Last day in Vlad

I felt a bit better today. Met a Dutch and two Swedes and went sightseeing with them, had quite a nice day! But the internet in the hostel, nje rabotajet. A very useful phrase in many situations here in Russia. So had to come here to the post office for internet access and you will not see any more photos until I get to Irkutsk.

The train there leaves at 3 am, I will hardly be able to sleep before that as I'm very good with worring about early wakings and bad with sleeping without earplugs in strange places. It is highly confusing with all the timetables as the long distance trains always run in Moscow time and, well, it's not quite Moscow time here. Actually all my departures and arrivals are in extremely unpleasant hours. If only I had taken the train no. 1... Would be meeting more turists as well.

It was a little easier to stock up food for the train this time as I quite new what I wanted. Fruits, hot chokolade, bread, butter, cheese... I'm still short of coffee as I refused to buy Nescafe and not that convinced on these local instant coffees, and I couldn't find this local thick milk and sugar -thing that proved to be very handy on train. But I will survive, I just won't share the coffee that's left, haa. The russians usually refused anyway as they prefer tea.

Here I go again!

A short but sunny day

Today I went to the local market. Bought a little bag - one got broken on the train - and some cute kitchen towels. And that was it. Oh, I did go the pharmacist as well and managed to get some Strepsils, Ibuprofen and a saline nasal spray, it really is much easier to communicate than I thought. The biggest problem was trying to get someone to tell how to get to the market as everyone seemed to be tourists too, from all over Russia. I feel much worse than yesterday so I quickly came back to the hostel. And soon got the biggest surprise; met a Russian guy who's been living in Helsinki for 10 years and is now hitchhiking through Russia. It was really nice to be able to speak Finnish! Had a nap afterwards and dreamed of my friends in my choir. I'm missing you!

Tomorrow will be the last day here, I do wish I will feel a bit better. Now it's obvious that I will not be able to swim in the sea but at least I want to soak my feet there a little.

Sore throath in Vlad

I got ill. Woke up and felt really bad. Luckily I got some ibuprofein with me, saved the day. I managed to get myself out doors and wandered around the city. The smell of the sea is really good. Somehow it seems to me more like a little English harbour than a big Russian city.
I also managed to get everything a needed in a local supermarket with my russian! We cooked together at the hostel, had the best chicken soup ever. It really is the best thing to eat when you are ill.

Now sure if I got it right but I understood that this is some kind of house of local midwifes.
Are my hand in some midwifery position?
Would make a rather large newborn. With a head that is not quite engaged yet...
Feel free to guess.

Ja sama suomeksi. Tama on siis jonkinlainen katiloiden kokoontumisajopaikka, jos en nyt suuremmin tullut huijatuksi. Vaan mita ihmetta kateni tekevat, ja liittyyko se jotenkin katilotyohon? Pa vaikuttaisi ainakin melkoiselta ja noissa korkeuksissa paa tuskin on kiinnittynyt... Arvauksia vastaanotetaan kommeteissa.

Eating

Russians are very goot with guests, and I was always considered as one. All their food was shared with others in the room. I had plenty of food brought from Finland and in Moscow I got some more. Theres babushkas and kiosks at the stations selling food and drinks but what you get and when is highly unpredictable.

Oh this red caviar (or what ever it is called) was very fresh and good!

Me enjoying my first cold smoked omul fish.

This was fun. It's some kind of pine with seed to eat. Kept me busy for a long time.

In the train

The provonidzda of our vagon.
Takes care of the passengers, hot water, cleans and sells tea.

The windows opened, at least some, sometimes.
At the end you can see the samovar providing hot water. Well it usually did.

First feelings after the Trans-Siberian train

It was absolutely great! I totally lost the track of time, hardly new which station stretched my legs in and time flew incredibly quickly.
There were only a few people - two actually - who spoke good english, but especially the other one I made good friends with. So changed the language so that they can also read how I'm doing here. And you would be amazed of how much conversation you can make with the poorest Russian skills.
Now I arrived here in a hippy hostel with russian hosts and two european guys. I really should be going to bed but I'm far too excited about all that I've been going through.
Vladivostok by night is really beautiful and I heard that there's Vlad by night -tours here. Seriously thinking of taking one as I'm not too happy to just wander around on my own when it get's dark. See, the spare brains offered by my friend at the fare-well dinner did not get wasted.

Moskovassa

Nyt jo olen kauempana idassa kuin koskaan.

Ensimmainen yo junassa meni hyvin. Rajalle asti oli hytti tyhja, ja senkin jalkeen leppoisaa. Junissa ei pussilakanoita tunneta, ja loysin lakanan aamulla mytyssa vuoteen reunalta. Taidan joutua viela ostamaan oman lakanan taalta. Joku ottiainen pisti yolla makeasti, mutta muuten nukuin junan jyskeessa oikein hyvin. Itse asiassa koko junamatka tuntui aika hataiselta, vaikka kesti mitalie 14 tuntia. Taitaa olla ajatukset jo niin vahvasti seitseman paivan junamatkassa.

Moskovassa olen vain ajelehtinut. Yritin nahda punaisen torin, mutta se on ensi viikolle asti suljettu - tai niin mina olin ymmartavani. Vanhojen patsaiden puistoon en viitsinyt maksaa sisalle, mutta tulipahan kaveltya. Antikvariaatista ostin viime hetken paniikissa viela muutaman englanninkielisen kirjan. Minulla ei tainnut olla kummempaa ennakkokasitysta Moskovasta, koska kuva siita ei ole jarkkynyt suuntaan eika toiseen. Ihmiset ovat akkiseltaan saman oloisia kuin Pietarissa. Kovin moni ei englantia puhu, mutta viela olen tullut hyvin toimeen. Yksikin vanha herra opasti minut vilkkaan risteyksen yli. Dangerous, here safe.

Jotenkaan en usko nayttavani kovinkaan paikalliselta, mutta ihmiset ovat hakeltyneet joka kerran, kun olen englantia puhunut. Jopa amerikkalaiset turistit.

Toivottavasti junasta loytyy englanninkielista seuraa. Jos ei, niin sanakirja ja valokuvat kotomaasta varmaan helpottavat tutustumista. Ja suomalainen suklaa.

Juna lahtee vasta puolenyon jalkeen, nainkohan saan itseani viihdytettya Moskovan illassa?