Huw's Bit Woke to...forests of silver birch but more agriculture visible. Slept about 10hrs all up - very comfortable bed and cabin. Chrissie is sleeping like I've never seen before! Even door opening/closing in middle of night and the top bunk falling have not woken her when normally she'll wake up at a mouse fart! Waiting for a message from Pete/David W about Origin III score! Chap from Brizzy is most up tight at not knowing! Novosibirsk big, industri...

Huw's Bit Up 4am - awesome breakfast in room - pick up 530am at station by 545am for 645am train. Train 75 mins late but modern and very comfortable cabin - got TV but all in Russian! No universal electric sockets! Aaaaaaah, can't charge my Mac and watch movies! Other than that pretty smooth ride. More Aussies onboard! Can't get away from them! Gary from Brizzy into rugby so good chats about State of Origin tonight back in Oz. Cabin attendants most mi...

Huw's Bit Lazy start - up at 7! Great views overlooking Lake Baikal for breakfast with loads of Russian cops! They have a conference in our hotel! Good tour of Irkutsk - photos with Lenin and Yuri Gagarin. Learnt heaps about Siberia and its people's. clearly some resentment towards Moscow with the perception that all good things go to European Russia and Asian Russia is overlooked despite its huge contribution to the state economy. Traditional Russian fa...

Huw's Bit Got into Irkutsk at 7.15am. 36 hour journey, 7 of which spent sitting on butts at border security - Mongolians bearable, Russians just bloody rude and behaved like extras from SPECTRE! Have put the Russian people on notice that they have a lot to make up for after yesterday's trials! Got off to a good start with the bloke picking us up speaking good English and having a great understanding of Siberia and Lake Baikal. He also didn't try to rip u...

Decent sleep and porridge for breakfast - eeeeuch! No buffet car on this train! Arrived at Mongolian border at 7am. Worth noting that they lock the toilets at this stage and don't open them again until we have cleared Russian security. Finally cleared Mongolian security/customs/passport at 10.20am!!!!!! 3 1/2 hours! Travelled 30mins across Russian border which is full on with barbed wire, fences, sentry towers! Russians clearly paranoid! Arrived at securit...