Well we made it onto the train, but it was touch and go a couple of times on the way. Our host dropped us off at the bus station in plenty of time to catch our bus to Tayga, which was a two hour drive away. She showed us the bay it was leaving from and kept telling us the number. Just before departure we got in line and then realised it wasn't our bus. That bus left and we then saw our bus, the oldest in the row, a couple of slots down. Everyone was waiting to board, eventually 15 minutes late we left the station. After two hours driving along the road from hell (I have never seen so many patches on tarmac) with the constant smell of burning rubber, sitting in the front seats watching our driver fight to get it into second gear, our bus just made it up the last rise into Tayga, a small town built alongside the transiberian railway.

Departing the bus, and with a sigh of relief we crossed the rail tracks and into the waiting area, this time we had 3 hours to wait. Our train was due at 17.51 Moscow time. At 17.46 we were still waiting for the platform number to be shown and realising we would have to sprint for the train which only stops for two minutes at this station. Platform 3 popped up on the board and off we dashed across the track, (bridges are for wimps!) and there was our train smoothly pulling in. With great relief we piled on board and the train smoothly pulled out. Now we could relax, we were on the Tran Siberia once more for the second leg of our journey, 4 days more of looking out at the Russian countryside. Chris is in happy land - staring out the window, to him it is like one big train set. Did I say Chris likes trains?

Our compartment is for two people which gives us plenty of space. Most people seem to come on board for one or two days with new arrivals at each stop. We are the only ones in our carriage going all the way to Vladivostok. The ticket comes with services (not what you think!), this means we get one meal each for the whole trip, everything else we have to buy or bring with us. A lady arrived at our cabin to take our order for lunch or dinner, with much sign language and some broken English she offers us pork, fish or liver. Obviously it's a no brainer - pork it is. Then we have to decide when we want it, which isn't as easy as it sounds as everything is in Moscow time and we have to keep changing our watches, moving an hour forward each day. The meal arrived in our cabin on time and was quite passable but a bit meagre in size. For the rest of the trip we had brought with us a bag full of cupasoups, bread, cheese, noodles etc. All washed down with some wine and the ubiquitous vodka (when in Russia...). There is food available at the stations, but the train stops for a maximum of 30 minutes and a minimum of two so if the stop is too short you have to wait for the train to stop for a reasonable time or you may get left behind. This morning it pulled in for 15 minutes and there were people on the platform selling pink caviaar in large tuppaware containers as well as smoked fish and pastries. We opted for what looked like a squashed donut, which turned out to have a savoury veg mix in the middle, quite tasty for 40 rubles. We probably should have gone for the fish eggs but couldn't quite muster up the enthusiasm that the Russians had!

For the past four days the weather has alternated between Autumn and winter. As we left Tayga and travelled through Siberia we had snow and wintery landscapes. Then we headed south to lake Bacle and the temperature rose again and we were back into Autumn. As we headed up past China we had a snow storm and everything turned into a winter wonderland once again.

Today is our last day and the temperature outside has risen to 15 degrees and it is pouring with rain. Our train should arrive this evening at 13.30 Moscow time or 20.30 Vladivostock time. It has been great fun and I wouldn't have missed it for the world but I must admit I am really looking forward to a shower and a bed that doesn't move tonight.