When I found myself out of a job this year, I decided to take the opportunity to go on some epic trips. None was more so than riding the Trans-Siberian railroad from Beijing to St. Petersburg. Part One in the series about my journey covered the tour from China to Mongolia. By the end of the eighth day, I was on a train heading towards the Russian border. The world’s largest freshwater lake, a massive amount of pine nuts, a surprise wedding, the women’s world championship of boxing, and a bazillion birch trees were on my horizon. Read on to find out more!
Part 2: Siberia
Day 9: Lake Baikal and the Real Russia
After an uneventful border crossing, our train pulled into Ulan-Ude early in the morning. The city is the capital of the Buryatia Republic, one of 85 different “states” in the country. (Russia calls its individual regions different terms, such as Oblast, Krai, or Republic based on what they are. Republic is reserved for a state that has a distinct language, though we learned from a local guide that sadly not many people speak Buryat anymore.)
We would get to explore Ulan-Ude later but were soon on a private bus heading for Lake Baikal, one of the destinations I was most excited about visiting. The massive body of water is the world’s oldest, deepest, and cleanest lake. Containing around 22% of the world’s fresh water supply, it did not disappoint.
The weather was beautiful for Siberia in the early fall, with temps around 50 degrees Fahrenheit (or 10 degrees Celsius, a conversion I had to master in my time overseas). We went on a couple of hikes that probably didn’t even cover half a percent of the lake’s shoreline but enabled us to take in plenty of the gorgeous scenery.
We also were able to explore the town of Turka, where our guesthouse was located. It’s a small place with many homey cottages and a relaxed vibe. Compared to what prime lakefront property in the United States would look like, it was a definite shock. No million-dollar mansions with water views, monstrous hotels, or giant strip malls selling overpriced souvenirs were to be found. Our Russian tour guide pointed out that this was the “real” Russia and much different than what we would find in Moscow and St. Petersburg. It was refreshing to see a part of the country that many foreigners often miss, and the views around town were quite striking.
That evening, we had the chance to enjoy a real Russian tradition by taking a Banya. The temperature in the steam room approached 60 degrees Celsius (140 Fahrenheit for those of you playing along at home). Taking a dip in the very chilly lake after spending time in the steam left no doubt that you were alive.
Day 10: The Kids Are Alright
We were given a fantastic opportunity on our second day in Turka. It was time for the fall festival at the local school, and thanks to the wonderful cook at our guesthouse, we were invited.
The school building was easily the most modern in town. Students of all grade levels attended, and it was interesting to see young elementary kids alongside high schoolers. The festival itself was a cornucopia of fall color. Every class had a booth selling items ranging from artwork to pastries to pine nuts. The pictures below so how much work was put into the event. I also want to mention that the striking header image of this post is a poster for the celebration designed by one of the 5th-grade classes (if my translation is right).
The pine nuts got me in trouble. The little scamp in the picture holding the newspaper cone had no fear of approaching foreigners and getting us to buy some of his class’ wares.
While he didn’t speak any English and I only know about ten words of Russian, I eventually came to understand that a serving of nuts would cost me 25 rubles. This converts to about 40 cents. He then held up two fingers to see if I wanted two servings. I figured why not since 50 rubles would not exactly break the bank. Somehow, I ended up with enough pine nuts to feed the Russian army for at least a day. I shared them with my group but still had enough to nosh on the rest of my way through Russia.
Poor buying choices aside, our visit to the school was one of the best experiences of the entire tour. Being able to interact with the teachers and students (some who spoke excellent English) only furthered to help this American understand how similar people are around the world. It’s so easy to think about another country in terms of “us and them.” The rhetoric many politicians throw around often serves to exacerbate that belief. A couple of hours visiting a school like the one in Turka is more than enough to help you realize this way of thinking is a lie.
Day 11: The Unexpected in Ulan-Ude
We drove back to Ulan-Ude the next morning and had the chance to explore this medium-sized city. Their main claim to fame is that the downtown park hosts the largest bust of Lenin in the world. I am a dwarf by comparison.
Having done some research on the place, I expected to see the giant Lenin head. I did not expect that the World Women’s Boxing Championships were about to begin there. The surprise of that event existing was only exceeded by the wonder at this little known city in Siberia being the host. I didn’t make it to any matches, but we were able to see part of the opening ceremony, which was, of course, held close enough so that Comrade Lenin’s giant noggin could watch. It was a little surreal.
Ulan-Ude is also where I first learned about the magic of statue reenactments. One of my fellow travelers reenacts the poses of statues wherever she goes and shares them with friends. This sounded like fun, so I had to get in on the act.
The prices in the city were also a pleasant surprise. They are so reasonable that you start to see why the Women’s World Boxing federation would choose a place like Ulan-Ude. For example, my pictured lunch of very traditional Siberian fare cost me 206 rubles or a little over three bucks. Quite a bargain. And another Coke can with an interesting design to boot!
After all that excitement, my hotel bed was very inviting. However, I made the mistake of turning on the TV and finding “The Simpson’s” dubbed in Russian. There went another hour of my life. I then stumbled on an episode of “House,” also dubbed. I’m not sure, but the guy who did Homer’s voice in Russian might have been dubbing Dr. House as well. Anyway, I didn’t get to sleep until well after midnight.
Day 12: My Big Fat Fake Wedding
Thanks to my late-night TV binging, I was a little sleep deprived when we left to visit a village of Old Believers the next day. Old Believers are an offshoot of the Russian Orthodox church. They were founded due to a schism many centuries ago that mainly had to do with how many fingers to use when making the sign of the cross. Old Believers stick to the old school method of using two. Their more modern counterparts use three. People died over this distinction. Really.
As a solution to the problem of people being killed over matters of theology, many Old Believers agreed to resettle in Siberia. It was a hard life for them at first, but they eventually thrived. We went to the village of Tarbagatay and met with the head of the church in town. He was a very cool old guy with a passion not just for making the sign of the cross with two fingers, but for antiques as well. He took us on a tour of a small but fascinating museum he has cultivated.
Old Believers also have extremely colorful houses, probably to brighten up what can sometimes be a forbidding Siberian landscape. It was in one such house that I was suckered into being the groom at a wedding.
It started with a concert by some of the locals. They then began to dress one of our fellow travelers to show how a bride would get ready for her big day. At that point, I was ushered out and quickly dressed in some of the Old Believers’ Sunday Best. Before I knew it, they were telling me it was time to meet my bride!
Arranged marriages are another thing Old Believers believed in (I’m a bit fuzzy on if they still do). A groom seeing his wife for the first time on their wedding day was commonplace. I was told to act nervous like a groom would in this circumstance. Maybe I was overdoing it in the picture below?
Anyway, the ceremony turned out to be fake, though the locals did shake me down for some rubles after stealing away my “bride” for a time. (The kidnapping of the bride for ransom was a common practice back in the day too.) It was all in good fun, though, and yet another unforgettable experience on the road.
Day 13: Russians Like it Hot
This was our first full day on the train heading west. The journey would cover over 4,100 kilometers over two and a half days from Ulan-Ude to the small city of Kungur on the other side of Siberia.
One big misconception about taking the Trans-Siberian railroad is that it is an express. Some people even mistake it for the famous Orient Express. The Trans-Siberian is neither of these. It’s a regularly scheduled train service that stops in many cities, towns, and villages across Russia. Ordinary travelers hop on and off as their plans dictate. Our group was one of the few onboard going all the way across the country.
You quickly learn to settle into the rhythms of long-distance train travel. The compartments are comfortable, but very small. The one below is where I spent the vast majority of my time onboard.
I had the upper left bunk, which is excellent for privacy but does provide a workout each time you want to climb up and down. I don’t have a picture, but a small railing folds out from the wall that you use to scale the heights to your berth. The bottom bunks swing up to provide storage for luggage. Since getting at your suitcases will disrupt someone’s living quarters, it’s a smart idea to pack a separate small bag for anything you want to have access to on the train.
The good news is that you won’t need a ton of warm clothing. It turns out that Russians like to keep their living spaces as hot as possible. Maybe this is because the rest of the country can be very cold, but you can expect a blast of hot air to greet you when going into houses, hotels, cars, or trains. Temperatures on our train averaged around 24 degrees Celsius (about 76 Fahrenheit). Couple that with four people in a small space, and things get muggy very quickly.
You end up looking closely at the train schedule for stops lasting fifteen minutes or longer. These give you a chance to stretch your legs and get some fresh air (once you walk past all the smokers who have quickly stepped off to start puffing away). The stairs at the stop in Zima (no, I did not find any of the namesake beverage there) were a welcome way to get my blood pumping.
Day 14: Noodles, Trees, and Lots of Lenins
Russians like their water as hot as their living spaces. Every train car on Trans-Siberian has a boiler that dispenses water almost heated enough to be bubbling. Travelers use this to make tea, oatmeal, buckwheat (a Russian favorite), or anything quick where you can just add water to eat.
Noodles seemed the easiest option, and I tried many. The best was something called Cheeky Chicken from the Nunu corporation. Dealing with three different flavoring packets was a bit awkward, but the taste made it worthwhile.
Even the best noodles get old after a few meals, so thankfully, the train also has a dining car where you can get a decent meal (or much-needed beer). The prices were a little high, which is why it was mainly just tourists who ate there.
The dining car personnel also produced delicious stuffed rolls called Pirozhki that an attendant would sell down the length of the train every morning. Everyone in the group got excited when the roll lady was coming. I tried them stuffed with cabbage, potato, and sausage. All were good, but the sausage roll was savory and without question the best to this carnivore.
When not stuffing my face on the train, another pastime was watching the beautiful scenery go by. I was very fortunate to be there in with the leaves changing colors. By my count, I must have seen approximately one bazillion birch trees. Here are about fifty of them.
But once you’ve seen a bazillion birch trees, you might as well have seen them all. So, after a while, I needed something else to focus on. For me and others in the group, that became trying to see as many Lenin statues as possible. I’m sure that every Russian town has a monument to the foremost hero of the communist revolution. Since the train station is usually the epicenter of the area, the Lenin statue is often there. Several of us made a mad dash to get a picture of this statue of Lenin in Omsk early one morning.
Day 15: Kungur and Group Travel
We arrived in Kungur late in the morning and had to be ready to exit the train quickly. Our group of twelve had only a few minutes to haul our luggage off the train since we were not at a significant stop. We ended up doing it in under 110 seconds. A new record!
Kungur has a population of about 65,000 and is not somewhere most tourists are likely to go. One of the benefits of group travel is that you sometimes get to visit out of the way places like this. It reminded me of cities in the so-called rust belt of the U.S., where the times have passed things by. Kungur has seen better days, but it’s clear they are trying to find their way in the 21st century.
Of course, the first thing there I saw was a statue of Lenin outside the train station. The second was an advertisement for a fast-food restaurant selling Southern Fried Chicken. Without question, Kentucky Fried Chicken is the number one American fast-food restaurant I noticed in all three countries on my trip. I guess it’s not surprising that towns that don’t rate a KFC have a knock off.
Our walking tour of the town with a local guide was very informative. We learned about how Kungur was a vital trading outpost on the Siberian Road in the 18th and 19th centuries. The size of the main church in town was befitting an important city. And like most places in Russia, the highest point around is the church’s bell tower. The climb was worth it for the views.
We passed by an older building that used to serve as the central marketplace. It’s abandoned but seems to stand there just waiting to be useful again. The autumn views made for some striking urban scenery too.
That night, we went to the home of a family that specializes in woodworking and gingerbread. Some of the most stunning pieces of art I saw on the entire trip were inside. The first was an incredible wooden carving that the mother of the family designed and crafted after arriving in Kungur as a twenty-something. The others were these very detailed and whimsical teapots the mom also designed and had a local craftsman create.
As for the gingerbread making, it took me a bit to get the hang of it. After a while, however, I was well on my way to being proficient. The cookies were massive and tasty too.
Some travel purists turn up their noses at group travel, thinking that it’s something only for the lazy or incurious. I may have been guilty of having those thoughts in my younger years too. Those who think this way are short-sighted. Well-planned group travel takes you to unique places you probably don’t even know about and gives you the chance to encounter them with locals and other like-minded explorers. Experiences like that are hard to come by when you travel on your own.
Day 16: Happiness is Not Far Away
Our time in Kungur ended with a trip to the local ice caves, which feature some really cool geological formations. (Though there was some ice, our guide said that late fall to early spring is the time to come since then is when it covers much of the cave.) The most impressive formations were underground lakes, many meters deep. The rock formations reflecting off the surface of the water make them look deceptively shallow.
After the caves, we took a bus to the larger city of Perm. Dinosaur fossils found in the vicinity are the reason the Permian period was so named. We didn’t see any of those. Instead, we had an excellent tour through the town on another majestically sunny fall day. I could have spent the entire time in this beautiful park that was aflame with the colors of the season.
We also took a quick visit to a museum that contained artifacts of the military legacy of the area. Perm was one of the major manufacturers of military hardware for much of the cold war and officially a “closed city” for decades. Foreigners were not allowed to travel there again until after communism fell.
Like it’s smaller cousin Kungur, Perm is trying to reinvent itself in the 21st century. There is a push to keep the younger population at home to grow more tech-focused industries. This sign on the banks of the Kama river is one of the advertising slogans used to achieve that goal. It translates to “Happiness Is Not Far Away.”
After my time in Siberia, I was more than inclined to agree with that idea. My visit to an area that is easy to generalize as nothing but a frozen wasteland turned out to be a revelation. That Siberia is full of beauty beyond snow and ice is obvious, but it’s the generous people I will remember the most. Every place we stayed was welcoming, with the locals proud of what they have accomplished and eager for us to learn about their way of life.
As we reached the train station in Perm, the sun was setting on my Siberian adventure. But I still had Moscow, St. Petersburg, about a hundred thousand churches, and more surprises yet to come. You can read about the final part of my trip in Part Three of my blog series.
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