Иркутск

Greetings from Иркутск, or Irkutsk, over 5,000 kilometres and 5 time zones from Moscow (BST + 8 hours).

I set off last Monday, which seems an age ago, on a trip that traversed two continents and brought me to the heart of Siberia. I travelled slowly but steadily across those 5,000 kilometres aboard the Rossiya, the Moscow - Vladivostok service that's the queen of the Russian train fleet. By which, read twee: I have never before travelled on a train with green tasseled curtains, tapestries of Russian landmarks, and quite such lovely runner carpets.

The train journey was great - hopping on and off at stations, buying food from local traders - but, at 5 days, very, very long. It's also quite disorienting that the train continues to run on Moscow time throughout, while you inch your way across 5 time zones.

The whole experience was very entertaining, nonetheless, and highlights included: making friends from Poland, Russia, Germany and France; a couple of nights with rather copious amounts of alcohol; squeezing 17 people into a compartment as a result of the previous two highlights (no mean feat!); our provodnista (carriage attendant) getting rather drunk one afternoon and passing out in one of the compartments; making friends with the other provodnistas and provodniks; and a rather bizarre evening that involved flagging the train off at a rather remote station while wearing the provodnista's hat!

After 5 days of rather rudimentary facilities (hot water from the coal-fired samovar, cold water "showers" in the rather horrific track-drop toileted bathrooms, not enough room to swing a goat), it was a relief to get off the train and travel to Lake Baikal for a few day's relaxation. And some hot showers!

Listvyanka, where we stayed, was beautiful, and not just because of hot running water: I've enjoyed hikes to the local landmarks and beauty spots, swimming in the (freezing!) lake, and lots of omul, the local fish (nice fried, less so smoked).

Now, it's a day in Иркутск, then back this evening at 20.25 (15.25 Moscow time) on board another train for 2 days. Next stop, Ulaanbaatar and Mongolia!