Tonight I leave St. Petersburg and take my first big train trip in Russia. Knowing I’d be anxious about the connection, I had the hotel arrange a cab for me. I’ve gone soft but it’s better than the DIY-with-anxiety version.
I’ve been on overnight trains before, years ago, when I was backpacking around Europe and couldn’t afford a sleeping cabin. It made me a bit nervous but always worked out ok and I met some great people that way, ending up in their homes in Austria and Italy. Celebrating my birthday with an Italian family in Pisa was pretty cool.
This is different. I’m older, crankier, deafer and can actually afford a “bed” so, why not go with as much comfort as possible?
Found the train, boarded and met my cabin mate, a Russian woman who spoke no english. She seemed nice enough but when I left the cabin to go to the bathroom, she turned off the lights except for a dim nightlight.
Given that I am not someone who goes to sleep early, this was kind of a bummer. Being someone who doesn’t like to bother people, this was even a bigger bummer. I turned on my night light and felt totally uncomfortable zipping and unzipping bags, looking for things, trying to get settled. I never really did. My bunk was super hard and the cabin swelteringly hot so I didn’t really sleep.
The experience made me anxious about the idea of spending 4 days solid on a train from Moscow to Irkutsk but I had had the presence of mind to book two tickets for that train so I could have a cabin to myself. Again, I’m too old to deal with being wildly uncomfortable for multiple days so it was worth spending the money.
Basically, aside from the novelty, that train ride sucked.
I’ve been on overnight trains before, years ago, when I was backpacking around Europe and couldn’t afford a sleeping cabin. It made me a bit nervous but always worked out ok and I met some great people that way, ending up in their homes in Austria and Italy. Celebrating my birthday with an Italian family in Pisa was pretty cool.
This is different. I’m older, crankier, deafer and can actually afford a “bed” so, why not go with as much comfort as possible?
Found the train, boarded and met my cabin mate, a Russian woman who spoke no english. She seemed nice enough but when I left the cabin to go to the bathroom, she turned off the lights except for a dim nightlight.
Given that I am not someone who goes to sleep early, this was kind of a bummer. Being someone who doesn’t like to bother people, this was even a bigger bummer. I turned on my night light and felt totally uncomfortable zipping and unzipping bags, looking for things, trying to get settled. I never really did. My bunk was super hard and the cabin swelteringly hot so I didn’t really sleep.
The experience made me anxious about the idea of spending 4 days solid on a train from Moscow to Irkutsk but I had had the presence of mind to book two tickets for that train so I could have a cabin to myself. Again, I’m too old to deal with being wildly uncomfortable for multiple days so it was worth spending the money.
Basically, aside from the novelty, that train ride sucked.