Trans-Siberian Railway Day 3: Somewhere Near Kazan
I guess we've finally adapted to life here, as we only start waking up when the sun is high in the sky. Though the fact that the sun is high in the sky so early in the morning is something to think about. They say humans are adaptable creatures, and everyone really must have adapted because the train has turned into a giant sleeping room. Last night, we hugged and said goodbye to the grandmother who had been sitting across from us since departure, and early this morning, another grandmother boarded. Our front seat must be exclusively reserved for babushkas (Russian for grandmothers). Unlike the grandmothers we've ridden with so far, this one must have been an elementary school teacher in her youth, as she kindly explains every passing tree and region to us one by one.
In Russian, of course.
After the babushka—who passionately explained things to us with what seemed like a great sense of mission, even though we had no idea what she was saying—got off sooner than expected, a young couple boarded. Actually, "young" just means they were younger than the grandmothers we've seen so far; I couldn't tell if they were older or younger than me. Anyway, the man had a koi fish tattoo on his arm and looked like the pro wrestler "The Rock." The woman, in stark contrast, had an incredibly cute face and was looking at us and the soldiers with a fascinated smile. I've seen a lot of these unbalanced couples since coming to Russia. The women vary, but the men all look like wrestlers. The defining trait of these completely mismatched couples is that the men are all incredibly sweet to their women, listen to them well, and even smile at them all day long. It also made me momentarily solemn to realize the universal truth that all men around the world are just their women's personal photographers camera monkeys. However, like "The Rock" across from us, most of these men don't spare a single smile for us fellow guys, and they communicate entirely through the women. It feels a bit like talking to a king.
To break the ice, I asked "The Rock" and his wife, who said they live in Moscow, to recommend a good restaurant there. I had no idea this single slip of the tongue would bring about such a massive ordeal. At first, they casually gave us one recommendation, but then they kept searching and searching, sitting there looking up restaurants for a whopping four hours. The woman seemed to be enjoying it, which was fine, but our "Rock" was hunched over, staring into a phone half the size of his palm for four hours straight. He gave off such an intense aura that I felt like he might split my head open with that phone at any moment, making me too scared to even get up for the bathroom. Later on, his eyes must have gotten tired because he even put on glasses to search in earnest. They were the ones doing the searching, but I don't know why we were the ones feeling exhausted.
Since we arrive early tomorrow morning, everyone is starting to pack their bags again. We handed out all the medicine and food we brought to the soldier kids, and to say thanks, they shared their military supplies with us. Thanks to them, we ended up with three Russian military field ration sets, making our luggage heavier than when we arrived. They say travel is about leaving with a full bag, emptying it completely, and filling it back up with things from your destination. We really did fill it back up physically. With military rations.
I think the idea that you have to empty everything out before you can fill it all back up applies not just to travel, but to everywhere in life.
Expenses (Per Person)
- Dinner 270R
Total Expenses 270R
Total Trip Expenses 525,936 KRW + 12,351R + $53.16