it wasn't a Chernobyl mutant chicken!

Our little cabin is cosy and warm. From time to time a lady comes round with cold drinks and hot food. This morning I bought 2 pastries which resembled a cross between a doughnut and a croissant but were filled with mashed potato, quite nice actually.

Day 5 - 13th October 2005 - Colin's Account

A good sleep for once, washed my hair using a bit of hosepipe I brought with me, it actually works quite well. Put on my new travelling trousers for the first time so I now look the part.

We are now officially in Siberia, having passed the Europe / Asia border during the night. Siberia officially starts about 260km later, but the landscape remains the same.
We have plenty of dollars and our cards, but not many roubles, so we are having to careful and buy most of our supplies from the platform vendors when the train stops, rather than the restaurant car. Whoever tells you that the dollar is king in Russia is wrong. Most of them don't even know what a dollar is, you need roubles and roubles only. I am continuing to work on our website and watch the countryside roll by. We stopped in Omsk and passed fairly close to the Kazakstan border. We are now over 3000km from Moscow and about to make our 4th time change. I have spent a fair bit of time chatting to two brothers who occupy the next compartment to ours, although both from North London one of them lives in Japan and both have travelled extensively. Apparently Japanese is very difficult to learn, as if you didn't already know that! There are 5 levels of politeness which complicate things even more as it changes the language significantly depending on the level you use. He also told me a story about a drunk driver in Japan, who on being stopped got out of his car brandishing a stick of some sort, the policeman on seeing this promptly ran away! It seems there is no crime to speak of in Japan and the police are not used to such behaviour. Even worse the whole thing was captured on CCTV and released to the TV stations. The upshot of this was that the chief of police had to make a grovelling apology to the citizens of Japan, with plenty of bowing etc..
Well we shall be in Japan some time in 2006, so we will see for ourselves. I'm off to try the cabbage soup in the restaurant, a snip at 45 roubles.

Day's 4 & 5 - 12th & 13th October 2005 - Sam's account

This train journey is very surreal. Most of the time we are in our cabins nodding off to sleep, as is everyone else. However, we do stop fairly regularly, generally for 10 minutes, to buy a few previsions. Colin always buys beer so that even if we run out of food we still have our reliable supply of Russian number 3 beer!

The first day was really great, cosy & snug catching up on sleep but I have to admit that I'm now already bored. OK done that, what next?! BUT we have still have 4 days of doing nothing until we arrive in Irkutsk... Oh dear!

Everyone watches the monotonous scenery of birch trees, fields and shacks with the odd high rise building as we go through towns. We are lapping up the kilometres as we all drift in and out of sleep travelling through different time zone's. As I write we have just pulled out of Barabinsk train station after a quick 5 minute stop. We have now travelled 3035km on the train it is 18.50hrs Moscow time, 16.50hrs CET, 3.50pm in the UK and 21.50hrs local time here in Barabinsk. We are about to go through another time zone and it will therefore be 11pm very shortly. WEIRD! No wonder we all find it a perfect excuse to sleep whenever we want.

We have met the people in the adjoining cabins in our carriage. A couple of brothers on hols together, a young Russian couple who are very friendly but with whom we are struggling to communicate, and lastly a couple of young newly weds doing a world trip like us but in a tight 6 month schedule.

They are all very friendly but we tend to keep ourselves to ourselves except at the train stops when we all bundle off the train looking for things to buy, taking the odd photo and agreeing on the bad food, monotonous scenery and surly Provonitsa.

Unfortunately, we haven't brought enough roubles with us, so keeping ourselves fed and watered properly is a tricky job. Today we have eaten, an apple, some bread and a tomato. We've got Colin's beer though so that keeps us going!

Our Provonitsa is awful, a real misery guts who hates everyone & everything. She's already told Colin off for slamming doors and I'm sure she must be hell to live with, worse than me!

Anyhow, I think that this train journey is not really about sight seeing or discovering new cultures as much as a test of oneself ;to see if you can remain sane living in a 1x2m² compartment with someone else for a week, not having eaten or showered in days.

God I could murder a bottle of Chablis Premier Cru !

Day 6 - Friday 14^th October 2005 - Colin's Account

We have just passed the 4000km mark and have crossed into Eastern Siberia. The sunshine and brilliant blue skies that have been with us right from the start have finally given way to leaden grey clouds and while it is by no means snowing, there are patches of snow dotted over the landscape in all directions. The endless forests of Birch trees are now interspersed with Pines and rivers to brighten up the scenery.

We are now deep into the heart of Siberia as 'The Baikal', our train races through the countryside trying to make up the 20 minute behind schedule that has accrued along the way. Not bad for a 4500km journey, so far. British Rail could certainly learn a thing or two here!

The drizzle turns to sleet for a while and rolling hills  add to the view of constant Birch trees. We passed a freight train a little while back that had at least 80 trucks, all filled to the brim with the trimmed trunks of thousands of these trees, but it doesn't seem to make any difference, the forests are endless! Watched a film and went to sleep hungry, due to lack of roubles.

Day 6 - Friday 14^th October 2005 - Sam's Account

I feel marginally better about the train today. I am really making an effort to get into the “esprit” of the whole thing. I think the real reason I’m enjoying it more today is because I know that we just have one day left before we’re freed to visit Irkutsk and Lake Baikal at Listvyanka.

Meals have been a shared super noodle for breakfast, my own super noodle for dinner with some delicious potato's we bought from a lady at one of our stops, they were still hot and must have been home grown as the flavour was really excellent.  I better loose some weight otherwise all this hunger will have been for nothing.

There was in fact something that happened today that was truly wonderful. I had a shower. It was 102 roubles (£2) but I preferred to spend my last few roubles on scrubbing up than filling my aching tummy with some food. Oh the joys of clean hair and shaved legs – it is really such a wonderful feeling!

The scenery is actually interesting now. We went passed a snowy region and the trees changed from birch to evergreen pine’s. That was great, honestly. The weather seems to be getting colder though as every time we make a brief stop we can definitely feel the air has an increased nip in it. Although it is cold when we hop off at the various stops the fresh air is hugely welcome as the train is overheated and the windows do not open. Everyone lounges around in shorts, t-shirt and flip flops on the train and then we all get wrapped up to get out on the platforms with boots, trousers, fleece’s and even the odd Russian fury hat can be seen!

The Journal now moves to the Lake Baikal & Irkutsk link for 2 days before returning here

Day  9 - Monday 17^th October 2005 - Sam's Account

Happy Birthday Deyna! - I hope you have fun. x

Slept very badly. I couldn't get to sleep because I was so hungry (no dinner) and on top of that our room was on the ground floor next to the main road so we had loads of traffic noise. We had only one pillow to share between the two of us as well!

Early start, 4.30am wake up - 5am departure on foot with all our luggage (Colin's is about 30kg's and mine is about 20kg with our day packs). We walked 2km to the train station, that certainly woke us up. 

I am feeling quite rough today, I caught a chill walking around in the cold yesterday + the day before I had to leave the hotel with wet hair - no hairdryer of course for the next 18 months - so I think I have a head cold too (whatever that means!).

Slept most of the day on the train, Colin played the guitar which was fab.

I am very pleased to be leaving Russia. I find the country fascinating but it seems to me (an outsider who has only spent a few days in the country) that it is very much spoiled by the generally miserable, unfriendly, dour, pessimistic people. I underline generally because as I mentioned we have had the odd extreme exceptions to this rule. Compared to their history, this should be a good time for the Russian people; full of hope and possibilities to better their lives. Many do not seem to embrace this idea and seem too marked by the old regime to think differently and to try and better themselves. I would have liked to spend more time in Russia to see if, through a better understanding of the people, my opinion would change. Unfortunately, I won't have the opportunity as we cross the boarder today - who knows maybe I'll get the chance to come back in a few years time. I sincerely hope so & I also hope that the Russians find their happiness too.

Boarder controls took over 7 hours - nightmare. It must be said that the Mongolians seemed much more efficient than the Russians - which is crazy really as we were leaving Russia! The Mongolians seem much more friendly too. I would imagine that being sandwiched between Russia and China they have to put on a decent show for cross boarder controls so as to be taken seriously. Mind you, if the UK took a leaf out of Russia's book maybe we wouldn't have so many illegal immigrants.

Day  9 - Monday 17^th October 2005 - Colin's Account

Deyna is 14 today, I can't believe it! Happy birthday.

Our alarm went off at 4.30 this morning and after a quick pack up, we headed for the station using the route that I had followed the previous evening.
We arrived about 5 minutes before the train pulled into the station, which wasn't cutting it fine as the train stops for half an hour here. The train is very similar to the train which brought us from Moscow to Irkutsk, except that there is no LG plasma screen and we had to make our own beds. By far the most important difference, however, is that the Provonitsa is a friendly, smiling Russian man.

We ate breakfast on the train as we are both starving due to lack of dinner last night. Unfortunately the Russian waiter on this train has decided to supplement his income by adding a hefty 15% service charge to the bill. As we are short of Roubles this is an annoyance, especially as it's a unappealing buffet car on a train.

The rest of 1st class carriage this time has been taken up by a group of French speaking Swiss on a journey from Moscow to Beijing. They have apparently been invited along as friends of a Swiss travel agent who also speaks fluent Russian. This has been very useful as he is constantly explaining to his non-Russian speaking friends what will happen next, how long we are going to stop at the next station etc, etc.. All this he has gleaned straight from the 'horses mouth' or Provonitsa in this case and so our French has come in useful as we are able to listen in to the instructions as he walks down the carriage explaining it all to his bewildered pals.

I have decided to play my guitar today and after re-tuning which took a while in a moving train to say nothing of several thousand miles of being knocked around and subjected to extremes of temperatures, I played a few tunes. My finger tips have gone soft again so I couldn't play very long, but Sam appreciated the effort.

I have been trying to send my daughter, Deyna a text all day, but my UK mobile will not register properly and my French one will not send texts, it seems that as we near the border, funny things are being done to the available networks by our Russian friends.

We have stopped at a small station and after being assured by the Provonitsa that it was a 30 minute stop I walked across the line to a small shop 100m away to see what I could buy with our dwindling store of Roubles. When I returned I saw Sam and some others anxiously awaiting me by our main carriage door. Apparently 2 minutes after I left the driver changed his mind and decided they were running late and would cut the stop short and I was not on the train! Sam and the Russian speaking Swiss guy were standing there making sure they didn't leave without me. Normally, of course, wives are delighted to get rid of their husband's for a while, but either it was the thought of having to move my heavy rucksack on her own or I must just be lucky!

There is also a Russian lady a few doors down who speaks good English and apart from warning us against a money changer who was offering a poor rate has given us quite a lot of useful info.
The scenery and weather is lovely today, sometimes sunshine then snow, mountains and over 200km right along the edge of Lake Baikal before we turn south onto the trans-Mongolian line. Hours later we pass Goose lake before arriving at the 5900km mark from Moscow and the Russian - Mongolian border.
I must admit that I'm going to have a bit of a Jeremy Clarkson type moan now about border controls and here's why.

Seven hours, yes seven it's not a typo! I could have flown from Belgium to Moscow twice in that time.  First of all they came round collecting passports and then disappeared off. Sometime later they came back with a customs declaration form, then disappeared again. Finally Rosa Kleb (for all you James Bond fans) appeared and stood outside our door reluctantly stamping our customs declaration form, while the soldier accompanying her searched our cabin, although not our personal belongings.
Finally satisfied that I wasn't trying to smuggle a life size statue of Lenin out of the country she handed us back our passports and with a look that said 'I'm watching you' and off she went to treat next door to the more of the same.

What a load of ****, evidently I'm allowed to be here or I wouldn't be, if you know what I mean. Surely it's goodbye & good riddance, we've had your money so on your bike. My visa runs out tomorrow anyway so what are they going to do, deny me exit and then deport me the day after tomorrow for overstaying my visa? Come to think of it that might be a quicker option. They can't exile me to Siberia, I'm already here and why have they jammed all the phone signals? Don't they know it's my daughter's birthday and I want to ring her. Do they really think I'm going to ring the dodgy Mongolian trader 2 carriages down and warn him to hide all his contraband, because the 'we take things too seriously' squad is on the way? My apologies Russia, I have really enjoyed your country, but for god's sake lighten up!

Now we chug 21km down the track and it's the Mongolians turn to do their thing. Things are far more efficient this side although I initially had my doubts when a lady in high heeled boots and a long black leather coat strode down the corridor and asked for our passports. She reminded me or Herr Flick, but after studying our passports and visa's carefully she stamped them and handed them back. The customs declaration was equally efficient, but at the end of the day it didn't really make much difference as we had to hang around for a couple of hours to ensure that we didn't arrived in Ulaan Baatar too early.

The Journal now moves to the Mongolia link for 2 days before returning here.

Day  12 - Thursday 20^th October 2005 - Colin's Account

We are on the train again and this time our cabin is very different. We have a shower, shared with the next door cabin and the bunks are on top of one another rather than side by side. The restaurant car is very swish, with wood panelling and engravings. We buy a tourist map of Beijing from the conductor and some supplies from the platform hawkers, juice, apples and water.
We are almost done with our first lonely plant guide (The trans-Siberian railway) and despite the odd inaccuracy, it has been excellent.
We are brought lunch on a tray by our conductor (even though it's only 9.57am), at last 1st class is beginning to resemble 1st class. Chatted to a guy from New Zealand in the restaurant car who says that the best time to visit the west coast of the south island is end of January and February. He told us a story about their Russian/Mongolian border crossing that made ours seem tame by comparison. In 2nd class all the traders were running up and down the corridors moving stuff from carriage to another as each one cleared customs. The Provodnitsa's were in on the act, stashing loads of contraband in their cabins and offices which, of course, customs didn't check. The New Zealander's cabin was next door to the Provodnitsa's and quite a few traders opened his door in error. At one point a trader burst in, chucked a couple of bolts of silk on his bed and ran off again. Half and hour later he was back to collect it!

We have arrived at the Mongolian/Chinese Border and what a difference. The Mongolian side took under an hour, the Chinese even less. The only addition on the Chinese side was a health declaration form and a promise that we weren't bringing in anything detrimental to the morals of the country. Then it was off to the bogie changing shed as Mongolia & Russia operate on a different track gauge to everyone else. We were shunted backwards and forwards and lifted up in the air by huge jacks while they rolled the old bogie's away from under us and replaced them with the new size. This all took a couple of hours and excitement over it was off to sleep.

Day  12 - Thursday 20^th October 2005 - Sam's Account

Back home -> the train. Well it seems like home at the moment!

We were greeted this morning with a huge friendly smile from our Mongolian male Provonitsa who chuckled at our glee when we saw our cabin.

We are now travelling on a Chinese train and you can see the difference in quality. We have a shower to share with the cabin next door and more space in our cabin as the beds are superimposed, like bunk beds. It's a bit of a clamber onto the top bunk but definitely worth the space gain. It's a shame we only have one day on the train really.

The restaurant cart is now Mongolian and unlike the Russian restaurant cart (which only had a couple of other people in it at best), it's totally jam packed with people queuing in the central aisle for tables ; "it's smokin'!". Lots of Mongolians are in the carriage, drinking, eating, smoking and chatting animatedly. Wonderful!

Boarder controls were a cinch compared to our previous cross boarder experience. Very efficient, and the bogie changes went smoothly too. Sorry that the photo's are so naff.

In addition to all these positives, the scenery (other than the Gobi desert) is really interesting too.

If you ever want to do the trans-Siberian speak to me first as I have perfect itinerary to offer you at a "wewy spechial pwice... !"

The Trans-Siberian journal ends here & moves to the China link