The train was fun, though not quite the grand adventure it's made out to be. Mostly it was the easiest part of my trip thus far. Just hanging out in one place for 4 days and talking to people in German (nobody speaks english in Russia, but they usually understand some German.) Every few hours, you get to step out onto the platform for 15 minutes and buy more Piroshkis or sausages. Got two books read!

written by  Jason Kester on May 28, 2004 from Moscow, Russia
from the travel blog: Southeast Asia, the Trans Siberian and Scandenavia
tagged TransSiberian
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The train got in at 7am, and the hostel I wanted opens at 8, so I killed an hour walking along Nevsky Prospekt and checking out an old monastery. Fine so far, but the hostel turned out to be full. Went back to the train station where there is an internet café and found and booked a different hostel.

Walking out of the station I took a wrong turn and didn't realize it until I was a mile down the wrong road. Cut across town, managing to pass roughly every tourist site in town, and finally made it to where I wanted to be. Only to find that this hostel has no sign out front. And I didn't have the address written down.

No phone number, no address, no sign. Three hours had passed by the time I made it back to the same internet café and purchased another 5 minutes online and a pencil.

Lucky for me, they actually honored my online reservation, so I'm sorted. I was close to booking a ticket to Helsinki for tonight. I figured I'd seen the whole town anyway, and clearly it didn't want me here. But life is good again. I think I'll go sleep away the afternoon.

written by  Jason Kester on May 31, 2004 from Saint Petersburg, Russia
from the travel blog: Southeast Asia, the Trans Siberian and Scandenavia
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Nobody drinks coffee in Finland. At least they don't drink it in the morning when it makes sense. If you search far and wide you can find a coffee shop, but then it won't open until 10:30am. I can't see how these people survive. Had to leave.

I'm in Stockholm now, about to catch up on much lost sleep. Did a night train from Kemijarvi to Turku, then a day wandering around in search of said cuppacino, then straight onto the night ferry for Sweden, with no cabins available. Got in to a hostel this morning, and ended up in a room with 5 loud italian guys who proceded to pack and talk for 2 hours. Yessir, sleep sounds good.

The midnight sun was cool!

written by  Jason Kester on June 16, 2004 from Stockholm, Sweden
from the travel blog: Southeast Asia, the Trans Siberian and Scandenavia
tagged Coffee
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