The Train — Nov 15-16

We got to the train station around 6 pm, found a convenient parking space just next to our train, and waited in the car with Vladimir until we were able to board, about 6:30. Vladimir got us situated into our compartment and we said our goodbyes. Olga by came just before the train left the station, introduced herself and said she’d be back to wake us about 20 minutes before the end of our six hour ride to Bryansk.

With our luggage, we barely fit into the train compartment. Two benches were made up like beds, with a table in between (under the window), and a place to put luggage either under the beds or above the door entrance.

The restroom was down the hall at the front of the car. It is about the size of a airline lavatory. The toilet, sink and floor were stainless steel. The floor was cover with a metal grid. No one on the train said anything to us, but we’d been told by others that you should not use the toilet when the train is stopped, because after you go, you press a foot lever, that causes a flap to drop, some liquid to flow, that washes the waste onto the tracks below.

Now it was time to get a few hours sleep while we could. We both woke up though because it was so hot in the room. John got his translation book out and attempted to speak with the woman stationed in our car at the end of the hallway. We’re not sure what he said because she started showing him a schedule on the wall of the train stops and making hand gestures that we should sleep. Realizing that he failed to get the message across, John pulled out the book again, but this time just pointed to the phrase for her to read, “the room is too hot”. She seemed to understand. We went back to sleep again and thought it felt cooler.

Later on John woke up again when the train had stopped. He looked out the window, stared for a few moments, then called to me. Passing by the window in the frosty night air, were large stuffed animals; leopards, Dalmatians, lions, teddy bears, other creatures. Just floating by the window, riding silently on the shoulders of maybe a dozen villagers. We learned later that there was a manufacturer in that town and the locals came to the train to sell them to the passengers. They milled back and forward for several minutes, then disappeared as the train resumed its travels. It was a Polar Express kind of moment. When we woke again before Bryansk, we had to ask ourselves if we really saw that, or just dreamed it.

Olga came as promised and we bundled up again ready to hit the cold. Got off the train at 1:00 am; not many others around outside. Walking down the platform and across several tracks to get to the train station and out to the taxi area, seemed like some old-time war movie.

Olga didn’t say much to us. We just followed her. We got used to just doing what we were told and not asking many questions. The taxi ride to the Hotel Chernigov was just a few minutes. Olga took our passports and got us checked in then up to our room. She said to meet her in the hotel lobby at 8:20 am. The room was neat and clean. It had two twin beds instead of a double (or king we have at home!). We unpacked a little and probably fell asleep around 2:30, after testing to make sure our cell phone would work as our wake-up alarm. (It didn’t know what tine it was, but allowed us to manually enter the time.) It seems like we never got more than three or four hours of sleep at a time.