Day 1/ SATURDAY 12th DECEMBER 2009

Picture of the Band Members of Elizium

The outside of the trans-Siberian Station, Moscow
Today, twelfth of December 2009, I embark on the Tran Siberian railway, the main passenger way, going from Moscow to Vladivostok at 1:35 p.m. I am so excited as I have been looking forward to that day since years. I always wanted to take a trip on the Trans Siberian especially that time of year. It will take me nine days to go from Moscow to Vladivostok since the train travels at an average speed of 1000km per day, the distance between these two cities is of 9,289 km and I will stop to spend a few nights two cities on my way; Novosibirs and Irkutsk. In my bag, I have packed:
My toothbrush and toothpaste, a hairbrush and other essential toiletries:
Enough warm clothes for a week and big notebook to record everything, write down my impressions and to sketch and draw. I also had a huge map that was impossible to fold again once opened and brought some Russian currency called Rubles, my camera, a Russian-English dictionnary and a book of poetry. And last but not least my precious I-pod to listen to my music if I was bored which was rare on the railway. Three hours and fifteen minutes later after departering, I arrived at Nizhniy Novgorod. Food on the Trans-Sib didn’t appeal to me so during the fifteen-minute stop at that station, I bought myself some home-made and very cheap food from one of the many locals on the platform. My meal consisted of salted herring, potatoes, carrot, beets, eggs and mayonnaise. This meal was called “Selyodka pod shouboy”, a traditional meal in Russia and cost me only 40 R (about 1€)! one of my "trainmates" introduced me to a Russian Ska group named ELIZIUM created in 1995 in Nizhni Novgorod that I enjoyed very much.

Day 2/SUNDAY 13th DECEMBER 2009

The picture shows the water-heater at the end of the wagon used to boil water or to cook dried noodles.
On our way to Yekaterinburg, I awoke at 8h30 and realized to my surprise that my compartment was empty. The compartments have four relatively comfortable bunks and my “trainmates” had already left. I had only talked to one of them, Aleksei, a young Russian man living in England who was used to traveling on the Trans-sib to see his family. He explained to me that tea was a traditional Trans-Siberian beverage. There is a special cup, specific for the train: a glass slipped inside a metallic holder with a hand. One can ask a teacup to the provodnik (person responsible of the wagon), who will fill up this special cup with hot water and drop inside a tea bag. The nice thing, he said, is to ask for the tea once and then to keep the cup and drink your own tea inside it. The hot water provided in the train is free. I had cheap breakfast on the train: muesli and milk. I started reading “La prose du transsibérien et de la petite Jehanne de France” of Blaise Cendrars; A long poem describing his trip on the rails in 1912. Later on, I had a conversation with my other “train mates”, a Swedish couple who were spending their honeymoon on an Island called Insel Olchon on Lake Balkai (one of the locations I will visit). My great appetite was diminished when I saw the price of the food aboard the train. The couple, Ingrid and Torkel, had brought food before hand and bought food during the stop at Nizhniy Novgorod and proposed me to join them. I ate boiled potatoes, boiled eggs, salted cucumber and a cake called Suckaris. At 3h35 at our stop at Yekaterinburg, I loaded up on food (wonderful home-made traditional Russian dishes) always at a very reasonable price. I then took a shower on the train for 30 Rubles about 70 cents of euros (an interesting experience, luckily I brought my own soap and towel which are not provided). Outside my window, were mostly flat steppes (grassland plains than can be semi-desetic). I fell asleep with the view of the snowy peaked Ural Mountains far ahead.
A picture of the Tundra I took from my window;

DAY 3/MONDAY 14th DECEMBER 2009

Top picture is of the locals selling food and the bottom one is of my wagon
I awoke at 8 (Moscow time) but at 11 Omsk time. The Great Siberian way covers 7 different times zones, it was hard to get used to. The Trans-Sib also passes though 89 cities and towns and 16 big rivers: Volga, Ob, Enisey, Oka, Amur, and others. The construction of this project started on May 19th in 1891 and it was finished 5th of October 1916. The main route: St. Petersburg-Vladivostok was already created in 1903 but there were many temporary constructions, so for 13 more years, the permanent bridges, tunnels and stations were added. This great railway enabled Russia to develop Siberia and the pacific shore. It is still very important nowadays; the route is the shortest way between Europe and Asia, and Russia is making money by transporting goods from China and Japan to Europe. The railway also attract many tourist, like me, to spend a vacation with friends, family or in couples or just for the different life style you will have during the trip; time to think, to meet many people, or just to relax and live in harmony with the rhythm of the train. Aleksei joined me to eat, I shared with him some of my many Pirozhki (A meal resembling ravioli, it is dough filled with ground meat, fish, potato, or stewed prunes, one of my favorites. They can be boiled or baked.) An hour later, bored with reading my book and listening to my i-pod, I went around the wagons searching for people to talk with. I didn’t have to search long as the Russians were very friendly with any foreigners and were willing to answer any of my questions. A part from Russians, I met many Europeans on the trains and had long discussions with them about what cities they were going to visit, and what areas I should visit. I rarely went outside of the train, but at the previous stop, Yekaterinburg, I had gone out to buy some food and even with my big sweater and coat I was still very cold. The temperature was of -19 °C. I was full of excitement but also apprehension as to my stop at Novosibirsk. I was impatient to go and visit the city and surroundings but also worried to leave the train that had become my second home and be alone in the cold Russia. I still had Tuesday morning to spend here and I would be back in no time anyway. I fell asleep with an optimistic smile on my face.

Day 4/ TUESDAY 15th DECEMBER 2009

<---The logo of the Novosibirsk Zoo
I awoke late due to my lack of sleep; the wagon next to ours was full of young Russians and foreigners who had drunk vodka, danced and chanted the whole night through. I was still very “train-lagged”; I had awoken at 10 (Moscow time) and it was actually 1p.m for the region I was in arriving in Novosibirsk. I was particularly hungry and went to eat at the restaurant on the train. I ate Beef Stroganoff, strips of beef with onions, mushrooms and sour cream and beet salad. My stomach full, it was time to leave. I gathered my luggage that consisted of a medium sized suitcase. I finished my book and said goodbye to Aleksei, Ingrid, Torkel and my compartment. The train slowed down and stopped as I hopped off into the glacial temperatures of Novosibirsk: -17 °C. Novosibirsk is the third largest city and metropolis in the whole of the Siberia region. Not knowing what to do next, I bought a tourist guide and headed to the Novosibirsk Zoo (and its 11 000 animals!) using the metro. This zoo is amongst the biggest zoos in the whole of Russia. I met there a young French/American woman like me who had seen at the Academic opera and Ballet theatre of novosibirsk, a beautiful ballet. I went there and bought tickets for Boyarynya Morozova a musical and theatrical play later on in the evening. It was now 5p.m Moscow time and 8p.m Novosibirsk time. I decided to walk around and did for 20 minutes but then decided it was better for my health to go somewhere warm. I entered a bar where I ordered Sbitten -one of the most popular hot drinks in Russia- to warm me up. I did not understand all of the explanations of the barman whose English was poor but here is what I got; the drink is based on honey, it is flavored with various spices and herbs such as laurel leaves, ginger, cinnamon and mint. A few drops of wine can be added. I then went to buy some Matryoshka dolls also known as Russian nested dolls, a typical gift from russia and Ikon, a renowned Russian brand of Vodka. At 8;30 Novosibirsk time, I headed to the theatre to watch one of the most amazing shows of my life. The colors of the costumes and scenery were beautiful, the ballet also. I loved it and left the Theatre with a wide grin even though I had not understood a word of the play. I went to the hotel Ingrid had recommended me; Vostok Hotel and spent the night there missing the sound of the traintracks.
Here is a picture of my Matryoshka dolls;
Two advertisements of the russian brand of vodka Ikon;

Day 5/WEDNESDAY 16th DECEMBER 2009

Novosibirsk at night--->
I woke up early, checked out of the hotel and headed out into the cold equipped with a huge sweater, my coat, a wool hat and scarf, gloves and big snow boots. I was ready to face the day. It was 8:30 (Novosibirsk time) and i had planned to visit the art gallery of Novosibirsk at 9:30. Novosibirsk is a very green city with many pine, birch and aspen trees. Siberia's nature was so untouched, I truly enjoyed it. At 4p.m I went to the familiar train station and embarked on the trans-sib once again. I quickly met my "trainmates": An american mother and daughter and a spanish middle-aged man. On the train, I started reading a book I had but stopped just to contemplate the beautiful ever-changing landscape letting thoughts run through my mind; I quickly fell asleep. Krasnoyarsk was 762km away.
Picture of the view I had from my window;

Day 6/THURSDAY 17th DECEMBER 2009

I have just crossed another time zone. It is amazing how quickly the landscape and times zones changes in Russia. I will be arriving in Kraysonak in about 5 hours. I found in my compartement a book on the Great Siberian Way and on Russia and here is some essential thing to know:
The Trans-Sib crosses two continent; 20% of its trajectory is in Europe and 80% in Asia), starts in Moscow , passes through the european russia, crosses Urals mountains (which separate Europe and Asia), continues into Siberia's Taiga and steppes (coniferous forest) and finishes in Vladivostok- the Russian far east coast on the Pacific Ocean. The railway's construction cost 1.445 billion Rubles. Russia is of 17,075,400 square kilometers, by far the largest country of the world. Its population is of 142 millions inhabitants and density of 8.3 square kilometers. The climates that are dominant are humid continental and subartic climates. Russia only has two distinct seasons; winter and summer and the coldest month is January. Russia is the home to 266 mammal species and 780 bird species, Russia also has the world's largest forest reserves. I have seen, so far, from my window, a Booted eagle, many red squirrels, a leopard cat and a tiger in the Taiga. This brings me to the physicals features of Russia. The Caspain Sea, largest sea of the world of 371,000 square kilometers, followed by Lake Baikal, second largest lake of the world 31,330 square kilometers (I will talk about this lake later when I will arrive in Irtuk). Russia also has many mountains; Ural Mountains, Central Siberian Plateau, Caucasus Mountains, Tien Shan Mountains and Pamir Mountains. I've arrived at Krasnoyarsk, ran outside, bought some Pelmeni and ran back in. Pelmeni is dough filled with minced meat or mushrooms, turnips or onions.
Picture of my meal: Pelmeni;

Video of the Station of Krasoyarsk;

Here are some pictures of a leopart cat and of a tiger;

Day 7/SATURDAY 18th DECEMBER 2009

Picture of the omul fish on the market
I will be arriving in Irkusk in three hours. I am so excited! It is one of the bigget cities in Siberia and has a population of 593,604 inhabitants. It will be very cold as Irtusk has a subartic climate. It is one of Siberia's oldest city, it was established in 1652. Once I get there, I i will try to find the Sibeiran log-cabin house I have reserved in Litsvianka (the closest village to the lake: 40km away form Irtusk) and take a bus to the lake, 20km from Litsvianka. The lake was so amazing and breathtaking. It was mostly frozen and some cars had actually crossed it. The lake is the 2nd most voluminous on earth; it contians one-fifth of the world's unfrozen (in warmer temprature as it is currently -32 °C) and could provide the entire wolrd with drinking water for 40 years. The square surface is of 31,722 km2. The lake is difficult to test without a wetsuit but it is known for giving swimmer's vertigo; you can float at the surface and see beyond 40m below. Lake Baikal has an average depth of 744 m (it contains roughly 20% of the world surface water). It is also the oldest lake on earth; 20 million years old. Baikal is home to more than 1,700 species of plants and animals, two thirds of which can be found nowhere else in the world. The word Baikal actually come from the word "Baï Kul" which means "rich lake". you could also see the Baikal mountians on the other side. Later on, after having taken many pictures of the lake, I headed back to Litsvianka and ate some delicious smoked Omul from the market. This white fish is from the same family of the salmon and their average size is of 37 cm! This fish is widely sold around the lake as well as Salmonid which i had for dinner. There, I took a very relaxing Siberian sauna and had dinner. During the sauna, it is a tradition to, in winter, cut a hole in the ice and jump in (crazy russians) or rub youself with snow (which I did!) I then walked around and watched the sun set over one of the highlights of my trip, Lake Baikal.

Here is picture of the Taiga I took once back on the Great Siberian way: