First impressions of the train weren't phenomenal- however, there was a fair amount of space, lockable berths, hot water and a restaurant carriage. On learning that the conductress was also very pleasant, it seemed that these earlier worries based on the exterior of the train were short of the mark. The situation improved further when we learned that there was noone else in our compartment for the night- we utilised this fact to full effect and invited our neighbours, a certain Dutch couple, over for drinks later that evening. A beer, vodka and instant-noodle-induced haze soon followed...
If falling asleep had proven easier than expected (potentially due to mild intoxication), waking up the following morning* more than rectified this surprise. Having already passed over one time zone of two hours difference, my body clock was struggling to keep up- crossing another time zone ensured this wasn't short term, either! The remainder of my second day aboard consisted of either looking out of the window (snow, snow and more snow), reading Russian literature, or eating. As I soon found out, one can supplement the long-distance train staple of noodles with very sweet bread, processed cheese, instant mash potatoes and pringles. These are almost as tasty as they sound, I assure you.
Another night passed, and another morning brought with it the monumental struggle to rise from bed. At a city named Ekaterinberg (I believe), several of us took advantage of the fact the train had stopped for a little bit longer than usual and hunted down a supermarket- pressed for time, I only managed to pick up the bare essentials: bread, noodles and mashed potato of the instant variety, mountain dew and beer. Priorities are subjective things, you see.
At this point it should be mentioned that while the train is infinitely more spacious than I would have hoped to imagine, personal hygiene is limited to using a sink and wet wipes. All of this is just part of the fun, though! To pass the afternoon I retreated once more to my book, lost to the world until a momentary glance up revealed a teenage girl in the aisle walking a cat on a lead. This country never disappoints in terms of surreal moments, it must be said. Losing track of time completely, my transcontinental companions and I played a few rounds of cards. Exhibiting a great aptitude for crossing time zones once more, I drifted to sleep at around seven a.m. local time.
The following day can be summarised in three components: Firstly, a lengthy trip to the restaurant cart, where I ordered a cheese sandwich. Alas, this complex request proved too much for the beleaguered attendant (who was watching films and occasionally drifting into a light sleep). After quite a wait, I was presented with a single slice of cheese on a single slice of bread. Never order a sandwich in Russia.
Secondly, an awful lot of card games were played, including the epic '10-phase'. If you ever have several hours free, I would recommend it!
Finally, some friendly Russian lawyers, who spoke very little English, invited us in for a drink. Despite great communication difficulties we all had a superb time, courtesy of whiskey, rum and a selection of pictures of our two new friends, the younger of whom appeared to be quite the ladies' man (much to the amusement of his elder companion). These events saw the last night arrive and pass swiftly, and the following morning brought with it arrival in Irkutsk, Siberia. Still running on Moscow time, bleary eyes and mildly hungover, we disembarked.
Trans-siberian stats
Days spent aboard train: 4
Days spent without a shower: 4
Instant noodles/mash potato consumed: 11 packets
Dutch befriended: 2
Books read: 2
Alcohol consumed: unknown
Time zones crossed: 4 (5 hours difference)
*afternoon
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