A Slow Ride: Scratchin’ a Russian itch

I have never longed to see Russia. There are many countries I would put ahead of it on my list of ‘places to go next’. Anywhere in South America for example. Africa would be great too. Having said that, there was always a vague curiosity, an itch, that had me wondering what this vast and flat country was actually like to visit. So when considering the slowest rides home from London to Melbourne, the Transsiberian train journey seemed like a good option. Starting in St Petersburg and finishing in Beijing, we covered some ground and I did manage to scratch that Russian itch. For those considering the trip, be prepared for sleepless nights, terrible food, woeful customer service, no showers, massive language barriers and looking out a window at an unchanging landscape for days. Also prepare for impromptu vodka parties in your cabin, occasional culinary delights, making great new friends and many interesting stops on the way (St Petersburg, Moscow and Irkutsk to name a few). If you are thinking of doing this legendary trip and have a question, just post one and I’ll try and get back to you with something useful.

Here’s some photos I took during my travels in this often overlooked, but hard to ignore land.