12 October

Today I woke about 0530 Moscow time with a weak light trickling in through the window. About 0620 I got up and found Dan and the (older) carriage attendant already up. I had a cup of coke and then a cup of tea, with biscuits, for an early breakfast. We stop very soon for about twenty minutes, so I’ll see about something more substantial then.
Outside the sun is really shining in for dawn. There is a light dusting of snow near the tracks, but in the treed areas, which are warmer, there is none. I had my morning trickle and got dressed and, just a few minutes late, we arrived in Tumen.
At this platform the weather was a little chilly (if it continues to get colder, I’ll have to start putting my jacket on) there was only one small kiosk open. Nothing attracted me, so I just looked around. Christopher was trying to get something but not having much luck.
As I wandered back along the platform, the whistle blew and the brakes released, and all the carriage attendants leapt inside. I called out to the others to hurry and went into the nearest carriage. When I got back to mine (Carriage 10, Berth 7), I saw the steps up and the attendant looking out urgently. A few minutes later we took off and I hope Christopher and Dan made it. They did!
I went back to reading, but finished about 0845. Outside the land was covered in snow to varying depths, between a light dusting through to small piles in certain places.
Our next stop is scheduled to be Sverdlovsk around 1155. I must remember to ring Fran about 1330.
Eventually all of us (Alan, Julie, Dan and Christopher) were chatting in the corridor. We went through safety of cars, size of cars, price of fuels, CB radio, computer and Internet games and finally camera settings and techniques. I missed out on a photo of massed tanks north of the line. My power board is currently charging the laptop, the battery charger, Christopher’s iPod and Dan’s mp3 player. It’s interesting how many things I can do with it and how well prepared I seem compared to some fellow travellers.
Tushin, whose occupation in part seems to be money changing, is getting off at the next stop. I wonder if he will return on the next train the other way and ply his trade there? It’s currently about half an hour to our next stop, and all of us are wondering whether we will be able to get a variety of food there and if it will fill our needs for lunch. It seems as though the platform vendors know there are fewer people on the train heading into Moscow and so only the kiosks are open (at higher prices, as there is no competition).
We pulled into Sverdlovsk a little after noon and it was obviously a lot colder there. I put my jacket on and saw a few flakes of snow (not enough, by my standards, to say it was snowing) falling as I got out. I got some coke and a loaf of sliced bread (140 py6) but declined a tube of Pringles at 180 py6 (about AUD7). Tushin said goodbye and headed off and we all boarded the train again. We had left before 1230 and I immediately had some bread with Vegemite – not the best, but acceptable under the circumstances. As we headed off the sky outside became greyer and it was nice being in the carriage at 24°C rather than outside. If I ever did this trip again, I would go Beijing to Moscow, stopping off in Ulan Bator for a few days, perhaps up to a week (to catch the same train, 3, again) and then go to the east coast via the BAM line and travel to Vladivostok and return to Moscow that way.
Not too long after, a young Korean (south) came along, saw me and asked whether there was a dining car on. I told him there was, but that the quality of the food was not great but the prices were. He apparently is not too well-off and had worked in Perth as a slaughterman recently. I gave him some slices of bread surplus to my requirements and he was very grateful. After that I listened to my iPod for a time before Alan came along and we talked further about cameras, then took some pictures of things outside. It wasn’t too long before Permi came up at 1720 (early) and we disembarked, but it was really cold outside. I didn’t see anything that enticed me to spend, but I did see a car being led by a woman with a red flag (I didn’t realise the “Red Flag Act” hadn’t yet been repealed in Russia). I also saw the Korean out in shorts and thongs, but I think after this he will be in longs and shoes or boots.
I wasn’t off too long and was followed soon after by Dan and Christopher, who had run to the main street to do some shopping. The attendant opened our cabins, we prepared and had our meals and soon it was settling down for the night.