Travel
following morning, but there are plenty of interesting places to see within the town. Lake Baikal, or the ‘Pearl of Siberia’, is a sight to behold, especially during winter when you can see the mountains that surround it 80km away. It is almost 30 million years old and the deepest lake in the world, which holds 20 percent of all unfrozen Russian poster advertising a fresh water making it as theater production, clear as the vodka sold Vladivostok nearby. In 1996 it was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Moscow. After almost six days in third class I highly recommend spending one night in the Spalny Vagon – the first class carriage. If it is summer you’ll appreciate the air-conditioning, and if it is winter you’ll love the heaters. The food onboard is a little tastier, the beds are more comfortable. Unfortunately, other passengers seem a bit more distant. Moscow is grand and impressive. The buildings are sublime and the city is steeped in history. The Kremlin is an awesome sight to behold as well as the Red Square and St. Basil’s Cathedral. The occasional Moskvich can appear slightly sour and disgruntled, but don't let that throw you off. It's still a city well worth discovering. A few days spent in Moscow is imperative as there is so much to see, but the real Russia lies on the trains and in the restaurants and cafés of all the other towns and cities, and therein lies its history. The Russians are strikingly nationalistic, flag-waving and tough; but deep down like nothing more than sharing a drink.
From Irkutsk you can venture to Novosibirsk or Omsk, or you can continue onwards to Yekaterinburg, (two days, 3375km (2110miles)) one of the truly historic Russian cities. It was here on July 16th 1918, that Tsar Nicholas II and his family were slain by the Bolsheviks. From Vladivostok to Yekaterinburg the transition from stereotypical Russia to a more westernized place is obvious. Life moves at a quicker pace; there is more English appearing randomly and the hospitality of people has increased ten-fold. The final part of the train journey takes just a day, only 1778km (1110miles) to
Story and photos by David Holt David Holt writes at: http://davidholt.wordpress.com/ www.flickr.com/photos/davidandrewholt https://twitter.com/#!/DavidAndrewHolt For Trans-Siberian information & tickets: www.realrussia.co.uk http://www.seat61.com/Trans-Siberian.htm For ferry information: http://www.trans-siberian.su/ferry-korea-japan.php
The Great Trans-Siberian - the longest train journey in the world Gwangju News August 2011
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