TRAN SIBERIAN ADVENTURE DAY 1 PART 2

DAY 1 PART 2

FRIDAY 2:19 PM

As usual God has surprised me, though I don’t deserve it, with my stinky attitude earlier today. Frances helped keep me from complaining at my husband haha. There was one whole cabin available, but before the lady finished typing our names in, one of the beds were gone. We prayed together when he returned, for His will even if it was to have guests that we would be good witnesses and understand that He is in control. Michael, my brilliant husband, decided we would go really early (if dear sweet Frances didn’t mind) and try to buy an extra bed in the same wagon but different cabin. We prayed, and he was able to buy an extra bed and on the bottom. So this solved both problems, we have an extra bed to put our luggage in the same kupet with us, and we were going to be able to have privacy. We are wagon 7, cabin 4, beds 13 -16 (bed 15 has been purchased by someone all the way to our city) We bought bed 25 just a couple of cabins down and a bottom bunk so it would be what that person or those persons purchased (plus it was not near the bathroom) Trust me, you do not want to travel by train near the bathrooms… (picture below)

Our taxi driver was really nice and helpful. (Frances picture below)

Our train attendants are nice too. They first thought we were French. One of them said hello to us in French. She noticed our names on our passports “Patricia and Michelle” hahaha… One of them is striking with really dark hair.. Her name is Victoria – Vika. They seem to think it won’t be a problem if others get on to direct them to switch to bed 25. They were really surprised we were going all the way to the end. They couldn’t believe all our “stuff” and that it all fit in the kupet with us. Michael and Caleb have become masters at packing luggage- 3 footlockers, 3 duffle bags, one large suitcase, and all our carryons and computer bag. (pic below)

Frances took me to the store, so add to that 2 large bags of groceries for the train. We are not first timers on the train, but this will be the longest we have ever travelled, before this trip it was 52 hours. This one is supposed to be 4 days and 11 hours.

Reagan was our first Siberian railway traveler. He went to Irkutsk in summer of 2005 to spend the summer with the Edges and help them in ministry. What a trooper, just he and his guitar and all by himself at only 18. Reagan was on the same train for over 4 days. At least we have each other, and privacy haha.

Our children are such adventurers. Grace is 18 and in Africa for goodness sakes. Oh the places the Lord has already taken them.

I love the train, I mean I really love the train. I love airplanes too, and traveling. What a strange one I think I am sometimes. I love being home, I love travelling, I love being with others and I love being alone.

So, we are riding the railway across Russia. It’s just as one would think. Lots of snow: a mixture of villages, towns and cities, cabins, apartments (not many of these) and tons of spruce, cedar, pine and birch trees, covered in ice and snow.(pic below)

The bathroom is closed. Go, go I really need to go. Why am I writing this…wayyy too much time. Actually it is pretty interesting, if you have never ridden the train. They close the bathrooms when we get close to a town or village. (because the waste goes straight through a hole in the floor of the bathroom and onto the tracks. Now isn’t that a lovely thought? (Pic below)

Michael just had his first cup of tea, Princess Noorah, our favorite. Tea just tastes better in Russia. I chose well at the store, let’s see we have: sliced bread, what a novelty for Russia. 12 years ago, if you wanted sliced bread, you sliced it yourself. 4 years ago in Siberia the same, but now, we have moved up in the world. That’s why people say “better than sliced bread”. I also got Kalbasa Doktorskaya (bologna) It tastes better here too. I got sliced cheese, crackers, coffee, sugar, creamer, kit kats, m&m’s, instant potatoes (kartoshki) and soups (lapsha).

Our cabin. Each kupet has four beds and door that closes and locks, with a mirror on the inside. There are night lights over each bed as well as a big light in the center of the ceiling. On the side walls of each bed there is a little basket attached to put things in. I put my journal, a pen, my soduku, my Bible and book on one side and my wipies, shampoo toiletries on the other side. My purse fits behind my pillow, behind my head and mattress, up against the end where the window to the outside is.

We just passed some Russian chicken houses. So interesting…didnt have time to get a picture before I realized it and passed them. They look nothing like ours in America. The Russian chickens live in style in Siberia, it’s only brick for them. Our chicken houses growing up would not hold up to the Siberian winter here. All we had to do was put plastic on the outside in our MS winters haha…I cant imagine picking up eggs in the winter here….brrrr.

We are having temps right now in the – 20’s. It was only about -1 F in Moscow when we left. We saw a forecast of + for when we arrive in our city, but I don’t believe it. We did not take our Siberian clothes to MS in July when we left, so we will see. Just yesterday one of our friends wrote that temps had been -40’s F last week. So we are praying for a warm front (topli front) of only -15 to hit before we arrive, Dai Bog (Lord willing).