China Russia combined journals

Here are the combined journals of Thomas and Nancye Van Brunt from our May 2007 round the world trip: Korea, China, Mongolia, Siberia, Russia, German, Belgium and home. If you want to see our pictures send a request and your e mail address to philippiansfoursix@hotmail.com

From: yourownephod@hotmail.com
Subject: journal
Date: July 9, 2007 12:40:40 EDT
To: goodsamvicar@swohio.twcbc.com

China/Mongolia/Russia

Trans-Siberian Railway May 2007

Tom’s entries will look like this:

June 6, 2007. Nancye and I have just returned from a three week trip around the world. It was the sort of adventure that happens only once in a lifetime. On May 10 we flew to Beijing from Cincinnati, Ohio. There we spent four days seeing the usual sights. Then we embarked on the central piece of our trip. We boarded the Trans-Siberian railroad in Beijing and rode all the way to Moscow. On the way we had an over night stay in Ulaan Baator, the capital of Mongolia. Reboarding we spend four full days relaxing on the train - or as Nancye says, “Camping out on the train.” Then we had three nights in Moscow, the overnight train to St. Petersburg and three nights and days there. In Ulaan Baator, Moscow and St. Petersburg we stayed with local residents in a ‘homestay.’

On May 29 we flew to Cologne, Germany and stayed one day with my college sweetheart, Kate Adcock Siegel. On the 30th we took a train to Brussels where we spent the night so we could get up early the next morning and fly to New York and Cincinnati.

In the coming days I will post some stories from the trip and if I can figure out how to do it some pictures.

Three for the moment.

Several years ago I got a wild idea. Why not drive a Land Rover to Alaska, take a ferry across the Bering Straits and then drive across Siberia to Western Europe. I actually investigated this idea eventually talking with some one at National Geographic and learning that there are no roads in eastern Siberia and no gas stations. We would have to mount an expedition similar to ascending Mt. Everest. So.

Then we discovered the Trans Siberian railway and spent several years planning and saving for this great adventure. Rather than start in Vladivostock we decided to begin in Beijing and to see that city as well as the two Russian cities at the other end of the line. So we did.

Nancye’s entries will look like this:

May 10 We are on our way, tired already, and we’ve only completed the first leg . . .
The original inspiration was to buy a Land Rover, drive to Alaska, across to Kamchatka and thence cross country to Moscow. Even the National Geographic people said no to that—no gas stations, no roads. And we didn’t have money to mount an expedition.
So—we fly to Beijing, pickup the Transiberian Railway and go all the way to Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Tom has had a lot of anxiety and even asked me last week how mad I would be if we couldn’t go. A couple of visits to therapist and family doctor gave lots of encouragement and an adjustment in medication. So far, so good.
Today has been a beautiful day to fly. I decided to use part of my inheritance to upgrade to business or first class for the first legs of the trip, fulfilling a longstanding wish to travel somewhere a long way away first class. It doesn’t get any farther than this.

Tom

May 10, 2007 Los Angeles Airport. We finished packing this morning with much time to spare. I have been very anxious about the trip, but the encouragement of Nancye and my doctors and the use of Xanax is going to make this work. Chris Gardner arrived about 1:30 Eastern time to drive us to the Cincy airport.

The flight to the LA airport was a little bumpy - one big jolt spilled drinks. We flew first class to LA, wide seats, free drinks and a pretty good dinner. It is 10:30 pm body time and our plane to Seoul, Korea leaves here at 1:30 am Pacific time which is 4:30 am body time. Then a 12-13 hour flight to Seoul and on to Beijing. We are tired but have made the first leg of our round the world trip.

Nancye

May 11 Friday 1:30 am On the plane to Korea and if we’d known the correct time to reset our watches, it would actually be Saturday, May 12.
Yesterday Chris Gardner droved us to the airport where we got a Delta flight to LA, first class. Very nice—especially the wider seats and leg room. Not a bad dinner either of grilled chicken, cheese stuffed crepe, fresh green salad and apple/caramel cheesecake, served on china though with plastic utensils and glasses. First boarding and what would you like to drink before takeoff?
The only downside was turbulence, not terribly bad except for two major air packets while we were eating. Drinks went everywhere, especially the red wine. Fortunately ours was white. One of the attendants said she had only ever experienced such a drop in twenty years of flying.
We watched a forgettable movie and then opened the window shade as we approached LA. How very different from green Ohio. LA itself is extremely flat but backs up to rugged hills which look like the tectonic plates just pushed them up last month. Smooth landing, loved the 68 degree weather (where we should have stayed longer), than a 7 ½ hour wait in the international terminal before our 1:30 am flight—4:30 am body time though we tried to ignore that. The terminal was rather grim, needing updating, not even much in the way to buy to eat or anything and rusty bathrooms.
12 ½ hours LA to Incheon, Korea, so we had to eat no matter what our very tired bodies wanted. I wanted to try the Korean food anyway. The dish called I believe bibambug (actually bibimbap) consists of minced beef and seasonal vegetables, in this case spinach, mushrooms, squash and 2 unidentifiable things. Surprisingly these were served cold with hot chili paste and sesame oil along with 2 kinds of pickles. It was good but not what I wanted at that time of day.
The 777 is a nice plane, very smooth and quiet (except for some turbulence which the pilot warned us about 6 hours ahead). Thank goodness for reclining seats. Tom told me this morning I had made the right decision to upgrade.
I sat next to a very chatty guy who has traveled all over the world and who was full of well intentioned advice. Neither Tom not I slept well but I feel a lot better than when I got on the plane. Tom’s continuing low grade anxiety is debilitating.
We have a 2 hour layover in Incheon before getting to Beijing around noon. We’ve flown Korea Airlines and are very impressed. We had our first view of Asia a few hundred feet off the ground as we landed in rain at Incheon which is an island off Seoul. The only thing here is the airport which looks mightily like every other airport but is new and nicer than the shabby international terminal at LA. We actually flew over Korea, did a 270 degree turn and landed on the island. It’s a tribute to the plane and the pilot that we could not perceive the turn but followed it on a real time animated map.

Tom

12 May 2007 7 am Seoul , Korea air port. We left LA at about 4:30 am Eastern body time. We arrived here about half an hour ago. Weary. did not sleep well. We crossed the international date line for the firs time. We both like the Boeing 777. Really quiet. Now we wait 2 and a half hours for our flight to Beijing.

Airports is airports. They look alike as you are landing and when you get inside. The Korean air stewardesses look much alike. Hair tied in a bun and all thin and young and pretty. Very pretty. Like stewardesses used to have to be in America.

Same day 2:30 pm Beijing, China. Plaza Royal Hotel. On the plane from Seoul to Beijing, Nancye and I were the only first class passengers. Good food - a cod with a “Chinese cream sauce”.

We got through the airport really fast. Customs were easy and our bags awaited us when we got to the carousel.

“Jimmy” - we’ll find out his real name later - [we never did] met us at the airport. He is our guide for the next two days. A taxi brought us to the hotel -about half an hour from the airport. This is a pretty nice place, redone rather ginger bread looking place. The girl at the desk was horrified that we wanted to go out for a walk. “O, there is nothing around here!” she said. But she did tell us about a food store a couple of minutes walk.

Food Store! This was Wal-Mart, Kroger and Jungle Jim’s in one! Amazing displays of food. Many things exotic to us - veggies we could not identify. Live fish and many fresh fish. Chicken breasts in a pile that people sort through like socks! Fingering them.

The store had many, many employees, people standing around displays hawking their wares, helping people and many just standing there.

We also noticed the huge variety of facial and body types. At least in the big city, China is, well, I was going to say polyglot, but truthfully many different oriental types. I think I have seen one black person in the last two days.

We came back to the room and read a bit and then to dinner in the hotel. The elaborate buffet had only four diners. We think it may be more populated later, but all that food sitting there on steam tables for hours! Then we walked through the complex of building of which this is a part. It includes a mixture of offices and apartments in high rises - neo gothic - modern buildings with pseudo -European court yard in the middle: fountains and patios. This must be pretty up market.

Nancye

May 13 After a 2 hour layover in Incheon, we boarded another Korean Air to Beijing. We were the only first class passengers and felt very pampered with 2 attendants to take care of us.
We were served a “light meal” even though it was 10:30 in the morning. Since we’d had breakfast at about 4 it was time. Once again, all china and glass, cloth tablecloth and napkins, individual ceramic salt and pepper. We had an amazing tuna tartar with cream followed by steamed cod with Chinese cream and mixed veg (though what they were was a mystery). Seasonal fresh fruit—very good and olive “scorn” (scone?). Began with a bloody mary for me, scotch for Tom and a good Chablis with; after all, it was “free.”
Because it was just us, we got photos with our attendants. Korea Air seems to use standards like the old days. The uniforms are very fashionable ivory suits with mix and match turquoise, a stiff scarf at the neck and a fish shaped bow at the back of the head. Two hair styles: slicked back with a bun or a short bob. Body shapes and faces are very similar or uniform. Men all wear navy blue.
We were met at the airport after a painless move through customs. Our bags beat us to the baggage claim!
Jimmy our guide tells us there are 27(!!) taking this trip. It’s somewhat disappointing but we’ll have to go out of our way to meet the locals.
Beijing airport looks like any other big airport. We notice how many signs are bilingual, Chinese and English, not only at the airport but everywhere. It’s not universal but pervasive.
As we drove to the hotel, we noticed huge blocks of tall apartments everywhere. Not surprising I guess considering the population. There wasn’t nearly as much traffic as we would expect in America, though apparently it’s increasing. They are installing a light rail system before the 2008 Olympics which is apparently controversial.
We had thought our hotel was going to be newer but it’s quite nice in the European grand hotel mode. Surprising that so much statuary and art is definitely Western (fox and hounds in the lobby and faux Greek or Roman in the courtyard). The hotel obviously caters to business and tourist travelers, mostly Asian but many westerners. Of course, as soon as we entered the international terminal in LA we became a distinct minority.
Despite our exhaustion from traveling for 29 hours, we showered (bliss) and went for a walk. Directed to the local supermarket to buy bottled water, we experienced traffic which inconsistently yields to pedestrians—watch out!
The B & Q is a four story shopping mall though all the little shops seem to be owned by the same company. Tons of people shopping at 1 pm on a Saturday. The supermarket rivals any of our bigger stores.
Two things of note: so many labels and signs are bilingual, Chinese and English, even the shelf labels in the supermarket.
As I take this up again, I don’t remember what the 2 things of note were despite my little reminder.
Last night we ate at the hotel which had a buffet. I feel like a feeder pig.
Our hotel is part of a larger complex of business and residential buildings, all attached around a closed courtyard in back. Obviously a rather upscale neighborhood. Beijing has 17 million inhabitants. The scope is difficult to grasp but one sees block after block of tall apartment buildings and plenty more under construction. The architecture for the most part is pretty grim with communist Russian influence. Buildings I guessed were built in the fifties were actually built in the seventies and are already crumbling. It looks like something out of a futuristic sci fi movie or “1984.”
Breakfast at the hotel is buffet style and one can get almost anything from Chinese porridge to waffles to a full English breakfast.
Good thing we ate well because it was a long day. First I discovered that though there are 27 in our group here, 25 are taking a 2 week tour around China—we’re the only ones going to Russia. I would say half of the rest of the group are Chinese or expatriate or 2nd generation. Many are from Canada and we all made our way here by different routes.
We spent the morning at Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. The guides just can’t give a good notion of the size of these places. The Forbidden City is layered like an onion with the square outside the south end. The most daunting thing is the sheer number of people even first thing in the morning.
Once again we are visiting places shrouded in canvas and scaffolding. Several of the buildings in the Forbidden City are undergoing renovation in preparation for the Olympics next year. Because of the press of the crowds this year, I hate to think what it will be like then.
In Tiananmen Square, I was asked via sign language to have my picture taken with a Chinese couple. We met our first professional beggars. These are truly sad people, some maimed.
If you hate or get nervous in crowds, don’t visit Beijing. There are huge numbers of tourists, mostly Chinese so it can be difficult to actually contemplate what you are seeing or even see it.
Beijing air is badly polluted though this time of year tends to be windy. A cloud envelopes the city but because of the wind it doesn’t smell bad most places we’ve been. It tells on the buildings though and both the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace show a lot of filth or damage on their surfaces, except those parts recently renovated. The last emperor’s throne room with hangings, thrones and other artifacts badly needs money and a curator. It’s shabby and filthy and hard to see through the dirty windows.
We ate lunch at a restaurant that seems to cater to western tourists. The buffet included French fries! And there were no chopsticks on the tables. I wasn’t particularly hungry but had some good veggies, including some type of fungus.
It was a bright sunny day in the 80s and Tom and I had each taken a bottle of water (about a pint—half a liter?) but even having finished it before lunch we knew we were somewhat dehydrated and bought 3 more bottles. The experienced bus driver had a fridge on the bus and sold water 3/10 yen, about or less than $1.50, very competitive and cold. We drank most of it before dinner.
Afternoon took us to the Summer Palace, if anything even more crowded than the Forbidden City, parts of which were, guess what, under renovation. Still a much more pleasant place. We finished our tour with a boat ride across the 75 acre lake.
Just in time we arrived at the Temple of Heaven for a tea ceremony. Actually it was more a lecture on tea, a tasting and sales opportunity but nice. Then to dinner for a more traditional meal, also good and way too much. We passed on the kung fu exhibition this evening to come back, bathe and relax.
Maybe one of my things of note was the incredible facial variation in the crowds. There are many ethnic groups in China, all represented in Beijing. It is impossible to identify a “typical” Chinese face.

May 13, 2007. Beijing. It is a little before 8 pm. We just got back from a long day of sightseeing.

Buffet breakfast in the hotel. “Full English” and more. Corn on the cob - rice porridge. Well, I had some bacon and scrambled eggs and a really nice croissant.

About 25 of us lead by “Jimmy” went first to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. That took about four hours and lots of sweat. It was hot, sunny and the air polluted. So many people everywhere we went. The buildings mostly are grand, but the grounds are bare. No trees except for the small garden in the back or north of the Forbidden city. The whole thing cries out, “Don’t com in Here! You are too small to be par of this!” I provokes awe.

A buffet lunch. We were exhausted and de hydrated by lunch time. In the afternoon to the Summer Palace. Just as hot but more shade. We all walked slower and all took the boat across the lake -Kunming Lake. Our guide knows so much, sometime he goes on too long, but he is really good and keeps us together. We follow his flag through many other groups going in all directions.

Dinner was sit down deal with eight different dishes! So Good.

We also went to a tea “ceremony” earlier. It was really a demonstration intended to sell us cups and tea - which Nancye did.

There was a martial arts show tonight, but since, it was optional, Nancye and I and most of the others cam back to the hotel.

The architecture of Beijing is depressing. High rise offices and apartments that look run down and drab - grim is what the city looks like. Mostly no more than eight stories or so. There are some glass encased buildings and a few try to be creative, but mainly this is an ugly city. Incredible traffic with cars , bicycles, mopeds, huge tourist buses all driving wherever they feel like and pedestrians walking blithely through it.

A good day - exhausting.

I hope we sleep longer tonight. Last night we went to bed at 9 pm because we could not stay awake. I woke up at 2 am and tossed and turned for four hours.


May 14 I think one of the things of note was the observation that in the supermarket there was wrapped meat for sale but the poultry counter had raw cut up and whole chickens out where people could paw through them and people were. No way I would buy chicken there.
Another observation: though I can appreciate the complexity and craftsmanship of traditional Chinese architecture, I don’t especially like it.
Jimmy our guide in Beijing is a very personable young man who spoke English quite well. He gave us history and culture lectures as we were driving from place to place. He says he wasn’t clever enough to go to university but the competition is tough (getting easier though). He explained the result of the one child per family policy put in 20 years ago. These single children are spoiled by parents and grandparents and expect everything. Many continue to live with parents if they don’t get a perfect job. Jimmy calls them parasites, probably because he’s out there busting his butt.
We hadn’t expected such a regimented tour schedule in Beijing with so many people but we saw the highlights and we probably couldn’t have gotten around by ourselves so efficiently. It is difficult to imagine just how large Beijing is with 17 million people. Jimmy says you can drive any direction from the center for 2 hours and still be in Beijing. Considering the traffic that is definitely true.
Traffic is horrendous during the day. 8 and 10 lane roads full of busses and trucks, lots of small cars, bicycles, pedicabs, motorcycles and pedestrians, everyone going where they feel like. Lane markers seem to be a suggestion. Our driver made more than one U turn from the 3rd lane. Despite near misses, pedestrians rarely seem to speed up or even notice. Despite this, we never saw an accident though there are continual close calls.
The cars of choice for taxis are VW Jetta and Hundai Sonata. Despite the chaos, people don’t seem to speed or have road rage.
Beijing is in a flurry of new building and demolition before next year’s Olympics. Its “native bird” is the construction crane. Despite all the building you don’t get the closed in feeling of other cities for two reasons—the broad roads and the fact that all buildings within the second ring road are limited to 100 meters tall. Of course there are vibrant healthy neighborhoods and those where hovels are next to new buildings and we didn’t see any older neighborhoods call hudongs. It would be interesting to see whether all this continues after the Olympics.

14 May 2007, Monday, Beijing. A long day after a sleepless night. At least it seemed sleepless - worry and anxiety about the rest of the trip and what could go wrong.

Ming Tombs in the morning, the Great Wall in the afternoon and two fine Chinese dinners, then a bad rendition of the Peking Opera in the evening back at the hotel about 9:30 pm.

The Great Wall is everything I anticipated. It is grand - so large as to be incomprehensible and so graceful running up and down over the sharp hills. Some passages so steep it felt like being on a ladder. We were at the Badaling portion for about two hours. I hope my photos will be good.

There are many people in the tourist sites hawking caps and shirts , post cards and “Rolex” watches. They are very pushy. I bought two Olympics caps for 5 yen -about $.75! I bought an “I climbed the Great Wall” t shirt for 80 yen, about $6.

They are even on the wall itself. One woman was selling steel rings that magically link together. Anyway I said, “Let me show you a trick.” And I did the pull-your-finger-off trick I learned from my dad. She wanted to learn how to do it - so I showed her and two other sales people crowed around. I spoke no Chinese and the only the English names of what they were selling. Very interesting.

I’ve written little about the wall here. It is too whatever for my description. It is the highlight of the trip so far.

May 15 Yesterday was another exhausting day. We began at the Jade Palace learning about types of jade and how it is carved and then wandered the several sales rooms. Jade really isn’t my favorite stone though the amber bowls were pretty. In back was furniture. We did find antique screens, bedstead and stepped cabinet, all very different from the ornate inlaid lacquered stuff. We resisted the temptation.
Next was the Ming Tombs where 13 of 16 emperors are buried. Only one tomb has been excavated but the first which established the valley as a burial place is the largest and most impressive. Lots of steps as we passed through entry gates and climbed up to the burial mound. It was another hot dry sunny day so it was a refreshing place to visit out of town, especially since there were far fewer tourists there. We ended by walking about a mile down the entry path lined by huge stone animal guards. What a way to go.
After another restaurant meal we had time to browse the Friendship Store, a huge emporium having lots of handicrafts as well as lots of other merchandise. I made my first attempt at bargaining for some silk pajamas but was unsuccessful, so I walked away.
Then to the Great Wall 44 miles out of Beijing. It was a somewhat terrifying drive up the mountains to Badaling Pass. This is the most popular section to visit but since 70% of tours go in the morning it wasn’t hugely crowded though very popular. It is difficult to
Later—Don’t know the rest of that thought, but might be along the lines of difficult to express the impact of the wall. There are five renovated sections open to the public. The wall runs along the top of steep mountains 3200 miles. It’s understandable why it took 1000 years and several dynasties to complete. Once on the wall you can go either an easier way or a harder way. We chose the harder since there were fewer people. Both ways were up hill (duh). The altitude was between 2000 and 3000 feet so not much problem there but the way got steeper and steeper, enough to be disorienting and eventually became steps with a rise like climbing a ladder. We made it almost to the third tower. One of the most amazing things is that there were sellers of cheap souvenirs all the way up and beyond. Cheap means price and there is some trash but $5 for a pashmina wrap?
While resting we were approached by a seller of what I would call pub games including “magic rings” (probably the only English words she knew). We declined but Tom showed her the “magic” removable thumb trick. This brought over two other guys. It was a hit.
On the way up we met two women one from Mexico and one from Beijing speaking in largely unaccented English. Coming down was almost as difficult as going up. Near the top of the steep staircase you can’t see the steps and it looks like it drops off a cliff. Thank goodness for the handrails, especially on the sloped part.
I hurt when we came down and feared I would be in bad shape today but am OK.
After another big restaurant meal, we went to the tourist version of the Peking Opera. It was enough. There were projected subtitles which were the worst translations I’ve ever seen which basically told the story and repeated it continually. The women’s voices were the high pitched and piercing quality needing no magnification but they were, despite the small theatre. The makeup, costumes and kung fu were really great as were the percussionists abut overall this is an acquired taste.
Another exhausting day.
Tom continues to have low level anxiety especially in the morning. We both took sleeping pills last night, fell asleep quickly and woke up in the wee hours. Many of the others in the group complain of the same malady.
Today was to be a free day for us and we had planned to take a guided walk listed in the guidebook. Jimmy our guide offered this whole day of activities and meals to us for free, so this morning we went back to actually visit the Temple of Heaven which is now largely a public park.
This is a popular place for retirees to spend much of the day. There was a huge group doing a coordinated exercise with paddles and balls and two smaller groups doing tai chi with fans and swords. There was a group doing ball room dancing and another doing Texas two steps. There is a version of hackysack with a feathered toy and it is intriguing to watch these older people doing it. Others were playing poker, dominos or a type of checkers. Here and there were groups singing what Jimmy said were old communist era songs. There were a couple of musical groups and what appeared to be some street theatre. Even without all the tour groups the park would be crowded.
You have to pay to get into the actual temple area but even there are the omnipresent vendors. We learned to say “ “ an expression I’ve already forgotten which means “not interested” which works pretty well. [I do wonder if Jimmy told us something crude.]
After lunch we bade farewell to the group as we opted out of a walk through a neighborhood and a Peking duck dinner tonight. Jimmy got us in a cab and we came back to the hotel to rest and organize.
I forgot that we went to the Silk Market after the Temple of Heaven. I learned how they make silk comforters and had hands on experience stretching the silk. The large cocoons made by 2 worms are not suitable for reeling so they are soaked, the worms removed and the cocoon opened and stretched over a metal arch maybe 12” high. After several layers, the silk is removed and stretched over a larger arch. Once dry this is stretched by four people to the size of the comforter. A heavier winter quilt takes 420 layers, summer quilts less. The silk will not bunch or shift so it requires no quilting. A simple cotton envelope holds the silk and a duvet cover of silk of course is used.
8:30 pm We are so glad we chose to take the afternoon off! We both napped and generally relaxed before having dinner in the hotel. We were greatly encouraged to eat from the buffet instead of a la carte—seems somebody didn’t want to cook. Since we got there at around 7, the food had been there for hours and produced the worst meal we’ve had here, though it was edible.
Afterward we took a stroll around the courtyard out back. Most of the fountains were actually running but not all successfully. As we came back in we met the rest of the group straggling in looking whupped. We have to leave at 6:30 in the morning, so to bed.


15 May 2007 Tuesday Beijing. Slept poorly again last night, but better than the night before. After breakfast with the group we went to the Temple of Heaven. Beautiful building - but I was most fascinated with the hundreds of people exercising in the park around it. Dancing, ribbon twirling, play with paddle ball, singing in choruses. Fascinating seeing the real people in their own places.

A silk show room was the next place. Somebody is probably getting kickbacks on these visits to commercial places.

Lunch and then Nancye and I took a taxi back to the hotel. Rest and regroup this afternoon. At 6:30 am tomorrow we head for the train station and the major purpose of our trip, the Trans Siberian Railroad from Beijing to Moscow.

May 16 Yet another night of little sleep but we were picked up right on time. The hotel had packed a breakfast of hard boiled egg, croissant, another pastry, 2 pieces of fruit and an English ham and cheese sandwich (no crust, no condiment) for each of us. They checked the room after we left it and asked about the book Tom left but somehow failed to mention the bottle of grain alcohol we left.
At the train station we were handed off to someone who walked us in and got us to the correct platform. Once again we met a bunch of Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders.
We actually went through security to enter, sending all luggage through a machine which wasn’t obviously being tended. On the other side of a metal scanner we picked up our luggage and walked away. There was one soldier to insist luggage was scanned but that was it. I had been fearful of the weight limit to the point of trying to figure out what to jettison if necessary, but no one asked.
Our roomette is pretty much as expected though we actually share a washroom with our neighbor. It has a sink and a handheld shower! [which turned out not to work]
The train is not new and many of the corridor windows quite dirty but ours in OK. There is a toilet at each end of the car and a samovar but also a thermos of hot water in a “closet.” Once we left the station and we got out of town our neighbor Judy came in and introduced herself. She’s traveling alone from San Francisco taking a break from her dying husband’s care. [Morgan] She spent a year over here 10 years ago so has much to tell us.
Then we both dozed. The lower bunk is quite hard (like the futon I slept on in Athens) but it was lovely to rest. We were provided with chits for free lunch and dinner. Lunch was rice, celery and cauliflower in sauce and pork meatballs with a different texture, flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg, I believe. We bought beer served room temperature though there was bottled water. We ate with our other neighbors from New Zealand, an older couple. He is one of those who raises his voice to be understood by foreigners.
The countryside is arid with signs of erosion, small farms. Rice paddies.
Stop at Datong. The first real stop at a station. Vendors of food are waiting.
We lucked out getting free lunch and dinner vouchers. Much simpler food but still more than I want. We had beer again and, when trying to pay with a 100 yen note, were waved off so they were free. The countryside is changing, becoming flatter and less rugged. Everything is so dry. We saw a short sand storm. It is amazing how many trees are being planted, especially along the railway. We also passed a wind farm.
At 8:45 pm we stop at the Mongolian border for customs and to have the bogies (wheel carriages) changed because Mongolia and China use a different gauge rail. We hope it won’t be much more than 2 hours.
While waiting in line at the station store, Tom was approached by a Mongolian woman who speaks English because he was wearing his George Bernard Shaw sweatshirt.
I’ve discovered it is impossible to write while the train is moving so entries will be sporadic.

16 May 2007 Wednesday. On the Trans Siberian Railroad between Beijing and the Mongolian border.

Another bad night of sleep. Awake much of the night. Up at 5:30 am, finished packing, checked out of the hotel. Taxi at 6:30 to the train station.

We have a two bed unit about 8 feet by 8 feet with a triangular room with sink shared with next compartment.

High sharp hills outside Beijing and many tunnels. Now it is flattening out with mountains in the distance. Few Trees, not even much grass. A Free lunch in the dining car: large meatballs with celery and cauliflower and rice.

It is hard to write while the train is moving so the above may be unreadable. We are now in a desolate part of China just before the border with Mongolia. No trees. Dust storms. Sheep. Piles of rock. Every village looks shabby and poor.

“Voolya” Thank you in Mongolian.

The train pulled out of Beijing on time at 7:40 this morning and into the border crossing into Mongolia about 8:30 this evening. We now sit and wait while they take off the wheels and replace them with Russian “boggies.” Apparently it can take up to five hours, but the scheduled stop is for two hours. We tried to change Chinese yens into Mongolian money, but for some reason they cannot do it. We bought some orange juice and a dried noodle soup to which you add water for lunch.

May 17 Our wait to get back on the train was only about 2 hours. I was falling asleep in the terminal. There is a small store catering to riders. We bought some orange juice and ramen noodles. A helpful woman next to me indicated I shouldn’t buy those particular noodles because the peppers on the label indicated it was very spicy so we changed the flavor.
Before we got off the train, we had to go through Chinese customs and give up our passports to get exit visas.
Oh, I forgot to say the train was met with fireworks and inspirational music. The train was lined along the platform by Chinese soldiers, one per car who stood at attention facing the train. Just what their function was is a mystery.
Back on the train, stumbling with fatigue, we got our passports back and the train moved. Not knowing the drill we got in bed. Very quickly the train stopped again, corridor lights came on and our door thrust open—time for Mongolian immigration. The agent was a beautiful woman in impressive uniform, full makeup, black hose with designs up the sides and pointy spike heels. I couldn’t figure out whether she had to come to work from a party or was on the way to something later. We’ll never know. I was in the top bunk which is pretty high and apparently I wasn’t seen. When asked for passport, Tom tried to give both of them. She took one and a scene of confusion ensued. Finally turns out, she was looking at my passport trying to identify Tom in the picture. Then there was some confusion about visas which we didn’t have since we were only in transit. Everything settled, we tried to sleep. Another bad night.
When I finally got up around 6:30 to go to the bathroom, I was stunned to open the door and be blinded by bright sun (the shade really works well). We were well into the Gobi Desert—all blowing sand, no plants, no animals, only the electric wires along the track. This is Saharan as I always pictured deserts but with low dunes. Eventually we did see a couple of small herds of wild Bactrian camels and herds of Mongolian ponies. This is truly inhospitable environment but we saw occasional homesteads and settlements. As the day passed some vegetation appeared along with lots of herds of sheep, more horses and sheep.
Yes, some Mongolians still live in yurts. Some settlements have a combination of yurts and brick houses and almost everybody has electricity (at least electric lines) even in remote areas. They have some nice cars too. Even here though is plastic trash along the tracks.
Breakfast turned out to be a treat—bread, butter and jelly, omelet, peach juice and tea. During the night the dining car had been changed to a Mongolian one which was really impressive with its carved wood partitions and décor. We spent time after breakfast conversing with two Australians and a couple from England.
As the day continued the land gradually became more hilly and had more grass and occasional trees. Interesting to see small settlements with a few new buildings and yurts and an equipped playground! Not to mention the occasional satellite dish.
Ulaan Baator is a city of about a million, such a small place after Beijing. While there is a feeling of greater prosperity here, the buses are old and rusty and the sidewalks crumbling or disappearing. Next July is the 800th birthday of Mongolia or Ghengis Khan but so far one only sees sprucing up of government buildings.
We went to the supermarket to buy supplies for the next leg of the train trip. No luck finding a sleep mask. Dinner at the Red Horse Pub—mushroom spaghetti which was a nice change.
We are having our first home stay with a delightful lady name Glaudia (?) who used to teach Russian. She has no English. Tom is getting a language workout. The apartment is a fifth floor walkup in a communist era building. The building is in poor repair but the apartment is better. Glaudia is living on a teacher’s pension but the apartment has 5 rooms. Twin beds tonight. Tom wanted a shower but there is no hot water so it was stand in the tub and dip from a bucket.

17 May 2007 Thursday. Somewhere south of Ulaan Baator on the Trans Siberian Rail Road. They changed the boggies in a little more than two hours and we thought we were off. But then the Chinese border people came by and returned our passports.

Nancye and I prepared for bed, shut off the lights and the train stopped again. I guess we went far enough to go over the Mongolian border so Mongolian customs people came through about midnight. The impeccably uniformed woman took one of the two passports I handed to her an rifled through it, looked puzzled and asked how old I am and asked me to look at her. I joked “Don’t I look like my picture.” She said, “No.” She was looking at Nancye’s passport.

Slept some but not enough. We had OJ we bought at the station last night and some crackers. later we went to the Mongolian restaurant care and had an omelet. the car is heavily carved wood. Very attractive.

The scenery is very brown. No trees, but many small ramshackle villages. Sheep, a few horses and an occasional camel.

7:45 pm Ulaan Baator, Mongolia. We arrived about half an hour late. A driver with pretty good English took us to our home stay. Ulaan Baator has the same ragged rundown look as Beijing without the high rise apartments and of course much smaller. I wonder what it is doing here? In the midst of the desert is a million people. The apartment building where we are has a woeful aspect on the outside and on the four story climb to the flat. But the apartment is neat and clean, five rooms with a bath and shower. Mme Gladia is a retired Russian teacher, very gracious and helpful. An old man lives here too, Husband? Father?

We walked across the street to a posh western hotel to change money and to the SKY department store where we bought some food for the train journey. After a bit of bourbon we walked to the center of the city. We were starred at a bit, there being so few Caucasians here. We ate at the Red Horse pub and Restaurant - spaghetti! Well, we have had our fill of Chinese food. We walked back across the central plaza and back to this apartment.
18 May 2007. Friday. Ulaan Baator train station aboard the Trans Siberian rail road waiting for it to leave. Breakfast at our homestay this morning. We went to see the Ganden Temple, a Buddhist monastery on the other side of the city. We tried to find a taxi, but could not, so we walked about an hour. We spent little time there because we had to be back for our pick up to the train station. And we walked all the way back. Nancye is especially tired. Most shops don’t open until 10 or 11 am - so Nancye did not get to do the shopping she wanted to do. Still she bought a cashmere scarf made in Mongolia. Relaxed at the room briefly then here to the train station.

May 18 Friday We walked down past parliament square and ended up eating at the Red Horse Pub. Not much going on there but the mushroom spaghetti was a refreshing change. Rush hour like any other except that we are objects of staring. Walking around is a challenge in places because the sidewalks are crumbling or missing. Once again this is a place of economic contrasts. The huge new beautiful parliament building (or façade) with its gigantic Ghengis Khan overlooking another large paved square in the Russian mode is quite impressive. It would be good to spend money on infrastructure but time will tell.
Yesterday afternoon we visited the Sky Market for supplies for the train. It is like a smaller Target or Meijer with groceries, all very nice. Our hostess directed us to walk through the Ghengis Khan Hotel to get to the store but the way was locked. Seeing our dilemma a manager had a bellboy take us through the basement and back up. Hotel basements all look similar. No luck finding a sleep mask which I know I will really want as we go north. The sun came up around 4 and with just a single layer of cotton curtain of course I was awake with the sun. Managed to doze off again I think.
Today we learned that things don’t open early in UB. We attempted to get a taxi at the hotel but there were none. [Why didn’t we go up and ask the bellmen to call one?] So we started walking toward the Gandan Monastary hoping to catch one on the way. Non-taxis pulled over as is common but we were afraid to try. As we walked we looked for cashmere shops—none open before 10:30. Glaudia had indicated we should be back by 11. Ended up walking all the way, about 50 minutes. The complex is pretty large but we were able to spin some prayer wheels and observe the monks chanting. The neighborhood around the monastery is pretty grim. Coming back still no go for a taxi. I stopped at one small cashmere shop and bought a scarf. Selection was limited as was our time so shopping was very disappointing. We tried to buy flowers but all the stands were inundated and when we had the opportunity found flowers to be awfully expensive. Turns out today is graduation day at the university.
Traffic note: there seem to be equal numbers of right and left hand drive cars on the road, driving on the right. We saw two traffic accidents. It’s interesting that the policemen have badges on their shirts which say Mongolian Police in English. UB is a fairly dirty city—lots more trash in the gutters and dirt everywhere than China. I only saw one street cleaner (and another amputee beggar). Our driver told us 10 years ago there was little traffic but there is a huge influx from the country. 80% of Mongolians live in UB. There are people in traditional garb as well as very hip looking young people. Figured black hose are a hot item with the girls.
Back to the train station for a 2:00 train. The passengers are a very different group of people—Mongolian and Russian. I haven’t heard English yet. No unusable shower room this time so I won’t have to climb up to the top bunk.
Later: We’ve come to the Russian border and are awaiting Mongolian immigration. There was a huge amount of movement of people with jeans, jackets, purses, and blankets up and down the corridor. We thought they were selling these items to the travelers though they never approached us. Our driver had mentioned that people on the train would be doing “business.” In conversation with Ola a young man from Norway who speaks very good English, we discovered these are smugglers. Ola has a compartment with an unoccupied bed and these people have stacked lots of goods on that bed. I’ve seen two people escorted off the train and a uniformed woman carrying several purses. It’s 9:30 pm and we still have to enter Russia. I hope this doesn’t take too long.

Nancye
May 19 Saturday Well, it did. About 5 hours to be exact. The Russians arrived, took our passports and ordered us out of our cabin. A soldier checked all the hidey holes we didn’t know about and one we did but did not open our luggage. And so on down the car. Hours later the customs lady came for our forms. We lay down with our clothes on and dozed. Meanwhile people in at least 5 different uniforms prowled the train, checking the roof and under the carriage. Eventually someone indicated we could go to bed. Sometime later our door was unlocked and our passports handed in. Good thing we didn’t need to use the restroom all that time.
Ola told us one of the smugglers was found to have contraband and bribed the official.
I slept poorly again but must have had some extended unconsciousness. Tom said he had had one of the best night’s sleep for weeks. Awoke at 7. We rose and breakfasted. We were way early compared to everyone else. I’ll take advantage of that tomorrow morning to wash my hair. We are gradually trying to adjust body time.
Again much to-ing and fro-ing and movement of merchandise.
We skirted Lake Baikal this morning. Very beautiful. Stopping at a small town on the other side, we were met with local vendors but they all were offering dry fish. No thanks. Smugglers jumped off and made some quick sales.
The landscape has varied a lot today. Forested around Lake Baikal, rolling with a few trees like parts of Ohio, fairly flat empty steppes like Kansas, more forest. Along much of the way there were settlements and towns along the tracks, most with their whole yards plowed for gardens. Lots of folks have greenhouses where they are starting plants.
There is a lot of fire damage in the trees, though most of it seems like grass fire burning rather than forest fire. It goes on and on and I wonder how much was caused by cigarettes flipped from the train.
Went to the dining car for lunch of borscht—quite good. We paid in dollars and got change in rubles. Interesting that the guy running it handled all the cash through his wallet.

19 May 2007 Saturday. Siberia. The train left on time from Ulaan Baator. Many people hauling bales of fabric or clothing on board. From Friday afternoon when we got on until now a “gang” of Mongolians have been carting piles of shirts, blankets, purses and other stuff back and forth in the train. It is not at all clear what they are doing but, Ola - a Norwegian fella in our car says they are smuggling these things into Russia. When we finally got to the border the Russian guards searched in all the cabins. Ola thinks the Mongolians bribed the officials. What we don’t understand is why they keep hauling the stuff back and forth. Sometimes they do it in bales and sometime one or two items.

Getting out of Mongolia and into Russia was a long tiring process. At least we could stay in our cabin. First the Mongolian official had to look at our passports and take them away. Then their customs official had a go. When we got our passports back the train moved forward in fits and starts.

After a long wait the Russians had their chance. I think we got to the border about 9:30 pm and left well after midnight. Sometime during the night our passports were returned.

I slept better and longer last night. We woke up at Ulaan Ulda in Russia and have been moving west all day. This is point at which we join the rail line from Vladivostock.

Breakfast - some dry cereal, tea, bread and jam. Lunch in the dining car: borscht with bread and beer. Dinner a dried noodle soup reconstituted with boiling water from the samovar.

We had ad difficulty getting rubles. The Mongolian Bank had very few. At the dining car a $50 bill was accepted with Russian rubles as change. At Irkusk we thought we’d find a bank at the station, but there was none. The ATM machine would not take Nancye’s debit card. But it took Ola’s so he did a second transaction and we bought rubles with dollars from a Norwegian.

The scenery has been spectacular and varied. From Ulaan Baator - dry and looking like eastern Colorado, it slowly greened up, trees appeared and water. The train follows the southern bank of Lake Baikal for many kilometers with many great views to the north across the lake. To the south some snow capped peaks.

Gradually more villages and towns. We saw many people outside working on garden plots. They are preparing the soil; nothing seems to be planted yet.

Nancye
May 20 Sunday As warned, the predvodnitza (the younger one) has treated the near restroom as her private one and frequently refuses to open it. I did manage to get in and, glory, there was hot water.
Taiga to the right of us, taiga to the left of us, little towns occasionally. It is a very gray day today, the first we have experienced. Ola got us some rubles yesterday from the ATM which won’t take my debit card. Actually it let me get through the process most of the way before denying me cash. We paid Ola back in dollars.
Yesterday evening for about 4 hours our smuggler friends down the hall gathered and sang very lively Mongolian songs. Fortunately they stopped around 8:30 because we had a sales stop. Tom pointed out to me that we stopped at a large town this morning which is why they were all up early.
Lunch in the dining car, this time “meat soup” and “scallop of pork.” The soup had more than one kind of meat (I really don’t want to know) and the vegetables were mainly pickles: cucumber, olives, and capers. Quite good. The “scallop” was a pork chop served with fried potatoes, corn, pickled carrots and peas. The veggies were cold so we only ate the carrots and potatoes with the pork. Still good but not cheap for $23, rather not a bad price if it were American but not cheap Russian. The proprietor again encouraged us to come back for dinner.
There were several Mongolian men at the rear tables drinking and smoking underneath the “no smoking” sign. We seem to have taken on more sales people and merchandise. Still no one has approached us. A scary looking woman stopped at our door and gave our room the once over. I hope she was looking to see if we were carrying some their stuff.
We are beginning to get more Slavs or Russians but as Tom pointed out, we are still in a very Asian part of Siberia.
We stopped at Mariinsk for half an hour where we got off and bought orange juice. Tom tried to take a photo of the front of the station but was stopped by a soldier. They really don’t want pictures taken of transportation centers or soldiers. We have about 5 hours to the next stop.
We passed the midpoint between Beijing and Moscow this morning. There is supposed to be a marker obelisk but if it’s still there, it is hidden in the trees.

20 May 2007 Sunday. On the Train in Siberia. Awakened in Krasnoyarsk this morning. We just passed the half way kilometer mark between Beijing and Moscow.

We have seen steppes and taiga, little mountain streams. We pass many small villages. They are motley gray weathered often with gaily painted shutters. Most have a fenced in yard - no grass. Either junk or a garden in the yard.

We have had a bit of rain and it is mostly cloudy today. We have had clear and sunny weather every day this trip until late yesterday.

The train operates on Moscow time even though we are several time zones away. So we are gradually moving our clocks back and our daily schedule later. I think we are gaining back the day we lost over the Pacific.

For breakfast we are eating dry cereal - we have a box of Chinese cherrios, bread and jam and tea.

Last stop at Achunk was 20 minutes. The Mongolians hawked their wares to the locals from the train doors making it hard to get off. So I went to the next car and got off, but the predvodnitza seemed not to want me to get back on - she of course did not recognize me.

We are stopped at Marinsk for 25 minutes. We just finished dinner in the restaurant car “meat” soup - a pork chop and potatoes with some pickles and bread, two beers. 570 rubles or about $23. Not cheap. Bought orange juice from a stall.

We had thought there would be babushkas at each stop selling hot food and fruit. At only one place has there been anyone selling food. One place some guys were selling dried fish. Still we are eating well and are healthy. Sleeping is better. The beds are narrow - 2-2 and a half feet wide, barely long enough and rather hard.

After getting our OJ we walked up and down the platform a little. We have settled into a routine - calm and quiet. I am pleased that I manage to get by with my very limited Russian. “apelsin sok” got me orange juice. Sorry, I don’t have a Cyrillic alphabet on my computer. I first just said apelcin and then added sok. She showed me oranges and I said cok and she found it. Great. I did it!

We sit reading and when the train stops we either write in our journals or get out and walk. Then there are times we just watch the country side roll by.

Trees, Trees, Trees.

May 21 Interesting day yesterday. While there has been some business done in some stations we stopped at, we were amazed at Novosbirsk. Sellers were on the platform as well as working from the entry ways of the train. People obviously expected the train and were running to meet them. The platform was covered with people buying and selling in a frenzy. Obviously what this trip is all about for the Mongolians. Ola sat with us for a while after. He told us much of the merchandise from the other bunk in his cabin was gone but when he woke up there was a strange man sleeping in it. While we talked the young predvodnitza and an unknown tall man indicated to Ola he should go with them. He was gone an hour or more while we began to wonder how to report a missing person. He came back with a flushed face and a smile. Turns out his bunk mate was a member of the Russian Customs volleyball team going home from winning a tournament. The whole team was in the cabin shooting vodka and Ola was included. We all had a relieved laugh. He admitted to being scared.
All day yesterday we passed through taiga. Towns are becoming more frequent and we are seeing bigger ones. At Novobirsk we got off and finally found a babushka selling food. We bought pelmini rather than pizza or “hot dog” though all were handmade. With Ola’s beer and chocolate that was dinner.
Sometime today we will officially leave Siberia, cross the Urals and officially be in European Russia. Not terribly tall, the Urals are scenic if scarred by strip mining.
Later The taiga has flattened out and there are lots of trees near the track so there is not much to see.
2:20 Sverdlosk Again the selling frenzy but no one with food on the platform. This really is not what we expected but is interesting in its own right. It looked like goods were being packaged up to be distributed farther afield. And it does appear some people are staying here. We saw the Mongolian police again earlier. Are they here to protect the sellers? Every car has vendors who jump out, lean out windows or stand on the steps.
11:20 pm One more time. One of the sellers came in and we figured out she wanted to know how old we are. We showed her the kids’ photos and she really thought Trevor was hot.
Ola found out these people make this run once a month. We’re curious whether any others do it. Maybe not since it’s so popular—a really bazaar bazaar.
Platform food sellers seem to have been replaced by permanent kiosks which appear to have a lot but don’t actually carry everything displayed.
And so to bed.

21 May 2007 Monday Monday. Tymen, Siberia. What a zoo yesterday at Novocibursk! The Mongolian sellers were hanging from every door and many windows hawking their stuff to crowds of Russians. Clothes, blankets, shoes, handbags. There was a huge wall of people coming to the train to buy cheap stuff from China. We have not seen the babushkas selling food. There was at Novsibirsk one older woman with a cart. She had pizza, “hot dogs” and pelmeni. We bought a small try of pelmeni for 30 rubles. They were still warm and good.

Overnight through Omsk and we just stopped here at Tymen. We tried to buy a pack of crackers, but the woman would not sell them. Perhaps the ones in the window are only for display.

7:20 Moscow time, we think 9:20 local time and we are off again.

Afternoon and we are in Sverdlovsk. Again the people on the train are selling their wares. There was a huge crowd waiting for us. Again no food for sale. We find this amazing. Whether or not these goods are legal they clearly have a market. After three days on the train it is getting a little dull. We had hoped for a greater variety of food - but we rest, read, watch the scenery go by. Watch the natives get ready for each sale.

I must say the two women previdnitzas work hard. They have been on duty in what is probably 12 hours shifts for three days and they assist with these train side sales.

May 22 It was 85 degrees in the cabin last night when we stopped so we opened the window and when we left the station, we left it cracked open. This morning it was 60 and very dirty. We’re not sure what big city we’ve stopped in at 7 am but some of our vendors jumped out. [Gorky?] Last day on the train though it will be most of the day.
One of the western inroads we have noticed is modern arty graffiti, even in Ulaan Baator. Do these guys travel all over the world? It looks like it could be from NY, LA or wherever.
At one of the frantic stops yesterday we found a meat pastry and were waiting for the sales staff to clear the steps when one of our predvonitzas ran up to us and actually pushed me toward the entry. Unlike China, there seems to be very little warning and departures are abrupt. It was nice for her to take care of us.
We passed through a large city (I think as we crossed the Volga) which was unnamed and not in the guide book. It had lots of taller buildings, large western type ads on the sides, traffic. Apparently this is Gorky, one of the “non-existent” cities and where Andrei Sakarov was sent to internal exile.
Note on traffic: China had tons of small western cars and full size busses and trucks (along with all the bicycles and pedicabs and pedestrians). Mongolia: many bigger SUVs and vans along with western cars. Russia: suddenly Russian or at least eastern European small cars. The majority of the rolling stock we have seen on the rails is older, some considerably older and very shabby. Today though I have seen some fairly new trains and one aerodynamic engine.
Vladimir: another sales stop but wonder of wonders we bought hot piroski on the platform, 3/30 R. 2 large beers from the diner 2/100 R. Should have bought more piroski; they were wonderful and hot.
I attempted to negotiate buying some official TransMongolian tea cups. I’m not sure whether the predvonitza meant for me to just take them but I’ll slip her some Mongolian money. At least she’ll get some return for it at home.

22 May 2007 Tuesday. On the train
We just stopped at kilometer # 440 and can’t tell what city it is. Gorky? What ever it is, is not listed in the handbook. Good sleep last night except that it was quite warm in the afternoon and evening up to 85º so we had the window in our compartment open. I left it open a crack and it got down to 60º in the cabin by this morning. When the window is open we also get a fine dust coming in. So everything is coated today.

Late in the Evening. Last night one of the young Mongolian women who are selling things from the train, paused in our door - then came in and sat down. She has no English and we no Mongolian and each of us only a little Russian. But we still had a conversation. She though we were Russian, I guess because I use what limited vocabulary I have and that is what she heard. Anyway, we talked about ages and showed her the pictures of Alice and Trevor and Leighton. so far everyone who sees the picture of Alice immediately points to Nancye seeing the resemblance. I have never seen it my self, but over the years many people have.

Even late last night they were selling stuff off the train.

One last day on the train arriving in Moscow at 2 pm tomorrow.

I have greatly enjoyed looking at all the small garden plots along the rail line through Russia. At the east end they were just digging them up and preparing the soil. Over Saturday and Sunday we saw many people working their plots. Here near Moscow more things are growing - onions and other tiny green sprouts. Fruit trees are in bloom. Many of the plots are mounded up and a few raised beds. They fit them in a variety of small spaces - some close to the tracks. It gets me wanting to get home and garden. We have stopped in Vladimer, the engine is being changed and the people are selling again. We found a lady selling piroshky - still warm. I bought two beers and so when we start up again we will have an early lunch.

We have been able to buy food from the platform only three times and one was from a stall and it was cold. We got pelmeni earlier and today the pirosky. Neither seller looked like a babyshka! We paid 10 rubles for each piroshky, a little more than a dollar.

4 pm We arrived on time in Moscow and had to look a bit for our ride. The train comes into the NE quadrant and we were driven to the west side to a Stalin gothic high rise near the Moscow River. We have a big room - not air conditioned and it is 30º C. in Moscow today. Very comfortable anyway. The family is a young man, Sasha and his wife Lena and two boys and a cat. We are relaxing and trying to figure out what to do next.


May 23 Moscow We finally got really tired of the train and the billions of birch and pine trees, in part because they were much closer to the tracks so we couldn’t see anything in the distance. The Urals where we crossed were quite low as mountains go and easy to miss if you don’t know what you’re looking for but once through you are officially in Europe rather than Asia.
As we approached Moscow the train slowed for at least 2 hours, sometimes extremely slow. Like Chekhov’s characters, we longed to be in Moscow. The area became more populated and we saw the first onion domes of churches. No matter how many or few domes, they all have a separate bell tower which is pointed. As we approached all the neat individual gardens in peoples yards disappeared and became trashy.
It was 30C about 80F so in my velour pants and long sleeved hiking shirt I was hot! It’s not usually this hot here this time of year so I packed wrong. Guess if we did this more often we’d get better at it.
Moscow is a modern city with a variety of architecture and broad access roads. Like Beijing it has several ring roads with the historic district at the center.
Our home stay is in a much more impressive building though the public areas are shabby. The outside is locked. Our hosts Alex and Lena have 2 sons Ilya and Doma. The apartment is spacious with 4 large rooms, kitchen, bath and small utility room. These are people with some money. We wondered where the other bedrooms were but when I got up early to go the bathroom I noticed the whole family sleeping in the common room. Not only have we dispossessed their parents, but the kids too, since we have to walk through what is apparently their bedroom. I trust it is worth their while.
Our driver Ahmed was pretty taciturn but Alex is very outgoing. He walked us to the currency exchange and pointed out things. Above the Metro station is a huge 4 story shopping center which we browsed. Obviously upscale and very crowded. I did manage to find a shop selling sleep masks but at $28 it was too flimsy and too dear. We ate dinner at the Vinaigrette Café (from the Russian). Tom had fish cakes and mashed potatoes and I had beef stroganoff with roasted potatoes. The presentation was lovely and with water and beer it came to about $22. Dessert at Baskin-Robbins. The interesting thing about Russian is that so many words are transliterated directly from English so that while you don’t see all the English signs like you do in China, if you know the Cyrillic alphabet you can often sound out a sign such as Baskin Robbins, Burger City or Vinaigrette Café.
Alex kindly let me use their washer so there are clothes draped all over the bedroom but they are surprisingly dry this morning, including my jeans.
Woke up about 5:30 though it might have been later had the drapes been thicker. We have to wait for breakfast till around 9 when the boys have left for school so we drank our last orange juice to tide us over.
This neighborhood is really nice for a city neighborhood with amenities like a park and shopping. We see more pets including a Pomeranian. Our hosts have a cat but so far so good: no asthma.
Later Our guide for a 3 hour walking tour picked us up at 10 and instead of taking the Metro or driving somewhere and then walking, we walked from the apartment all the way to the Kremlin going along the old Arbatskaya which used to be bohemian and cheap but is now chi chi and touristy. We walked past the Kremlin to Lubyanka and back to what is called by the locals “downtown,” a four story shopping complex under the area in front of the Kremlin. The plan was to find lunch and then visit the Kremlin before taking the Metro home. We arrived at the ticket booth around 1:30 only to find it closed and the Kremlin closed! It’s always closed on Thursday so we had better get in early Friday.
Change of plans. We decided to go to the Theatre Museum. We had to take the Metro, change lines and then find the former house which is now a museum. Just a couple of small missteps and backtracks—we actually walked from the station we entered to another, not unlike King’s Cross in London. Stations very crowded, but beautiful, trains very fast.
We found the museum, formerly the home of a rich man, obviously, based on the William Morris décor of the entrance. We browsed, saw theatre memorabilia and eventually a male docent took us in hand. He told us an incredible amount of information which we didn’t understand. We recognized an occasional name but were mainly in the dark as to whom and what were being represented. One delightful old lady kept popping up, whispering and pointing things out to us, especially about opera singer Shalyapin. Due to TV filming in one room, our guide took us down through the basement “backstage” area to get to parts we couldn’t see otherwise. At the end Tom gave him an Ohio pin, they shook hands and he kissed my hand!
We worked our way back on the metro, extremely hot and footsore. After resting we went to a local kebab shop to buy dinner which we ate in the park, people watching.
The theatre museum was not as described in terms of displays but we may get to the Stanislavski House Museum. There seems to have been some disagreement between the two because he is not represented at the Theatre Museum. Highlights of the day: Tom being asked for directions to the Kremlin by another foreign tourist and my being asked in the metro by a Russian.

23 May 2007 Wednesday. Moscow
After a brief lie down our host, Alex, walked us to Ploshad Kievskovo. There we changed some money, found the kiosk for Metro tickets and walked around a huge mall. In it are very up scale shops, a super market, many restaurants and fast food places and shops of many kinds. Nancye again tried to find a sleep mask but the only ones we found were about $28. Too dear. We ate at Vinagrete Cafe. Nancye had beef stroganoff and potatoes and I had a couple of fish cakes and mashed. Elegantly served and very tasty. I don’t think I have ever had better fish cakes. Afterwards Baskin and Robbins ice cream. Nancye sounded out the cyrillic lettering and exclaimed, “Baskin and Robbins!”

We bought some water and hoofed it home. It’s about a five minute walk. Slept fine but not long enough.

5 pm Our guide, Anna, picked us up at 10 am. We walked from our guest house all the way to the Kremlin. We took in Arbat Street - very touristy, but with some restaurants we may want to visit. We walked around the Kremlin to Red Square - saw St. Basil and Lubianka Square and back to the Kremlin. After lunch in an underground mall we tried to go into the Kremlin but it was closed on Wed Afternoon. So instead we had our first experience on the Moscow subway. With no signs in English we managed to find our way. We took two different lines and went to the Bakrushin Theatre Museum. Very disorganized entrance. The woman at the desk could not sell us tickets, we had to wait for the ticket seller who was off somewhere. Guides in each room tried to explain things to us and often went on at length even though we said we did not understand. But they were very kind and I used my little Russian. They had mainly stuff from the 19th C. Opera and ballet. Because they were filming in one room one of the guides took us through a back hallway so we could see things in some other rooms. One little lady kept getting up and showing us things and speaking in Russian, but we got some of what she was saying.

We were hot and tired so we got the Metro home , buying flowers for our host on the way.

We got home about 4. Cooled off. Had a drink and went looking for supper. We were cross with each other, but wound up with a sort of gyros and a beer sitting in the grass in a public park watching people go by. A full day of sight seeing for tomorrow.

24 May I think.
Alex offered to drive us to a good overlook to see the city after our breakfast of canned peas, foot long hot dog, tomatoes, cucumbers and plain bread. He left us off at the Novodevichiy Convent where we saw a couple of chapels including an impressive iconostasis. We were introduced to the custom of museums charging to take photographs, usually 100R each! Don’t think so.
Then we walked down the road to the cemetery of the same name. Many famous Russians are buried there. We saw memorials to Yeltsin and Rostapovich who both died in the last month. The place reminds us somewhat of Pere Lechaise in Paris but many of the tombstones are really impressive sculptures and carvings, including a reclining nude. While trying to find the Metro from there, a nice lady offered us help.
We went to the theatre district and visited the Stanislavski house museum, Chekov house museum and Gorky Museum which is a jewel of art nouveau architecture. Chekhov and Stanislavski both had small theatres in their homes. When we told the docent that yes, we knew Stanislavski because we acted (a simplification for communication purposes) she really warmed up and had us do a superstitious thing with the door pull for success.
We also found Yeliseev’s Food Hall which is an amazing architectural wonder inside and has all kinds of great food. I bought chocolate.
We stopped at the Mill for lunch. Tom had grilled salmon and a variety of vegetables. I had salmon papillote (not described that way) and we shared cream puff dessert and 4 glasses of wine: $139! More than half the bill was the wine.
Finally found the address of American Express office only to discover they are gone and a dentist is at that location.
We went to Patriarch’s Pond to pay homage to Bulgakov—no large cats to be seen. As we searched for the Metro we broke down and bought two Cokes because of thirst (we’d finished all our water). Extremely familiar and refreshing.
Coming back we stopped by the big supermarket for water, orange juice, vodka and tomato juice. Still looking for a bank to cash traveler’s checks, we struck out twice. All the liquids were quite heavy.
After a rest we wondered back to get something to eat, deciding on the outdoor café we’ve passed several times. “Kebabs” seems to mean grilled anything and was plenty good enough. Tom ordered caviar—very fishy. I’ve now eaten Russian caviar. The Azerbaijani wine was like communion wine.
Once back to the apartment we were invited to listen to our hostess sing some Russian songs and got suckered into some karaoke. It was somewhat fun. Even we can sing John Denver and the Beatles.

In Moscow we visited the Stanislavski House Museum and the Chekov House Museum. Both places are the homes in which these two great men of the Russian Theatre lived and worked. Each contained a small theatre where they rehearsed and taught. There is something special about such a visit. We stood and walked and sat in the place where important people and events occurred. What a great memory.

More later.


24 May 2007 Thursday. Moscow
A good sleep. It gets light so early. We have to wait until 9 am for breakfast because the family had to get their kids and the wife off to school and work. But nothing opens until 10 or 11 am anyway.

List of Places we saw today.
Alex, Sasha, took us to an overlook of the city on the SW of the city. Then to Novodevichii convent and cemetery.
By Metro to center city. We walked to the MAT - Moscow Art Theatre which was not open. Then we walked up Tverskaya ulitsa to Yeliseev’s Food Hall and bought chocolate. Down Tveskoi Blvd to eat lunch at the Mill. This is probably the best meal we have had to this point.
[Note from June 19, the bill came today $138!!!]
In the afternoon we visited Stanislavski House Museum, Gorky House Museum and Chekhov House Museum. Then to Patriarch’s Pond. Could not find the American Express Office. We bought water and vodka at the supermarket. We can’t seem to get travelers Checks cashed.

Now some details.

The best time today was at Stanislavski home and Chekhov's home. We walked where they walked and lived. Stanislavski had a theatre in his house as did Chekhov. Stanislavski had a weird stage with two big pillars, but right there in that room he coached actors and rehearsed. In his study he wrote An Actor Prepares. A and Ch each died in those houses. Why I am moved by being in a place an important person was I don’t know.

The Gorky house is/was designed in style-modern with odd shaped windows, stained glass, and a marvelous banister.

Yeliseev’s Food Hall is like a small Harrods. Nancye bought some chocolate. Lunch was expensive because we had four glasses of imported wine. I had a very nice piece of salmon grilled and Nancye had salmon en croute.

Tonight after relaxing we went to an outdoor restaurant. I got red caviar as an appetizer. It came with a huge mound of butter which had been squeezed through something that made it look like spaghetti. I don’t know why they don’t serve it with crackers or bread. We had to order that separately. Even ketchup had an extra charge.

We have seldom seen anyone wearing a hat - some few young people wear caps - especially baseball caps. I also have seen very few men with beards. Many young women in western fashionable clothing, heels, bare midriff and many nice clothes. I am sure we are not seeing the poor.

Moscow is pretty clean. We don’t see much litter except for plastic bottles.

This evening Alex and Lena invited us to sing with them to their karaoke machine. Fun.


25 May Friday I woke up early but was able to go back to sleep till 8! Breakfast of pelmini (way too many) with balsamic vinegar to dip. Alex is taking us to his bank to cash traveler’s checks since we have so far struck out on the account. Note to travelers in China and Russia: forget the traveler’s checks; take a lot more cash and use the credit card where possible and be sure you have ATM access. This is the way the world is going.
Still haven’t gotten our passports back.
At the bank the process was drawn out. We needed passports for identification but fortunately they accepted our copies with Alex’s explanation. Then the woman needed help in the process and an OK from another department (to be sure they weren’t stolen). At last we had cash again.
Taking the Metro to the Kremlin we saw the big tour groups which weekends bring and we were early. Of the seven buildings of displays, three were closed. The Armory which has jewels, coaches and many other things is closed for, that’s right, renovation. Another was being set up for a Cartier retrospective and the other just closed for no discernable reason. No, I’m wrong. We chose not to stand in a long line to see that cathedral. We saw plenty and decided to see if we can find a book on the Patriarchs Palace from the library. All signs in Russian and we did not spring for the English audio tour. I’ve had enough iconostases to last me and we haven’t even gotten to St. Petersburg. The Russian Orthodox sure like to cover every surface with decoration.
While in one of the cathedrals we had a pleasant surprise. A group of people stood up and sang a haunting, beautiful song. We bought one of their CDs. Afterwards we went back to Red Square which was actually open to pedestrians. Obviously the weekends bring people and tour groups out in droves. Today Lenin, Nicholas II, Marx and Stalin were all there.
After visiting St. Basil’s, we walked around the Kremlin to the Old Arbatskaya, a market street we saw the other day. It looked like there was some carnival or celebration for children down the whole street with several performance stages, costumed mascots, face painting, etc. Tom had wanted to eat at My-My (Moo-Moo), but the line was too long and too slow at 1:30 in the afternoon. We were really hungry so went to an Italian place: calzone with a very thin crust and sautéed mushrooms, both good.
A leisurely walk back, rest, showers, etc. Our driver is to pick up tonight at 11:30 and return our passports at that time. Another late night and we should arrive in St. Petersburg early in the morning.

25 May 2007 Friday Moscow
After breakfast, Alex drove us to his bank and convinced them to cash some American Express traveler's checks. I am not sure we will buy any of these again. AE traveler’s checks have not been useful. And mostly our credit cards are not accepted. We have purchased some gifts and an occasional meal with plastic.

Anyway after we got some rubles in cash we took the Metro back to the city center and spent about an hour or two in the Kremlin and St. Basil’s.

The highlight of the Kremlin was a group of five singers in the Cathedral of the archangel. They sang a short a cappella tune and we bought their CD. They call themselves Anima or Bokalnii Ansambab

We walked from the Kremlin to Arbat Ulitsa. A kid’s bazaar of some kind was going on down most of the street. Entertainments, clowns, people in large animal costumes, singing. Very festive. We tried to eat lunch at MOO MOO, but it was very crowded with a long line so we went next door and had a calzone and some mushrooms. Beer.

Nancye bought some amber ear rings for herself and Alice. Then back to the apartment for R and R and get ready to take the night train to St. Petersburg. Our passports had to be registered when we got to Moscow, but they have not yet been returned.

26 May 2007 Saturday. St. Petersburg.

The train from Moscow to St. Petersburg was very nice. More comfortable than the Mongolian Trans Siberian, but about the same size. Beds already made up 2 packets of food including a roll, caviar, cheese spread, biscuits, some salami, tea, coffee, orange juice. Plus magazines and newspapers in Russian and a kit that included tooth paste, ear plugs and other necessaries you may have forgotten.

We got into St. Petersburg about 9:30 am.

After getting into our home stay we chose a car tour with driver and guide which cost us over 1000 rubles. But we were taken all over the city including into two churches where services were going on. It was a little boring, but I was tired. They left us at a nice cafe where we had shaslik - lamb kebabs with some tomatoes and cucumbers and a glass of wine. We then walked from Vailevskii back across the Neva River intending to spend the afternoon at the Hermitage and cash checks at American Express. We had to go a long way around because of a big parade on Nevskii Prospect celebrating the anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg. Huge crowds. American Express is closed until Monday. So we went next door to St. Isaac’s cathedral. It is a museum, but what a beautiful place. We are amazed that after decades of atheism and the siege of Leningrad that so much of the beautiful art is left.

It was raining as we left the cathedral so we took a taxi home. Cost too much. 1110 rubles!. Well over $40. But it was raining and we would have gotten soaked getting back to our home stay.


26 May Saturday What a treat the train was! The hour was late and there was no place to sit because a young man had luggage in 2 seats and refused to release them. I perched on the arm and eventually we decided to wait on the platform. Just then a woman offered her seat to me as another give the young man hell for hogging seats. Fortunately we had only a short wait on the platform.
The room was configured like the TransSiberian but what a difference. Beds were already made up. There were decorative curtains on the window and flowers on the table. There was a snack box with caviar for each of us and a breakfast box as well. Disposable slippers, toiletries bags, 2 cushy pillows each and a TV! (One channel but what do you want?) Daily newspapers and in flight magazines. The toilet was unlocked and clean, even flowers. We both decided we would like to spend more time on it. The only downside was that we didn’t see the light excluding shade till morning and so woke early.
Our driver Sergei was very nice and at the platform to meet us. Unfortunately, he had hurt his back and couldn’t lift luggage. The ride to our home stay was very informative. He pointed out where Pavlov “tortured his dogs.” St. Petersburg has less modern building than Moscow and retains more of an historic flavor, though more of the city of 4.5 million.
The entrance to the apartment is a beat up metal door next to a casino. The entry and stairs are incredibly beat up and dank, graffiti and urine smell. The double doors into the apartment are heavily bolted but it is quite nice. It’s not as spacious as the one in Moscow: 3 rooms, entry, kitchen, bath and toilet. Our hostess Svetlana speaks very good English, her husband Ura and children, none.
We opted to hire Sergei for 3 hours of driving with our arranged tour guide Anna. We were inundated with info but we drive over much of the historic city. Tomorrow is St. Petersburg’s birthday which is a big deal. The police and military presence is incredible. When asked if the authorities expected trouble our guides basically ignored us. We were pulled over twice for random checks. We stopped at 3 churches where there is an active congregation. Lovely to see and to hear the music for the short time we were there. The churches are more influenced by a later aesthetic than those in Moscow so I like them more. There were actually white wall spaces even though the décor was still quite ornate.
Sergei took us to a store/art gallery obviously catering to tourists but head and shoulders above anything we saw in China. I found a lovely amber pendant.
By 1:30 we were starving and the tour was almost over so Sergei walked us to one of his favorite restaurants where we had shaslick—skewered lamb and very nice. From there we walked across a bridge and the long way around to find the American Express office which was closed. We had to take the long way because the Nevesky Prospekt was closed for the big birthday parade. We saw some of that on the TV and agreed it was better that way. As we passed by though we saw a lot of glittering in the distance and thought maybe there were lights in the trees but then saw the same glitter in the air over the river. I picked up a piece, 1” by 2” silver mylar, hence giant glitter.
Because of our detour we ended up near St. Isaac Cathedral which is now a museum though there is an active chapel. Wow—
As we left it began to rain (of course, I hadn’t brought my umbrella along this time) so we got in a taxi. That driver didn’t seem to know where we wanted to go even looking at a map so he called a friend. It was really raining at this point and traffic away from the parade route was jammed. Our driver had come down the wrong way to get us (on the left), reversed so his car has headed the right direction and then backed most of a block to get into traffic. Because of our extensive drive earlier, we know he came directly to the flat but he charged us the inflated tourist rate, 50% higher than quoted. Oh well, it was still raining.
After a rest, Svetnya and Ura took us to 2 ATMs where I tried my cash card and was again refused. Fortunately we have some cash still and think it will get us through tomorrow. They then directed us to one of their favorite restaurants where we had soup and beer and were able to pay with plastic.
Tomorrow farther afield.

27 May 2007 Pentecost St. Petersburg
For breakfast we had some Russian pancakes, we forget what our host called them. Served with fruit preserves and sour cream. Then we sat and talked with her for a long time. Mainly she talked about her daughter and her bad marriage, about people who have stayed with her. She told a story about writing in English to an American man for a girl here in Russia, about relatives who left Russia after the Revolution.

Nancye and I walked to the Hermitage. Our map of the museum was not of much help because the signs in the museum are not of much help. We could not tell where we were. Still we saw, just by wandering and asking questions many French Impressionists and the whole section of Rembrants. The Near Sacrifice of Isaac is in St. Petersburg. The Hermitage is huge and very beautiful, inlaid wood floors.

After leaving the museum we went to Millionaires Ultisa to a restaurant in our guide book. What was supposed to be there was not. But we still had an excellent lunch. Nancye had a chicken cutlet stuffed with mushrooms and breaded and fried. Like Chicken Kiev but different. I had beef stroganoff.

Then we headed for Peterhof. Both getting into the Hermitage and getting tickets for the hydrofoil to Peterhof were very trying. No line, just people pushing their way to the front. The clerks were unhelpful. You have to talk to them through a tiny little window which is waist high and if they don’t understand they just shake their heads or turn away. We finally got tickets to stand on the boat to Peterhof. It is a half hour or 45 minutes ride on the Hydrofoil.

We wandered the gardens and took pictures of the fountains for a couple of hours. Getting back was also a trial. A man at a gate on the dock was letting some people through and not others. Finally, he saw our tickets and we could get in line for the next boat. But it landed in St. Petersburg someplace other than where we got on. For a time we were very confused about where we were and the young man at the ramp off the boat was no help. We tried to get him to tell us where we were on the map but he probably did not understand.

Some people in Russia have been very helpful and others just rude.

Anyway, the boat stopped at Vassilevsky Island instead of the Hermitage. So our walk to the home stay was shorter. We stopped at a grocery for a few things and are about out of rubles.

We are staying in this evening to rest. Tomorrow to the American Express office and a stroll on Nevski Prospect. Tuesday we head home.

27 Sunday 305th Birthday of Petersburg We began with a pretty good nights’ sleep followed by a wonderful breakfast of pancakes with sour cream and preserves. Svetlana was in a talkative mood and since the Hermitage didn’t open till 10 we sat and talked—what a pip!
Giving ourselves about half an hour to walk we headed toward the Hermitage. As we approached the large bronze Peter the Great monument we realized it was the middle of a commemoration ceremony with all branches of the military, dignitaries and children’s choir. Just as we were passing, they set off fireworks including white, blue, and red smoke. We couldn’t have timed it better.
Turns out the Hermitage really opened at 10:30 minutes after we arrived. What a scrum to get tickets! The place is huge, needing days to see everything so we headed for the Rembrandts. On the way we saw some other heavy hitters: Breugel, Pissaro, Seurat, Renoir, Van Dyke and others. We couldn’t avoid the crowds entirely but made it to the Rembrandts. Crossed 2 incredible inlaid wooden floors and saw the throne room. Décor everywhere baroque. As our hostess said, when you see these palaces you can understand why there was a revolution.
We looked for an Uzbek restaurant mentioned in the guidebook but couldn’t find it. We think there is another at the same address so we went in. This was probably the best meal we’ve had on this trip. Tom had beef stroganoff and I had chicken kiev, both with rice and vegetables. The presentation was lovely. My chicken was stuffed with mushrooms and garnished with both a red wine sauce and a cream sauce. The plates were decorated with extremely thin leek pieces, we think, basically oval shapes. Too much to order dessert.
On recommendation of our hostess, we took a hydrofoil boat to Peterhof, Peter’s summer place and along with most of St. Petersburg enjoyed the fountains and gardens near the Bay of Finland. Yesterday was the day of the year the fountains were turned on again. Despite the crowds, mostly Russian, it was possible to stroll along shady paths and green spaces to the various fountains. There are several buildings including the palace on this 1500 acres but all charge extra to enter so we said no.
Using the boat really introduced us to some everyday Russian life, especially uncommunicative ticket sellers and attendants. Taking previous advice we just pressed forward with the crowd and had patience. Coming back from Peterhof we really didn’t understand why we were not allowed through one gate, though when the guard saw our round trip tickets, he let us through. There seemed to be more than one line of boats. Once our boat was full, they locked the gate and we had to wait another 15 minutes or so for the next one. We had to stand going out but got comfortable seats coming back. Thing is, we were not dropped where we had picked up the boat. After some time, discussion with some other Americans and comparison of maps, we determined we were much closer to the flat than we expected. Stopped at a market for chocolate, juice and wine and so “home.”

28 May Chinese noodles for dinner and conversation with Svetnya. She told us about her former son-in-law, the American man she wanted her daughter to marry, how she acquired this apartment, translating banned comics, translating for a woman and American man a la Cyrano, teaching Russian to black South Africans in return for English lessons. This woman is a real go getter. Used her daughter’s friends and the name of a mafia family whose son she taught to close the deal on this apartment (which she had to buy room by room).
Wonderful thick cheese pancakes for breakfast.
Yesterday on the way to the Hermitage we saw a woman with two young bear cubs. There are bears in Russia despite the T shirt I saw.
Later We left a little later in order to get to American Express when they opened. It’s near St. Isaacs so a long walk. There we went to three different windows before we got the right one in a small room (for privacy). The process is a slow one under any circumstances. Tom got some more rubles since we were very low and I got euros. Unfortunately I had to change traveler’s checks (which I signed too soon) into rubles and then into euros with a 3% exchange rate. This was all after visiting 2 banks whose computers were down so couldn’t do anything. The little room was incredibly hot so by 10:10 we were drenched with sweat.
On to Nevesky Prospekt, St. Petersburg’s main artery and shopping district. Passed the Stroganov Palace (yes that Stroganov) and on to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan. All these buildings are from the early nineteenth century or at least enough to present a unified front. Our Lady of Kazan is again an active church. The curved colonnade was inspired by St. Peter’s in Rome and was for a while a museum of atheism. There was a long line to kiss an icon and a short one to kiss a cross held by a priest in beautiful green and silver vestments. To the side was a priest chanting prayers and using incense.
The beggars we have seen in Russia have for the most part stood outside the active churches and are very passive. Again we saw the Church on Spilled Blood, one of the few in town with multicolored onion domes. On down to see the St. Petersburg Yeliseev’s delicatessen with its style moderne building and art nouveau windows and interior. The building remains but no delicatessen! We’ll have to ask Svetlana about it. Also missing was a supposedly cheap café patronized by I think Dostoyevsky, replaced by an expensive hotel restaurant.
Down a side street to the Russian Museum—no not yet. We passed St. Catherine’s Roman Church and went in. What a relaxing place after the orthodox churches. Very Georgian or neoclassical. It burned within the last 20 years and has been redone apparently with influence of Vatican II but with side chapels encompassing ruins of some of the oldest part of the building. Almost no statuary and little artwork.
Then to the museum, a collection of Russian art. We attempted to enter the ethnographic museum next door but the ticket taker and doorkeepers indicated it was closed. What are they doing there then? It was quite a trick finding the late 19th and early 20c art since this place is now comprised of 2 palaces. Once again the décor was awesome. Saw Bakst, Kandinsky, some other artists I vaguely recognized and 2 new ones I never saw before and will have to look up: Vasnetkov and Pavel Filonav. We also came across the folk art section and saw some wonderful ethnic costumes and beaded head dresses, gold embroidered scarves and various lace. Lots of other stuff but most interesting were 2 wooden carvings, one a whale with a village and people living on it, probably a meter long. The other I covet. It had probably 30 carved mice, all different, pulling a cart with a dead cat—really wonderful.
On the way back up the Prospekt, we stopped at St. Catherine’s again because there were art sellers outside. I bought a new painting which makes me laugh which I intend to give Trevor for Christmas. We bargained down the price with the owner removing the cheap frame from this stretched canvas.
Took the Metro home, buying flowers on the way. Did I mention the two bookstores on the prospect? Also successful shopping.
We got back to the flat about 4 and no one answered. Tom was feeling some intestinal discomfort so we walked to the café where we had soup the other night called Yulki Palki and ordered beer so he could use the restroom. We also got some little pies for the take out. The manager brought a vase for the flowers while we sat.
Back to the flat. We are both very tired and drenched with sweat. We’ll repack tonight and relax.
Always carry an umbrella in St. Petersburg.

28 May 2007 Monday. St. Petersburg
It as been muggy every day here, not hot, in the 70ºs, but we sweat. One last day and then we head west again.

So few men wear beards in Russia. A few more in St. Petersburg - we saw only a couple in Moscow. I cut my beard very short before we left home and have not shaved cheeks or neck as I have done for years.

To get cash we went first to Cbear Bank. That is not spelled right, but we tried to change $ to rubles. The computer was not up so we left. We dried another bank. No. Finally we walked to American Express, near St. Isaac's and Nevski Prospect and changed Travelers checks to rubles. Nancye asked to change traveler’s checks to Euros - no can do. But could change to rubles and then to Euros. Stupid. We’ll never use American Express again.

So finally we began walking down - up?- Nevski Prospect. Stopped to visit the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan. On the outside it looks like St. Peters’ in Rome, on the inside Orthodox. Then across the street to a book store. We had seen and gone into another book store earlier. We have been looking for comic books or graphic novels in Russian for Leighton and finally found one.

Lunch. I had herring with potatoes and mushrooms.

Then to the Russian Museum - Russian painting and sculpture from any centuries. The 1916 portrait of V. Meyerhold and other modern paintings. The best piece was a wooden carving of a toy of mice burying a cat. A dozen or three mice hauling a carriage with a dead cat on its back trussed up. Clever, humorous, very nice. Tired we headed back- Nancye bought a humorous original painting. We took the metro back to our home stay, bought flowers for our hostess. I had a bit of a bowel upset and no one answered our rung at the door at 4:15. So we went to Yolky-Palky, a restaurant chain and I got to use the W.C., we got some food to go. While it is not hot here about 75º, it is muggy and feels hot. We are sweating and very tired. Time to go home.

Also on Nevski Prospect was St. Catherine’s RC church. It was much more plain than the Orthodox churches and we like it a good deal. It had burned recently and while mostly restored it is not yet done.

I have joyfully prayed in Orthodox churches and in St. Catherine's for my people at home.


30 May Too tired and too late to write last night. Yesterday blini for breakfast and a flurried farewell. Sergei took us to the airport and discovered that our flight to Cologne was not from the international airport but from the domestic airport next door. Together they are probably no bigger than most American airports. He was still full of good information on the way. We went through security twice. We had changed our rubles to euros so we couldn’t buy anything to eat or drink. Had to break into our chocolate. Fortunately we could buy sandwich and coke on the on the German Wings plane. Very smooth flight and landing.
Tom’s friend Kate Siegal met us. The temperature was much cooler about 57F and rainy in Cologne so Kate lent me her jacket as I was in a T shirt. Because we arrived around 1:30 she had lots of ideas about sightseeing and even going to a concert in the evening. We began with wonderful pastry and tea in a place overlooking the cathedral. Fabulous cherry and almond tart!
The cathedral is the centerpiece of the city, gothic and mostly black due to the fact it is right next to the railway station. The architecture is so much more European. Kate wanted to show us the cathedral and another church (restored but with carved doors originally made in 1095 (they are inside now). Plus a drive around town and a walk through the downtown pedestrian shopping district. Very nice and we went into a fabulous bread bakery. They just don’t seem to have that wonderful a bread in Russia. We begged off any evening activity. After passing yet another wedding party, this one probably Turkish, we went to Kate’s house.
She lives in the suburbs in a nice house on a small lot with really nice plantings. She’s lived there for over 30 years so it looks finished. It’s very modern inside with incredible amounts of art. Separated from her husband for 7 years she says the house and walls used to be a lot fuller.
Dinner and lots of conversation. Kate was Tom’s love before he met me and they had a lot of friends in common. She’s an interesting person and very gracious. Breakfast was fabulous croissants and soft boiled eggs. She has a wonderful egg topper we’re going to try to find. Into the car and out to another church with interesting windows which has been shared by Protestants and Catholics since the middle of the nineteenth century. Then to a wonderful park with lots of outside sculpture, most pretty cool.
Major idea: a business renting sculpture for peoples’ yards, possibly on a quarterly basis. Needs major brain storming.
On to a river view of the city over the Rhine and lunch at a Greek restaurant outside. Because of the location, we took our luggage and walked across the railroad bridge to the train station.
The Talyas or Taleys [actually Thalys] train to Brussels was not uncomfortable and fast. We are staying in a hotel across the street from the railroad station and will take a shuttle train to the airport tomorrow. Hard to believe we’ll sleep in our own bed tomorrow night though it will be an extra long day as we get back the rest of the hours we lost over the international date line.
We walked a little way from the hotel and found a “greek” restaurant. Plat du jour meant that we had to go into the kitchen and point out what we wanted and see the plate filled. The huge portions meant we only got one plate of moussaka, pasta and overcooked veggies for the two of us. OK and just enough.

30 May 2007 Wednesday. Brussels, Belgium. This round the world trip is coming to an end. Monday I had a brief bowel upset. I thought I was going to pass gas, but it was liquid while we were walking in St. Petersburg.

Tuesday our guide took us to the St. Petersburg airport. They don’t give you much information about flights. The sign on the gate indicated the flight only when they started taking tickets. It was not even clear which airport we were to use! Still it was a good flight - coach class on German Wings to Köln.

We were met in Köln by Kate Adcock Siegal, my college girl friend, who has lived in German for nearly 40 years. I have not seen her since 1968. She showed us the sights of Cologne - especially the Cathedral. What a glorious building! We had tea and a marvelous piece of cake in a cafe across from the cathedral. Later to Kate’s home in the suburbs. We talked late - caught up with each others lives. She now lives alone, her four adult children having moved away and separated from her husband. She has a wonderfully decorated house with many nice things. Today we go to Brussels. If this is Wednesday we must be in Belgium.


[Added later: How strange it seemed on a couple of occasions when in Köln talking with Kate and Nancye. There I sat with the woman I loved and intended to marry 40 years ago and the woman I love and have been married to for 38 years. Strange. I wonder what they are thinking.]

I am thankful that Nancye and my two doctors pushed me to make the trip. I was so anxious and fearful in those days leading up to it. It has been a grand time with many things to remember and bore our friends and children with. Thank you Jesus!

6:30 pm This morning Kate took us around to see a church and a very nice Japanese garden. Please see my pictures for all of these things, I just file by name. And a large park with very interesting and innovative sculptures. Lunch at a cafe overlooking the Rhine and the cathedral. We walked to the rail station over the bridge and took the Thalys from Köln to Brussels. When we got off the train here there was no indication of how to get out of the station. I was expecting to see signs saying, “sorti” and maybe even Exit. But we asked directions and quickly found our hotel across the street from an exit from the station.

Tomorrow train to the airport and fly home.

We had the last of our bourbon and then went out searching in the neighborhood for supper. This seems like a rough area - run down and inhabited by a mix of Turks and others. We are not sure. We passed several dark and dingy places with only men in them and found a Greek cafe. We asked for a menu and were told in French to make our selection in the kitchen. Table du jour or plat du jour was selected from pans on the stove! As we watched the cook dish out food for people ahead of us we realized we needed only one serving. We got a huge plate with a stuffed eggplant, vegetables and pasta plus two beers and bread for 11 euros.

We walked back to the train station, got information and tickets for the train to the airport then back to the hotel for bed.

1 June 2007 Friday. Hamlet, Ohio. Yesterday was 30 hours long! We got up about 6:30 Brussels time - ate breakfast in the hotel. - a soft boiled egg, sausage, pastry, tea, juice. We took the so-called express to Brussels air port. Then we left about 11:30 am on Delta for the US. Arrived in NY about 1 pm NY time or 7 pm body time. We left NY about 5:30 and arrived in Cincy at 7 pm or 1 am body time. Alice picked us up at the Cincy airport. Good food all day and much too long. It will take us several days to get back on Eastern US time. We have been all around the world in the last three weeks. L.A., Korea, China, Mongolia, Siberia, Russia, Germany, Belgium, NY and home!

3 June Jet lag means no entry 31 May, the long day home. Train to the airport and check in, all relatively painless and quick. On leaving Brussels we went through customs and were asked what we bought. My answer of chocolate and comic books made the agent smile.
The 767 (or was it a 757) wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. We asked about an upgrade at check in and were told it had to be done 3 hours before take off (it was about 2 ½ at that time but the agent checked anyway). No luck but the economy seats were slightly bigger than on other planes. Free wine with dinner which wasn’t a bad chicken with orzo and veggies, Haagen Daaz ice cream in the middle of the flight and then a snack before landing at the end of the 7 1/2 hour flight. The flight was very smooth. I had finally found a sleep mask at the airport and guess what was sitting on top of our individual pillows and blankets on the plane—a mask, earplugs and moisturizer. Oh well.
We experienced the hardest landing I think I have ever, two incredible bumps as we touched down. Something was burning on the adjacent tarmac but no one could tell us what and at least it wasn’t us.
During our 4 ½ hour layover at JFK we went to the bar for a martini and gin and tonic, only $18.95 but quite agreeable. The flight to Cincinnati boarded right on time but it was over ½ hour to take off, probably because of the 5:00 rush hour. An hour and a half and Alice got us to the house by 8 pm. Despite having been up about 20 hours, we stayed up till 10 to try to get back on schedule. We’ve had 3 nights of little and interrupted sleep, still waking around 1:30. Sleeping pills don’t help but I put on the sleep mask around 4 am and don’t get disturbed by the sunrise.
Today is Sunday. Tom is back to work and me on Monday.

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