"A royal flush" At the train station in Omsk, a city of over one million people, my host Alexey met me outside my train car. A very steady man, despite of his slippery, but shiny shoes. He wore a leather coat with a nice fur collar, and a nice Russian style hat. Always looking strong he kept his back straight. He insisted to help me carry my bag, and he helped me buying a ticket to Irkutsk. Alexey took me home to meet his lovely wife Tanya. They got...

"The Vodka Train" The Trans Siberian Railway. The only way to travel over land from Russias capital to the far, far eastern parts of this enormous country. This is a railway with extreme importance for the Russian economy, and it's people. A stabile transport connection, second to good communication is the most important reason for economic prosperity in the remote parts of any country. The vast, almost endless area of Sibiria is supplying the rest ...