Siberia Russia Part 9 Chita

A fter deciding to move to         mountains and pretty much          Siberia for a year to teach     nothing. It was like taking a      at the Chita State              really slow train ride across      Technical University, I embarked      Kansas. There just wasn't much of  on a travel odyssey unlike any        anything to see. I wish I could    other. In this entry, we pick up      tell you differently.              the last stage of the seven-day                                          trip to get there.                    End of the Road                                                                                             Siberia As Seen From A Train          As I went to sleep on the evening                                        of the sixth day of the trip, I    In preparing for my trip, I had       was developing a firm conviction   actually done some preparation.       that I would never see Chita.      As a common man, I know most of       Instead, it was clear that I was   you female readers will find this     in some type of bizarre reality    hard to believe, but I swear it       television series based on         was so. Yep, I had read up on         travelers being driven slowly      books, rented movies and so on. I     insane. Amazing Race? Give me a    was familiar with the tundra, the     break. As with oh so many things,  forest and the perma-frost of         I was wrong.                       Siberia. And I was going to see                                          it all during the three-day train     The Seventh Day                    ride across Siberia. Au                                                  Contraire!                            Brooms scratch. Particularly when                                        handled by the Russian woman in    Apparently, the untamed wilds of      charge of our car. As I shot up    Siberia are a bit farther north       out of my bunk, I realized she     than where the Trans-Siberian         was talking loudly and pointing    Railway runs. During our train        more than a bit. The train was     ride, we saw no forests, no           slowing down, but I couldn't see   much out the window because we        we had indeed arrived. At 5:30 in  were in trees and there was too       the morning.                       much sun. Upon awaking Grae with                                         a few whacks and a laugh, I           Jumping out of bed, we each        finally recognized her saying,        stuffed our belongings into our    "Chita".                              bags. Staggered out into the                                             hall. Realized we both badly       We had arrived. After three           needed showers.                    flights, one angry customs                                               official, a few embarrassing          And stepped off the train into     moments, way too many crackers        Chita. Siberia. Russia.            and seven total days of travel,        About the Author: Rick Chapo is with http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of travel journals. Writing journals are the perfect travel accessories. Visit http://www.nomadjournaltrips.com to read more travel articles and travelogues. Source: www.isnare.com