novosibirsk->irkutsk
The initial cabinmates for my trip from Novosibirsk to Irkutsk seemed a friendly bunch. Two worked in the building industry, developing residential tower blocks in Novosibirsk; the other was an officer in the army, Andrei - between them they produced several meals (for example, a chicken which we ripped to pieces and ate with our fingers (it had previously been killed and roasted, of course)) and copious amounts of beer drunk from tea cups supplied by the provodnik. Between them they spoke a few words of English and with much gesturing we managed to exchange basic facts about each other.
In the cabin next door were a man and three women, all of them apparently teachers. Valerin, the man, plus Galena, Luda (who spoke a teensy bit of English - "My name is Luda."), and Olga. After the three in my cabin had finished with me, they passed me onto Valerin, Galena, Luda and Olga, who repeated the same arm-waving, beer-and-food-stuff exercise.
Andrei was especially eager to drink beer. After we'd exhausted everyone's supply of beer, it was indicated that to drink more, I had to buy some - this I was happy to do as I'd been supping on others hospitality on the trains for days. At the next stop, he and I jumped off the train and pegged it over the footbridge. As we did this, I noticed that he seemed a little bit more drunk when standing up, and also that we neither of us had any idea how long the train would wait in the station. After rapidly purchasing 3 x 1.5l plastic bottles of cheap beer (150R for all three), Alexei decided there was insufficient time to run back over the foot bridge and that we must cross back directly over the tracks. The major impediment to this was our own train, as the open doors were on the far side. So under the carriages we scrabbled, getting hands covered in oil and grease, then up onto the platform on the other side.
Alexei glanced at a carriage number and started to jog the wrong way down the platform; I pointed out his mistake, he reversed and jogged in the right direction but straight past the correct carriage. It took some convincing to get him to believe wagon 8 was the right one...
Eventually back on the train, we rapidly finished off the first of the three bottles. Unfortunately, by this time Alexei was rather the worse for wear. Luda carried him into the toilet and we left him there a while. Eventually he returned and passed out on the bed. All was well it seemed.
Suddenly all of it came back out. Right onto the floor of our carriage. The provodnik was summoned, who shouted at Alexei and gave him a slop bucket. The rug from the floor was taken into the smoking section at the end of the carriage and doused with water. Alexei made poor attempts to mop the floor but eventually the ladies from the cabin next door donned rubber gloves and cleaned up the mess whilst leaving me in their cabin to drink beer and coffee.
Eventually the cabin is cleaned and we all go to sleep. By morning, Alexei is up, uniform fixed, beret upon head, looking as if nothing had happened, and gets off at his stop.
On the second day, I make some attempt to buy food for the remaining inhabitants, but this fails -- I buy 4 meat-donuts, intending to share, but the friendly old buildings man buys four too, and ends up giving one to me so I eat five for the price of four.
About an hour before the journey ends, some girls claiming to be students from university in Irkutsk come along on a fundraising mission, selling little postcards for high prices. I indicate I speak no russian and ask if they speak english. "Anya" says "ummm parlez vous francais?". I am delighted! We converse in bad french for a few minutes, me so pleased to be able to easily exchange entire paragraphs of speech with someone for the first time in days. After that, I'm more than happy to buy some little card for their fundraising.
Now Irkutsk. No where to stay yet and it is coming up for 11pm. Perhaps I should go look?
In the cabin next door were a man and three women, all of them apparently teachers. Valerin, the man, plus Galena, Luda (who spoke a teensy bit of English - "My name is Luda."), and Olga. After the three in my cabin had finished with me, they passed me onto Valerin, Galena, Luda and Olga, who repeated the same arm-waving, beer-and-food-stuff exercise.
Andrei was especially eager to drink beer. After we'd exhausted everyone's supply of beer, it was indicated that to drink more, I had to buy some - this I was happy to do as I'd been supping on others hospitality on the trains for days. At the next stop, he and I jumped off the train and pegged it over the footbridge. As we did this, I noticed that he seemed a little bit more drunk when standing up, and also that we neither of us had any idea how long the train would wait in the station. After rapidly purchasing 3 x 1.5l plastic bottles of cheap beer (150R for all three), Alexei decided there was insufficient time to run back over the foot bridge and that we must cross back directly over the tracks. The major impediment to this was our own train, as the open doors were on the far side. So under the carriages we scrabbled, getting hands covered in oil and grease, then up onto the platform on the other side.
Alexei glanced at a carriage number and started to jog the wrong way down the platform; I pointed out his mistake, he reversed and jogged in the right direction but straight past the correct carriage. It took some convincing to get him to believe wagon 8 was the right one...
Eventually back on the train, we rapidly finished off the first of the three bottles. Unfortunately, by this time Alexei was rather the worse for wear. Luda carried him into the toilet and we left him there a while. Eventually he returned and passed out on the bed. All was well it seemed.
Suddenly all of it came back out. Right onto the floor of our carriage. The provodnik was summoned, who shouted at Alexei and gave him a slop bucket. The rug from the floor was taken into the smoking section at the end of the carriage and doused with water. Alexei made poor attempts to mop the floor but eventually the ladies from the cabin next door donned rubber gloves and cleaned up the mess whilst leaving me in their cabin to drink beer and coffee.
Eventually the cabin is cleaned and we all go to sleep. By morning, Alexei is up, uniform fixed, beret upon head, looking as if nothing had happened, and gets off at his stop.
On the second day, I make some attempt to buy food for the remaining inhabitants, but this fails -- I buy 4 meat-donuts, intending to share, but the friendly old buildings man buys four too, and ends up giving one to me so I eat five for the price of four.
About an hour before the journey ends, some girls claiming to be students from university in Irkutsk come along on a fundraising mission, selling little postcards for high prices. I indicate I speak no russian and ask if they speak english. "Anya" says "ummm parlez vous francais?". I am delighted! We converse in bad french for a few minutes, me so pleased to be able to easily exchange entire paragraphs of speech with someone for the first time in days. After that, I'm more than happy to buy some little card for their fundraising.
Now Irkutsk. No where to stay yet and it is coming up for 11pm. Perhaps I should go look?
posted by benc at 13:10 GMT
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