17. November
Krasnoyarsk. 3.30am. Just helped B. carry his 42” TV and numerous other presents up the stairs at Krasnoyarsk station in my Birkenstocks. Sorry to see them go as they were both very nice people. They’ve been replaced by two guys and platinum blonde girl. She’s pretty, in a money and make-up sense. She has a half length fur jacket. I can’t work out which animal it used to belong to but it still has it’s paws attached to it which is nice.
30 minute stop at Taiga. Got talking with one of the waitresses from the restaurant wagon on the platform whilst having a cigarette. She promptly led me off the shops in the station where I bought a snickers and a Pepsi. I don’t know why: I don’t like Pepsi.
2 hours away from my stop. Went back to the restaurant car to get a beer and read for a bit. All the waitresses are very nice and chatty. Just wish I could speak better Russian. But this is definitely the best way to be practicing. Hats of to Ira/Dima basically! Although I think they’d be livid if they were here at how little I remember.
Horizontal snow coming thick and fast now! That’s what I’ve got to look forward to in 30 mins. Am I really going to walk to my new flat from the station? I didn’t. I got the bus. Sensible move.
Am at homestay #5 now in central Novosibirsk. Home of Olga, husband and baby Annie. Annie is a delightful big old smilely 11 month year old who doesn’t cry in my presence. Flat is nice with modern, if sparse, décor in a classic old Soviet-style apartment block. Novosibirsk is Russia’s third largest city so doubt it will be as easy to stroll round as it was in Irkutsk. Going to brave the weather and have a little explore now.
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