My Trans-Siberian Experience Revisited.
I’ve been fighting a bug for the past several days and it’s messed up my sleep routine, meaning I’ve spent a fair amount of time staring at the ceiling. So last night, in the wee hours, I got up, turned on the computer and spent some time going through some of the photos I took in 2011 on the Trans-Siberian ride from Moscow to Beijing by way of Mongolia.
It was the proverbial trip-of-a-lifetime, of course, but as I was clicking through the photos, what I remember—strangely—was that I don’t remember thinking at the time that it was such an extraordinary experience. I think it’s because, when you’re actually there, you’re surrounded by all the ordinary things that are part of people’s ordinary lives everywhere: some guy picking up trash, a mother changing a baby’s diaper, two old men playing chess on a park bench.
One thing really stands out still as a Very-Big-Wow moment: The Great Wall. It’s staggering in its size … and then you remember that the damn thing is 4,000 miles long. And, yes, the industrial haze is absolutely awful.
Standing with one foot in Asia, the other in Europe … that was a unique experience, although it was an hour-long bus ride to get there, the photos took ten minutes, then another hour by bus to get back. That’s me at the top row … wearing the Red Sox cap.
Another unique experience: In the photo below, it’s just after sunrise on the Gobi Desert. We had stopped to wait for another train coming from the opposite direction. While we were waiting there, an old Mongolian man came along with a couple of camels and cheerfully gave a young girl a short ride on one of the beasts. Proving yet again, there are nice people everywhere.
My wife Everette, my friend Jim. and I did this fantastic trip in fall 2011. Everette and I flew into St Pete for three days, took fast train to Moscow and met Jim. We followed your route, staying three nights each in Moscow, Siberia,and Mongolia, and four nights in Bejing. We then did the Tibetan RR and spent three nights in Tibet. Cml air to Singapore. After three days in Singapore, Jim came home mil-air spaceaA through Yakota AFB, ending up in Norfolk. Ev and I tookd different tack–five day rail pass in Malayasia, back to S-pore, spaceA to Yakota for a week,then took short flt to Osan (so that we could be among the first on spaceA list). After one night in Osan, came back through Yakota to Seattle. Cml home to Alabama. Used Travel-all Russia for TS part–couldn’t (wouldn’t) do that leg on my own.Your article brought back lots of good memories. I always forget the bad. Walt Studdard of Anniston, AL
Definitely on my bucket list. Actually my bucket list includes a trip around the world without flying or driving. The Trans-Siberian being the key link in that trip…thanks for sharing.