Friday 20th April - Good Friday.
First thing seen out of the window after waking was a snow-laden cutting that
the train was passing through. A short while later, our train stopped for some
such reason as waiting for another train. Off on a siding were snow-covered
train carriages covered with snow and a few buildings nearby – ‘twas vastly
pretty and I wish I could have taken a picture of it (I wasn’t out of bed
then).
 |
| A picture of snow in case you had forgotten what it looks like. (This is Japanese snow from last month - March 2014) |
We
passed through the whole area where the storm had been, and it wasn’t until
after midday – one o’clock that we came to country where the only snow to be
seen was patches of old.
The
biggest change in scenery was that forestation was mainly of fir trees – very
few birches. Nevertheless, rivers were still melting, with brown water flowing
over ice. Snow fields had actually been ploughed and here and there, haystack
making while the clouds hang was in evidence. [As opposed to making hay while the sun shines, you
see.] Many villages with their
wooden houses with painted shutters, wooden fences and muddy streets. Old dogs,
nanny goats, horses.
Meanwhile, back on the train. Breakfast was unpalatable watery inedible omelet;
lunch was meat with mashed potatoes; dinner was meat and chips. Not altogether
sure with whom I sat for each meal – lunch was with the Hampsons and Leanne
(with Tang [the orange drink,
not a person or animal called Tang…]), or maybe it was dinner. Another
meal was with Elly, Grace Cull (?) and somebody else. And it was only yesterday
to remember.
I
played 500 and poker with Granny, Anne and Sandy Harrison, and generally did
what anybody else would do on a train.
The first stop of the morning to get out at was covered in light snow,
which is great for tramping around in. This stop was Karimskoye [Arrived 10.20 am, fifteen minute
stop. 6300 kilometres from Moscow.] At the night stop at Ulan Ude, I
circumambulated the train. Statue of a bear and cub – shabby. [We arrived at Ulan Ude at 9.45 pm
for an eighteen minute stop.]
I
had a very late night because of a certain three other people I share the
compartment with. I didn’t get much sleep and at 3am on
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