Blog

07.03.2018

I left the capital of Siberia late in the day. In Novosibirsk my train was arriving from Kemerovo on time. It was train # 029 at 16:09+4. It would be my longest train ride on this journey taking 41 hrs for 2842 km and crossing 4 time zones from Novosibirsk to Nizhni Novgorod. Originally I was booked on another train directly to Moscow but a friend told me a few weeks ago that I could not go on this grand adventure without stopping in Nizhni Novgorod to meet up with him again. So I had my bookings changed, which gave me 14 hrs more in Novosibirsk, 8 hrs stopover in Nizhni Novgorod and I would arrive in Moscow 12 hrs later than originally booked.  I guess, I am now on a faster train, because I saved 3 hours.

This time I had the lower bunk #11 in coach #8. The train is a modern one again, the bed sheets are already set up and there even is an electrical socket under the table to plug in the mobile phone. In my coach there was also a cabin suitable for wheelchair access and therefore also a suitable bathroom. Finally a bathroom huge enough to get changed easily!

In my cabin were 3 men, but everybody went to sleep very soon. The Provodniza came by with her railway souvenirs and I bought a retro tea glass and a train key chain, which made her happy. The end of the voyage is near and there is still space in my suitcase ….

08.03.2017

I was awake early and pulled out my laptop to write. The weather was beautiful with blue sky and sunshine again, still lots of snow around. We had jumped 2 time zones during the night and were now Moscow +2.

Around 09:00 there was a 20 min stop in Tyumen. It was -11°C and sunny. I went out for a leg stretch, but it was too cold. Maybe I am turning into a chicken after 2 days of “warm” weather in Novosibirsk?

Tyumen is located on the Tura River 2,500 kilometers east of Moscow. It was the first Russian settlement in Siberia. Founded in 1586 to support Russia’s eastward expansion, the city has remained one of the most important industrial and economic centers east of the Ural Mountains.

The advantage of a lower bunk is that I could sit and write on my laptop and watch the snow covered world fly by.

Around 11:00 I wanted to go to the restaurant coach. However, it was occupied by all the Provodnizas for their 8^th of March International Women’s Day celebration, which is a big thing for them. I was not going to disturb them. So I went back to my cabin and had my last noodle soup for lunch. Then I took a nap until the next long stop in Yekaterinburg. That was around 14:00 and the train stopped for about 35 min.

Yekaterinburg is the fourth-largest city in Russia and located east of the Ural Mountains, in the middle of the Eurasian continent, on the border of Europe and Asia. It has a population of  approx. 1.3 Mio. The city was founded in  1723 and named after Russian emperor Peter the Great’s wife, Yekaterina, who later became Catherine I after Peter’s death, serving as the mining capital of the Russian Empire as well as a strategic connection between Europe and Asia at the time. In 1781, Catherine II “the Great”  built the main road of the Empire, the Siberian Route, through the city. Yekaterinburg became a key city to Siberia and was known as the “window to Asia”, a reference to Saint Petersburg as a “window to Europe”. In 1924 the city was named Sverdlovsk after the Communist party leader Yakov Sverdlov. During the Soviet Era, Sverdlovsk was turned into an industrial and administrative powerhouse that played a great part in the Soviet Union’s economy. In 1991, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the city changed its name back to its historical name of Yekaterinburg.

I had stopped here in 2008 when I did the Trans-Siberian from St.Petersburg to Vladivostok and visited all the sights and also the Europe-Asia-Border. This time I basically just ran out of the station to take a photo of the train station and the Monument to the Ural Volunteer Tank Corps.

Of course I had to buy myself a local beer at a kiosk outside. I had forgotten all about the security check at the station entrance, though. Now I was almost back in Europe, back in civilization and the security check was actually very strict. Everything out of the pockets like at the airport. Imagine the guy’s eyes when I produced not only my camera, phones and selfie stick but also 3 bottles of different local beers out of the pockets of jacket. A tourist in a funny yellow jacket with more in her pockets than other people have in a handbag … I could basically see him shaking his head at the crazy tourist …

I was back on the train well in time and now had the cabin to myself, everybody else had left here. I could spread out in my cabin and lounge around. Most of the other cabins were only partly occupied as well.  The train is indeed very fast, there are very long stretches without any stops at all. I drank my beer, wrote my journal, ate the left over bread rings from the tea ceremony and finished the raspberry jam from the market in Irkutsk while watching the world fly by.

Even being back in geographical Europe the scenery was still stunning. Still there was a lot of snow and also dacha colonies.

Since Irkutsk I was now on the Trans-Siberian Railway and there was much more traffic. There were double tracks now, while the BAM was single track only.  But even with all this traffic the trains are perfectly punctual, not one minute late.

Later I went to the restaurant coach. They had a great Siberian menu, unfortunately nothing of it was available … I really wanted to try bear meat!

Instead I took the herring in oil again and a portion of sour pickled mushrooms. The herring was unfortunately frozen as well as the cranberries on top and not very nicely displayed this time. The mushrooms were good, though.  I did not linger much in the restaurant coach, because I had my cabin for myself and enough space there.

Around 19:00 or so there was another long stop in Perm.  Perm is an important railway junction on the Trans-Siberian Railway with lines radiating to Central Russia, the north part of the Urals, and the far east of Russia. It was dark and cold there, not much to see. I just went out for some fresh air. A young couple came in my cabin. They did not talk at all and should rather have taken a 2-bunk-cabin … I went to sleep early.

09.03.2018

Again I was up early, reading, writing and looking out the window. The train was perfectly on time in Nizhni Novgorod at 09:25. We had jumped yet another 2 time zones and we were now on Moscow time. No more calculating the train departure times from now on! Yeah!

My friend Alex said he would pick me up at the train station and there he was at the station exit. We had met 8 years ago trekking to the top of Kalar Pattar near Everest Base Camp in Nepal. Me and my friend Steffi were snail walking up that mountain back then while Alex was in much better shape and basically ran up. We met at the top at 5545 m! That was in 2010. Now we met again in Russia, where he is living now with his wife and baby.

First we dropped off my bags at the luggage storage. The train station was under reconstruction, but they had a temporary storage place anyway.  Then we went to the shopping center Republika across from the station to have breakfast in the food court on the top floor. The food was inexpensive and very good. I forgot the Russian name of what I was eating but with sour cream and berry sauce it was yummy.

Alex was going to show me a bit of the city, but had already warned me, that is baby daughter was ill and he might have to rush back home when the doctor is coming sometime during the day. Just as we started to chat about the good old times, his phone rang and off he went – You can eat my blini breakfast as well! I call you! Wait here! It should not take more than an hour! – No problem! Go! – So I ate his breakfast as well and then wrote my journal and enjoyed the view at the busy station below.

Sure enough, an hour later he called, but had to tell me, he would have to bring his daughter to the hospital for a check up which would take a little while. No problem! Do not worry! I am a big girl! I made it this far, I can go and see the city by myself! – I call you later! – Chorosho!

The weather was wonderful again with blue sky and sunshine and only -3°C.  I took a local bus for RUB 28 across the Oka River to the city center and the Kremlin.

Nizhny Novgorod is located about 400 km east of Moscow where the Oka River reaches the Volga River. The city has a population of approx. 1.2 mio and was founded in the 13^th century by Prince Yuri II of Vladimir. Nizhny Novgorod was from 1932 to 1990 known as Gorky after the writer Maxim Gorky, who was born there. During the Soviet period, the city turned into an important industrial center and was given the nickname “Russian Detroit”. After WW II Gorky became a “closed city” and remained one until after the Soviet Union fell apart in 1990. That was when the city was renamed Nizhny Novgorod once again and is still an important economic, transportation, scientific, educational and cultural center in Russia and a main center of river tourism in Russia.

I was here a couple of times when I worked on a river cruise ship along the Volga River in 2012. We sailed in May from Rostov-on-Don to Moscow, stayed the summer cruising between Moscow and St. Petersburg and returned in October to Rostov-on-Don. On those cruises in May and October we also stopped here in Nizhni Novgorod. But I could not remember visiting the city center or the Kremlin.

First I went to the view point near the Chkalov Monument to look over the mighty Volga River. Of course the river was frozen and snowed over, but it was still mighty. The river has a symbolic meaning in Russian culture and is often referred to as “Mother Volga”. It was great to see the Volga again. I did love cruising Europe’s longest river which flows through central Russia and into the Caspian Sea.

Today many people were taking advantage of the nice weather and a long weekend. Thursday, March 8, had been a holiday and therefore most people took Friday off as well. Babushkas sat in their fur coats on the park benches in the sun and families were walking the parks.

I went into the Kremlin – the main center of the city – where government agencies of the city and Museums are located, but which is also a publicly accessible park. The Kremlin dates back to the beginning of the 16^th century, has 13 towers and 12 m high walls.  I walked around it and the views over the city and the rivers were magnificent. The Kremlin stands high over the confluence of the Oka and Volga Rivers.

I was so happy seeing the Volga River again, even though it was frozen! Across the Oka River mouth sat the beautiful Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, with 87 m height the 3^rd highest cathedral of Russia. Just behind the cathedral was the brand new stadium dominating the view with its very interesting architecture. It is one of the main venues for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and was only recently completed.

Inside the Kremlin walls there is also the WW II Memorial with the eternal flame and a small Cathedral of the Archangel Michael.

I returned walked through a small gate and outside the ramparts back to the main Gate at the Dimitrovskaya Tower.

Just when I arrived there Alex called me on my Russian phone. But of course, the old phone did not like the cold – anything below 0°C and it died. Even with the power bank connected it did not give a peep anymore … Crap …. Calling on the German number was hellishly expensive and I had no data on it anyway … I sent Alex a text message, though, but did not receive an answer until an hour later – not because he did not send it, but because it took so long from Russia to Germany and back …

However, I had an idea to warm up the old phone. I went to the tourist info office of the Kremlin Museum, asked for a city map and sat in a corner trying to get the Russian phone working. Eventually I did it and called Alex. He told me to meet somewhere … but I was not sure if I understood the place. So I grabbed the the guy from the info desk, who just happened to walk past me and who spoke a little English. I handed him the phone to speak in Russian. And then he said – Da da da! Chorosho! – Follow me! – He took me outside the Kremlin gate and pointed the way to the Chkalow Monument. Aahhh, I know where that is, I had just been there!

Alex arrived the same time I got there. He had brought the family to the hospital and since he cannot do anything there, anyway, he said, he could entertain me for a while.

Valery Pavlovich Chkalov was a Russianaircraft test pilot and a Hero of the Soviet Union and was born near Nizhni Novgorod in 1904. He performed the first ever non-stop flight from the Soviet Union to the USA via the North Pole in 1937. Alex showed me the funny side of the monument. Raise your hand, if you are as dirty minded as me!

Alex then drove us to the Nizhny Novgorod Cableway which links the city with the town of Bor on the opposite river bank. It was opened in 2012 as public transport, because there is only one bridge across the river and the traffic is heavy at times. Now people can come across to the city by cable car. But many also take it as a sightseeing tour like us. The cableway is 3660 m long and crosses the Volga River in a 900 m long span on 2 huge 82 m high masts, and 6 further masts on its full length. A trip on it lasted about 13 minutes one way and cost RUB 100. The views were awesome.

There were ice fishermen on the frozen river and people skiing as well. And we could see the 16^th century Pechersky Ascension Monastery which sat on the river bank south of the city.

When we reached the other side we just walked around and paid the RUB 100 again and got back on. With the long weekend the lines were quite long, but it was quick.

The ride back was fun as well. With the nice weather the view over the river was beautiful.

Back in the city it was time for beer! Alex took me to “Erik the Red” Pub & Restaurant. They did have so many different beers I could not decided which one I wanted. In the end I choose “Ich bin ein Berliner” Weisse. It did say it had Framboise, but it was very sour. It was also made in Belgium … No wonder it was not the real Berliner Weisse mit Schuss like we know it in Berlin with raspberry! But just for the fun of it, I had to try it.

Alex and me chatted about our travels. He has very well travelled and is even more crazy than me – Sorry, my friend! But Syria in times of war? – I am too chicken, to even consider that…. – He climbed Mt. Elbrus, the highest mountain of Europe, like 3 times? Just for the fun of it. It is easy, he said! Yeah, well!

Alex took a New York Burger. I was not hungry at first, but when I saw his burger … I had to order one as well. Very yummy burger that was!

Later in the afternoon Alex had to go back to see his family at the hospital and I had to make my way back to the train station for my onward train to Moscow. We parted ways with the promise to keep in touch and meet up somewhere around the world again!

Алексанр, спасибо что ты убедил меня остановить в Нижнем Новгороде и за отличный день!

On the way to the train station I wanted to see the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, because it is a very beautiful building, but unfortunately it was under renovation and scaffolding covered most of it.

For RUB 15 I took a public bus across the Oka River and got off at the Nizhni Novgorod Fair. There was a fair in Nizhny Novgorod held annually every July from the mid-16th century onwards. It attracted many foreign merchants from India, Iran and Central Asia. The fair ceased in 1929. A society named Nizhegorodskaya yarmarka was created in 1991 with its headquarters in the former main fair building. However, today it is not actually a fair, but an exhibition center. Nevertheless, it was an impressive building.

Close to it I found Nizhni Novgorod’s Lenin statue and got my traditional photo. Here Lenin knows exactly where to stay when in the city – in The Marins Park Hotel. It was probably not there in his lifetime, but he sure points towards it.

I walked back to the train station and picked up my luggage. Then I went in search of my train. The Nizhni Novgorod train station was quite confusing in the best time, but with the construction work going on even more though. I took my e-ticket and just went to a window of the station duty manager and showed it to her. She was very friendly and with my bits of Russian and her bits of English we managed to understand each other. She wrote me down the platform number and pointed me the right way. I had to go across to the far side for my fast train to Moscow. Still the platform was not open and I had to wait a bit before they opened the train. The security check was strict again, but I passed.

I was booked on train 733 at 17:55 and the ride would only take 4 hrs for 441 km to Moscow. It was not a sleeper train, but a regular passenger train and I had a window seat. The train was much wider as I was used to in Germany, 3 seats on one side and 3 on the other.

The train only stopped a few time and reached Moscow Kurskaya Station perfectly on time at 22:10. Moscow – here I am!