Day 51

10 June 2103

Omsk-Perm

The original carriage I was in is occupied by a group of Mongolian traders. They brought bags and bags full of clothing, blankets and whatever else they think they can sell. They are on their way to Moscow; during stops they quickly get out of the train and display their wares on the platform near the train, station hall or on one occasion just outside the station right on the street. Several times the police forbid them to trade making them withdraw hastily until the police left again. Most of the policemen must be normal people until they put on a uniform after which they become tyrants. I saw such a man yesterday with his steel blue eyes piercing into mine. The spine chilling stare would be enough for anyone to run back to the safety of the train, except I have nothing to sell, hide or fear and is far as I know it not forbidden to take photographs. Thus far the Russians I have met have been an austere lot of people who have stern looks and don’t smile. I hope that in Moscow and St Petersburg this will change.

The landscape has changed to flat land and birch trees. Not at all that exciting. Except for the clickedy click-clickedy clack there is not much to report on today. Endless birch trees, rivers and small villages with wooden unpainted houses there is not much else to report today. In my opinion a journey in the Trans Mongolian Express is more exiting if one starts in Moscow and finishes in Beijing. For one, the idea that you are travelling east and are on the way to Mongolia and China is something to look forward to but more so that the landscape further east is getting more beautiful by the day. I can just imagine, after starting in Moscow and having had two days of trees, the scenery opens up into the steppes of Central Asia and later the rolling Ger studded hills of Mongolia. I had a beer in the restaurant car where I met some British travelers so we could exchange some stories, one of them was that on arrival they met a nice lady in the street who invited them for a cup of tea, which ended up costing them something like 50 pounds. Obviously they hadn’t studied the Beijing pages of the Lonely Planet yet.

There are not many passengers left on the train as many had departed en route at various destinations, however I found out that there is a extra carriage behind the restaurant car in which they packed all the Russians together. No idea why. I do know that they warn that if you leave your cabin to ask the attendant to lock the door for you. There have been incidents that people’s cabins have been entered and things taken. I suppose these sorts of things are always in the back of your mind.