The Long Haul

As I had guessed, the girl in my hostel also had to be up early. Not only that, but the man had disappeared, too. I was happy to be able to make all the noise I needed to prepare for the long journey ahead of me. The train rides on the previous segments of the Trans-Siberian were going to be nothing compared to the haul ahead. I was about to spend three days on the train going from Ulan-Ude to Vladivostok.

After getting in, what I thought was my last shower, I set off for the train station, a mere footbridge walk away. I had my bags packed, my grocery bag stocked, and ready to go. After getting boarded and settling in, I quickly realized how full this train was and that most of them would also be heading to Vladivostok. Nevertheless, I was excited and prepared. I had downloaded plenty of tv shows and movies onto my iPhone to prevent boredom and had a pack of cards ready if any of these Russians would dare challenge me to a game of Durak.

After nearly 12 hours, the passenger who would take the bunk above me arrived. It was now nighttime, and most passengers were asleep, and I was doing my best to maintain a decent sleep schedule amidst the changing time zones. The following day, we had a stop that lasted 25 minutes, allowing everyone to get up and stretch their legs. This was my opportunity to purchase some better food. I could not be expected to eat instant noodles for breakfast, nor could any of my fellow passengers; we were all on the same page. 

As another day passed, we finally reached Khabarovsk. Most of the long stops on the Trans-Siberian last 15-30 minutes. However, this one was going to last 75. A couple of hours earlier, the boy in the bunk above me finally engaged me in conversation. It may sound surprising, as I am an extrovert, but I prefer to keep to myself on the train because I hate answering the first question every Russian has for me after discovering I am not Russian. 

“Why are you here? Why Russia?”

As odd as it may seem to these Russians, I’ve always been fascinated with their country. I was enamored by WWII stories and the Cold War as a child. As soon as the opportunity to come to this country arose, I took it. When I was here nearly two years ago, I decided that I would have to come back to explore this beautiful and alluring country further—having specialized in Eastern Europe and Foreign Policy & National Security, coming here made educational sense. I had been lectured about Russia both during undergrad and by the mainstream media, but I needed to go and see it for myself. Also, how do you expect anyone to learn Russian in the US? Anyway, with this small rant over, I am happy to tell you that this answer never seems to satisfy the question.

The boy, Vlad, was 17 years old and was heading to Vladivostok for a day trip to drop off the necessary papers to enroll in a higher education program. He was relieved to have found me and asked if he was welcome to join me on my adventure after he dropped off his papers. I said yes; after all, I had spent most of this trip alone. When we reached Khabarovsk, we ventured into the city a bit to find a supermarket or catch a glimpse of the ongoing protest. However, we failed on both fronts and subjected ourselves to the overpriced mini grocery store near the train station. After returning to the train for about 12 hours, we played some Durak and slept. Our arrival in Vladivostok at 6 AM could have been worse, but at least the forecast said the rain would clear by 9 AM.

Until next time)