CHINA | Wednesday, 10 Sep 2008 | Views [93]
Arriving in Urumqi was probably the most surreal moment of my life. Exhausted from the journey- mainly thanks to the unpleasant customs officials and the invasive nature of a search and our surly cabin mates, we were disheartened by how bewildering ... Read more >
KAZAKHSTAN | Monday, 8 Sep 2008 | Views [129] | Comments [1]
After four days in Almaty, it was time to move on. The train from Almaty to Urumqi is much the same design as the train to Almaty from Russia although this time, we decided to travel a lower class to glean a more accurate idea of travelling by train.... Read more >
Tags: train, urumqi, border
KAZAKHSTAN | Thursday, 4 Sep 2008 | Views [124] | Comments [1]
It took a day and a night to cross the length of Kazakhstan to Almaty, in the south. The countryside appears poor, the train fairly stumbled along the ill kept tracks past slums, their lean-to corrugated roofs glinting tiredly in the sun. Every town ... Read more >
Tags: almaty, train
KAZAKHSTAN | Wednesday, 3 Sep 2008 | Views [138]
Feeling like we'd only just woken up, we were subjected to yet another search. They kindly allow you a full 5 hours between your 'wee small hours of the morning' search and your 'early bird' search. This time it was a little less irksome as the custom ... Read more >
Tags: kazakhstan, train
RUSSIAN FEDERATION | Tuesday, 2 Sep 2008 | Views [180] | Comments [2]
The journey from Moscow to Almaty takes four days. Considering that includes crossing Russia completely and then the length of a country the size of westrn europe, it isn't at all lengthy. Our home for the next four days was to be a brown cabin. First ... Read more >
Tags: train, russia, trans-asia
RUSSIAN FEDERATION | Monday, 1 Sep 2008 | Views [99]
The train journey was surprisingly smooth and I'd slept well. Looking out of the window all I could see were steep inclined roofs with echoes of the Scandinavian countryside and a little of a child's drawing of a house. The ubiquitous square with a triangle ... Read more >
Tags: moscow, kremlin
BELARUS | Saturday, 30 Aug 2008 | Views [146] | Comments [2]
Leaving Warsaw was quite upsetting. I'd just begun to get used to the shush-shush of Polish and to the pronunciation of words when it was time to leave. The first sign of ill-portent was the hunt for stamps. No one in Poland sells stamps- only the office ... Read more >
Tags: train, belarus
POLAND | Friday, 29 Aug 2008 | Views [183] | Comments [2]
I had no idea what to expect from Warsaw. My good Polish friends had looked worryingly disappointed in my chosen destination in Poland. They maintained that Warsaw wasn't all that special and not altogether attractive. Landing here, in the endless rain ... Read more >
Tags: warsaw, transport
