Trans-Siberian Railway, Moscow - Irkutsk Leg

Saturday to Monday, 30 September - 2 October 2006

We get on the Rossiya train on Friday night, with a 4-day, 5000 km journey to Irkutsk ahead of us. This is the longest time either of us has spent on a train. The dilemma is between having a 2-berth cabin to drive each other beyond the edge of reason, and sharing a 4-berth cabin with two wild-eyed cross-dressing axe-murderers with personal hygiene issues. We opt for the 2-berth cabin.

The cabin is plusher than we expected and even has a TV. We are now avid fans of Russia's reality TV show "Celebrity Dancing on Ice" and are devastated to find that the TV, like 1 in 3 household appliances we have tried to use in Russia, is banjaxed. Each carriage has two bathrooms. However, there are no showers so, by Day 4, we look, and Dara smells, less than fabulous.

We get one meal a day as part of the train ticket. The kitchen door was left ajar one day to show the chef: a huge shaven-headed bulldozer of a man who likes to cook wearing just his y-fronts. "Pierre" does not do haute cuisine but the food is generally good until we get hit on Day 3 with a delightful ensemble of unidentifiable fish battered to within an inch of its life, watery smash potato and some kind of sauerkraut that has been stewing since Lenin was in short pants.

Next door to our cabin are an English/Australian couple, Phil and Vicki, who are moving to Perth, Vicki's home town. P & V have come prepared and have a decent bottle of vodka (unlike the blinding moonshine sold in the dining car) which we share. We swap stories about the various mini-calamities we have had on the journey through Russia so far - as always, it's good to hear that other people are in the same boat as ourselves!

We hop off the train to stretch the legs at grim industrial towns with great names like "Balyezino" and "Perm". We are disappointed to find that Perm isn't some sort of 1980s theme town inhabited by shoulder-padded, big-haired extras from Dynasty. Generally the train stops for 20 minutes but we have heard stories of travellers stranded in the middle of nowhere when the train leaves a few minutes ahead of schedule. At most stations babushka swarm the platform to sell souvenirs and food (dried fish, sweets and, when Pierre has an off-day, the lifeblood of any traveller, Pot Noodle).

We arrive in Irkutsk on Tuesday morning. We're a bit train-lagged (the local time is five hours ahead of Moscow time) but have really enjoyed the few days.

To see more photos click here.