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Siberia Russia Part 6 When Stairs Attack In The Khabarovsk Train Station
n this continuing series, going to look like WHEN they
we cover my move from San meet?" What about his family, not
Diego to Chita, Siberia to to mention the nightmares
be a professor at Chita State suffered by the conductor. I
Technical University. We pick up mean, really, who can do math
the story going to the train under such circumstances?
station in Khabarovsk to catch
the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Stairs...Evil, Evil Stairs
Day 4! At the Intourist hotel, we
arranged for train tickets to
If you've been reading this Chita. By we, I mean my friend
series on NomadJournalTrips.com, Grae did everything. For $27,
you know my original travel "we" had arranged a private berth
estimate was 2 "½ days from San and all was good. With a good
Diego to Chita, Russia. Well, day nights sleep, we headed down from
4 has arrived and I am just the room and out into
getting on the train. This the...pouring rain. A local was
horrible time estimate is kind enough to give us a ride to
evidence of a poor math the train station and all seemed
education. I blame the American good. After a bit of pointing,
education system! extreme facial expressions and so
on, we discovered our train was
I never could figure out those running about an hour slow. We
math hypotheticals, "If a train hunkered down and did a bit of
is going south at "x" speed and a people watching.
cyclist is going north at "x"
speed, when will they meet?" When As we sat, I pondered my luggage.
are they going to meet? More I had a large hiking backpack and
like, "What the heck is cyclist something I called "the lump."
The lump was an extremely large maiming anyone or being slapped.
duffle bag with tiny wheels on Just as I stepped down the second
one-end and plastic bars running flight, "thou was nudgeth from
down the flat side/bottom. In behind."
theory, you could roll it or drag
it anywhere. Mine was black, wet Time slowed.
and weighed about 70 pounds.
Before you snicker, keep in mind The lump hit me in the back of
I was going to Siberia for a the knees. I fell back onto the
year. What would you take? Still, lump. In a transformation beyond
I had an uneasy feeling, but my primitive understanding of
couldn't really figure out why. quantum physics, the lump became
a high performance bobsled. Down
Our hour was up and it was time I went.
to head to the track platform.
Like many European train Still in slow motion, I couldn't
stations, one had to actually help but notice the agility of
walk down stairs, through a the Russians in the stairwell.
tunnel and then back up stairs to Some jumped up an ornamental
get to your platform. This is not shelf running down the stairs.
the way it works in San Diego. It Overweight individuals sucked it
also doesn't rain in San Diego. up and suddenly became thin.
Rain, 70 pound bag on wheels, Miraculously, not one soul was
plastic bars, stairs...I think hit on my way to the bottom. My
you get the picture. landing was uneventful, which is
to say there wasn't a loud smack
The stairs were packed as I on the wall at the bottom of the
shuffled forward pulling the lump stairs.
behind me. You would be proud. I
made the first flight without I jumped up and turned to see if
anyone was injured. There was Everyone started moving again and
total silence. Faces just stared not a word was said. Alas, the
back at me. Apparently, the only lump was not so accommodating
thing injured was my ego and when it came to climbing up the
skin, which was turning a dark stairs on the other end of the
shade of red. Well, I like to tunnel.
make an impression! I vehemently
prayed that none of them were Next - The Trans-Siberian
going to Chita. Railway...How Many Days To
Chita?!
About the Author:
Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - Preserve the experience with a travel journals. Visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com to read more of this series and other travelogues.
Source: www.isnare.com
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