Our train pulled into Kemerovo station at 5.15 am this morning Moscow time. We had arrived in Siberia.

We left Moscow three days ago in the late evening and, as we were boarding, it started to rain heavily and there was thunder and lightening heralding our departure. The train smoothly left the station at 22.50 on time, but this was the only smooth part of the journey each time we arrived or left a station, at other times it was a very bumpy ride. Sometimes the train gently trundled along at a sedate pace and other times it would pick up pace and hurtle along the track like a demented animal, rocking us about in the carriage (this seemed to happen more at night when we were trying to sleep). However our compartment was very cosy with two beds and a small table, even a television that showed the same Russian series on all channels. At each end of the carriage was a toilet with a basin, our only washing facilities. Also at one end of the carriage there was a Samovar, a hot water dispenser for making hot drinks and cooking noodles. There was a restaurant on the train and we treated ourselves to one meal , but for the rest of the trip we had brought supplies of prepacked foods with us. The train was quite hot with the temperature kept at 20 degrees so any food or drink like milk or meat had to be eaten on the first day or it spoiled. I must admit by the third day I had gone off noodles and will rethink what we eat on the second stage of our trip next week!
The scenery outside the carriage was mostly flat shrub and grassland, but the trees of silver birch along the track in their Autumn colours were quite lovely. At first it was fairly misty but as we drew towards Siberia it became clearer and cooler and the sun came out. We stopped at many stations, sometimes for a few minutes and sometimes for as long as 20 minutes at the bigger stations. People would get off and stretch their legs still wearing their "train uniform" shorts and tee shirt, even though it was quite chilly outside at times. When we finally arrived in Kemerovo it was minus 2 and we were glad of our padded jackets but it was good to breath in the fresh air and get our limbs moving again.
We are staying with our friend Lena and her family, which will be great because we hope to learn lots about Russia and it's people over the next week.