Here we are on the other side of the first leg of our Trans-Siberian trip. Was it what we expected? Well, I fell asleep pretty quickly- all that walking up he hilly streets of Vladi was exhausting! Our kupe- 2nd class compartment with 4 beds- was very comfortable and clean. Instead of the usual and infamous 'providinista' (female carriage attendant), we had a 'provodinik', looking very dapper in a light grey suit. Of course, a long distance train ride would not be complete without the obligatory snorer... an slowly experiencing snorers from around the world!
I'm going to keep in short and sweet bot Khabarovsk, rather like our stay here. Firstly, and rather bizarrely, this city is very EXPENSIVE. We wandered around Khabarovsk for 2 hours yesterday morning, trying to find a hotel for under 2000 rubles- only to find they were no longer existent or much more expensive than we were expecting. We shouldn't have been surprised; our Lonely Planet is three years old... but still, who knew so much could change in 3 years?
Anyway, enough grumbling...we are not backpacking in a cheap country, after all. We soon found a hotel, Hotel Intourist, which we soon discovered was the venue of either a school prom night, the after-party of a school prom, or the wedding reception of a very young person getting married. Lots of girls in tight dresses hugging each other tightly...it seems the model-like beauties are not restricted to Vladivostok!
So, what else did we discover about this pricey city? Well, it's as clean and green as Vladivostok, with the same immaculate light grey pavements, wide open roads and tree filled boulevards. But though it also had the same cloudless skies as Vladi, it didn't have the benefit of a cool sea breeze. I casually said to Patrick that it must be around 25 degrees Celsius, only for him to point out an electronic temperature gauge across the road that read 37 degrees!! It had felt hot outside, especially walking around with out backpacks for 2 hours, but not THAT hot!! There were people-a-plenty swimming in the slightly murky river, and sunbathing in the adjacent sandy strip- several men sporting speedos, several women wearing nothing but bikini bottoms and nipple protectors...
Few more things to mention before I sign off and pack for the next train trip. Khabarovsk has some of the prettiest churches I've seen in a while...one of them, which I can see from my window, is brilliant white with electric blue spires. It's even more striking at night, when the top of the church lights up. We also spotted a golden-spired church in the distance from the main strip. There's something magical about seeing these magnificent buildings from afar, creating more of an impact than when viewed up close, as icons of a past opulent era. I call it the 'Taj Mahal' effect... Finally, I have to mention the great restaurant we went to last night- well, great food anyway. Parisian style cafes outside, which no-one wanted to sit in but us...too hot fr the people of Khabarovsk. My borsch and salad were delicious, as was Patrick's lamb...even if it came an hour and a half late. Luckily it was a beautiful night, with the sun only setting at 10pm, so it was no chore to sit there a little longer than planned. So, Khabarovsk has been another pleasant surprise...we are impressed with eastern Russian cities so far. Both Vladivostok and Khabarovsk seem to have one eye on today, switched on to the current trends and attitudes, and one eye on tomorrow, seeming to also anticipate future trends with their achingly cool swagger and innovative dress sense. I never thought I'd say this so early on in the trip, but these are both cities that I would like to return to. Where's our next stop? Chita, 40 hours away. We're in a kupe again, both on top bunks this time...so here's hoping that we get fun, easy- going compartment mates! Until Chita... P.S Sorry about the lack of photos...it's been very difficult to upload them. I'll keep trying, though!
First Trans-Siberian train, from Vladivostok to Khabarovsk
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