Moleskine Entry: April 15th, 2011
I did some decorating last night. I figured as we were hosting guests (Ben and Oly have two friends on a different carriage), I should give the Czar’s/Tsar’s Retreat a once over.
What do you think?
Category: Moleskine
Share it if you love it
Christmas in Siberia
Moleskine entry: April 15th, 2011
My watch says it’s April 15th but honestly, it could be any time. Officially we’re into our second full day of train travel and, at 12:25pm Moscow time, we’re all very hungover.
Also, we’ve established a constitution:
Which so far have fared us well. Plus, to help pass the time (between the vodka and the beer) we’ve organised different things to look forward to throughout the week.
Last night was ‘dress fancy’ night. Seven of us in total ventured down to the restaurant car for an evening dinner and, for a time, we were the only ones there.
Much merriment was had…
Oly & Me. Good lad.
Later, a fairly inebriated Mongolian woman came to join us at our table and, much to our shared amusement, we soon discovered that the only the only English that she knew was in the form of Christmas carols.
On a train, somewhere in deepest Siberia, in the middle of April, singing Christmas carols… with a drunk Mongolian.
Brilliant. I don’t even have a box for that but I’m ticking it anyway.
THAT WAS ONLY DAY ONE!
Time Travel
Moleskine entry: April 14th, 2011
Within the train, we’re on Moscow time. The timetables, dining schedule and bar opening hours are all on Moscow time.
When we get off the train however (at various stations and stops along the way), we’re suddenly on local time, which could be anything upwards of +2/3/4hrs more.
Time travel.
Day One*: The Czar’s Retreat
Moleskine entry: April 14th, 2011
Where do I begin?
It’s 11:30 Moscow time* and we’ve just woken up somewhere in Siberia. It’s OK, we are actually on a train (the trans-Mongolian express don’tcha know) and after a first, somewhat restless night of sleep, we’re around 850km outside of Moscow with another 3800km to go – it should be a long five days of travel ahead.
But that’s just it, it should be. However I doubt very much that it actually will. My four travel companions are quite frankly, awesome and last night – our first night aboard – was hilarious.
First there was the smuggling incident.
Some background: each cabin beds four. There are five of us. The others are two pairs and then there’s me. Which in turn means that there was every chance I’d be rooming with three random Mongolians. Except, I’m not. I’ve got the whole frickin’ room to myself [for the time being, at least]!
Which brings us to the smugglers. Marina, our Honcho in Moscow, had warned us about them already and – before we left – offered some handy advice:
“When you get in your cabin, check everywhere. If something looks like it doesn’t belong, put it outside your room. Not out the window, just put it in the corridor. The smugglers will just take it and move it elsewhere.”
Sounds easy enough, right? Wrong.
I checked my compartment quite thoroughly and still managed to miss two bags of stuff and one plastic torso [don’t ask] – the cabins aren’t even that big! Next door however, a mad Mongolian woman had started taking stuff out of their ceiling!
The woman was fairly camera shy [they’re smugglers after all], but I managed to get this one of her son who climbed up after her to reach into another compartment within the ceiling.
Speechless.
Later, after said smuggler had left, we realised that my room was free [apart from me – see above] and have since transformed it into a makeshift bar – aka ‘The Czar’s Retreat’.
3800kms to go. This trip, like I said before, is going to be – in the truest sense of the word – epic.
—————–
I’m just wrapping up this diary entry and I need to add in one more thing. Sally has just asked if someone could go with her to get beer. “I don’t know where the bar is.” she says. “It’s OK…” we reply “…we’ll draw you a map.”
Brilliant.
—————–
*Day One on the train, obviously…
Bits + Pieces
Moleskine entry: April 13th, 2011
QotD:
“How western are we? After an hour on a train in a communist state, we’ve already created a democracy!”
– said on the group deciding on a bar name for my room. Which, incidentally, was ‘The Czar’s / Tsar’s Retreat’
– said on the group deciding on a bar name for my room. Which, incidentally, was ‘The Czar’s / Tsar’s Retreat’
“Time doesn’t matter, we’re on a Mongolian spaceship!”
– on discovering that, even though we’re crossing four time zones, the time on the train stays on Moscow time. Amazing.
– on discovering that, even though we’re crossing four time zones, the time on the train stays on Moscow time. Amazing.
“There were some larger bottles of vodka, but they were more expensive.”
– more at eleven.
– more at eleven.
New Friends
Moleskine entry: April 12th, 2011 (cont)
We did a lot today – much I want to cover but first I need to finish off what happened last night – I called the Honcho, Marina, as requested –
–
– and managed to get directions to the restaurant where they were all grabbing dinner. 10mins later (and one short hop, skip and a jump down the late night snowy streets of Moscow) and I’d found them. Awesome.
Two brothers, Ben & Oly (on a vodka-drinking YouTube mission – more on that one on a later date) and two friends, Sally & Mel. The latter pair used to live together and Mel, the Aussie of the group, is on her way back home (Sal’s just along for the ride). They’re a good bunch and I reckon I’ve landed on my feet quite nicely…
We were joined by another group of travellers last night too. This bunch are headed off to Mongolia later today (we may run into them there, but if not then we’re definitely meeting up in Beijing) and they were more than happy to join us for post-dinner vodka and beer.
It was… a late night, a lot of fun and – as first nights in Moscow go – not bad at all.
– – –
Today, Tuesday, we woke up around 10am local time and remembered we’d agreed to go running before breakfast. Ben & Oly were committed (or at least should be) and I joined them. 3.5miles-ish, in total. With our loop point being St Basil’s Cathedral.
Look, I even made you a map –
–
Like I said before; Madness.
Post-morning workout we headed out in search of food and – what with it being 50yrs since Uri Gagarin took man’s first step into space – we made plans to visit the Moscow Space Museum (along with pretty much every other resident of Moscow for that matter), but that can wait for another day.
Basically today, my first 24hrs in Moscow, has been fantastic. I’ve got a smile on my face and four new friends to travel with.
Running in Moscow
Moleskine entry: April 12th, 2011
No no, we really did…
\
[click through for more + geo-tagged awesomeness]
A morning jog around Red Square. Russians watched, and laughed.
It’s snowing in Moscow
Moleskine entry: April 11th, 2011
It’s 9pm local time, I’m staying at the Godzilla Hostel which, while not being shaped like a 240ft tall old school feature creature, is certainly covered from head to toe with numerous bits of Godzilla-themed paraphernalia.
Interesting.
I’m staying with a group of four others: having arrived late to find four of the six beds in the shared room already taken one can assume the number but, hopefully [aside from being the spare wheel], plus the Honcho* we should be a good healthy six-some.
We shall see.
…
..
.
The others are all out at the moment, I’ve only just settled. I guess I could go out and find them..
Actually, think I will.
–
*The word ‘Honcho’, is the name given to the local guide that we’ve been given in each city.
Basically, they rock.
Moscow 0.1
Moleskine entry: April 11th, 2011
There’s a larger entry to come later today I’m sure but, it’s 19:50 local time, I’ve been in this taxi for nearly an hour and if the Godzilla Hostel doesn’t actually look like the Japanese legend of old, I am going to be thoroughly, thoroughly disappointed.
That is all.
whatleydude.com 