From Russia, With Love

SUMITRA SENAPATY GOES ON THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME ONBOARD THE TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY

I did not embark on this ride with any hope for luxury and style. The Trans-Siberian train certainly does not offer too many creature comforts: primitive heating (coal fire), bunk beds, pelmeni and borscht for food and a lack of showers make for a certain kind of charm that doesn’t appeal to everyone. The lack of internet connectivity and limited facilities for charging your phone are blessings, because you are forced to disconnect from your devices. But everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, possibly on account of some Russian champagne, along with snatches of conversations, interspersed with cat naps every now and then. It is getting back to basics in the best possible way. Without bathing, you quickly sport a new look, chugging along with unkempt hair and the bonhomie of a footloose spirit.

After a few days spent gazing at the iconic sites of Moscow, watching the Bolshoi Ballet perform Swan Lake, and marvelling at the luxe chandeliered Metro, it’s time to board the high-speed Sapsan to St Petersburg. Here, we hire a boat to traverse the canals the way Peter the Great did, see the aweinspiring Hermitage Museum, admire ornate Fabergé eggs, and people-watch on the bustling avenue of Nevsky Prospect. In total contrast is the long Siberian odyssey in the second-class compartment of the legendary TransSiberian train, a journey that is set to take us across Russia and Mongolia.