BnD: A Retrospective -- The Trans-Manchurian

D: Hey guys, we know it's been a while. Well, since last year that we brought you the hard hitting news about what goes down on the other side of the world and the only thing we can say is we were having a lot of fun. We know our die-hard fans, all three of you and our moms, dads and grandparents, will appreciate the posts we are bringing at you.

We thought about doing a retrospective because the trip is starting to wind down for us...but mom and dad it does not mean we are coming home tomorrow!!!! Now, we know it is not a retrospective for you guys. You are all hearing about these tales for the first time but for us, we are looking back and laughing and thinking about the good times we shared and saying, "what were we thinking?"

So, we are starting really where we left off. We left you guys hanging in the balance when we hopped a train from Moscow to Beijing. That is were the true fun started for us and well, where people were actually nice to us.

By the way, we are sitting in the "American" pub Sakura in Pingyao, China. What makes it "American"? Well, the Garth Brooks, John Denver, Belinda Carlisle, and The Bangles music of course!!! I mean, what upstanding American does not listen to all these artist religiously? Sadly, I knew EVERY SINGLE word to EVERY SINGLE song. God Bless "Video Killed the Radio Star" and America!

B: Okay, so at 11:55 p.m. August 24, we hopped the "Vostok," train No. 20 from Moscow, Russia all the way across the continent to Beijing, China. It was hot as heck and Deni was coming off a case of Dehli Belly, plus not counting the three oh-so-pleasant weeks we'd just spent in Russia, so you can just imagine how good a mood we were in.

D: Ummmm...we did not mention, God Bless his soul, but we sat down beside a bum in the train station. He had no shoes and had not had a shower since 1985. He has the smelliest feet I can think off. We actually moved. Keep in mind, there were NO seats in the entire station. Oh wait, did I mention the delinquents that were having a SPITTING fight beside us? Needless to say we had to move...to seats beside the public restrooms.

B: Russia: thank God you can cook. That's all I can say.






B: We traveled "soft sleeper." That is the top level of accomodation. You get two beds/benches in a private compartment. There are roughly ten of these compartments in one train car. It's actually pretty comfortable and you get a great nights sleep. You also get A LOT of reading done on a week long train ride. I read "War and Peace" on the trip. Being locked in a small room with that book was probably the only way I could have ever finished it.

D: B, I've already seen that! I read Vonnegut. I just got even more depressed.



B: There was a dining car on the train, but we only went there once because it was too expensive. We were far from starving though, as you'll soon see.

D: Nice tubb-o pic. of Deni D. Just the very first of "Oh...ANOTHER "Myspace pic!"

B: Whatever.



B: Sometimes the train would pull into a station and we could hop off and stretch our legs for a while. I used this time to take plenty of pictures of the "rolling stock" and other train pics, so don't worry Dad, more where this came from!



D: One of many babushkas where our meals came from.

B: At most stations ladies would be waiting for us to sell us everything from beer and pop to homemade perogis and fresh fruits. It was really really good...usually.



B: Our other main source of nutrition...

D: Russian Top Ramen and dried mashed potatoes. Awesome.






We called them "the lifesavers." Alexandria and Rita. They are a mother/daughter team of Dominican/Russian roots who knew Spanish, Russian, Chinese and of course, English. They and a few other English-speakers on the train helped keep us entertained.

Thank you guys for taking care of us, feeding us, helping us communicate and making sure the taxis got us back to the train in time.



B: The crew. Once in a while we'd pool our resources and have a little party. With Alexandria and Rita, there is Jenny, an Australian from Perth. Her husband, Gary, is taking the picture.



The day after the party.



Lunch by babushkas.






Bubushka buffet.






Lake Bikal.









D: I'M ALL HOPPED UP ON RUSSIAN TEA!!!!!!!









D: One of the rest dressed Russians we came across...seriously!



D: Gary saying something offensive for the fifty-seventh time...



B: You may have noticed I wore this shirt every day. I also wore it every day on the Yangtze River. For some reason I kept wearing it even though on the first day of the trip in Amsterdam I realized it made me look like Rick Steves.

D: Bill, consult Traveler's Vogue next time. We do love us some Rita though.



B: Deni corrupting the youth. Alex was on her way to college in Shanghai.















A typical Russian working...on his ass.






The only free thing on the train: hot water.



B: We used the bathroom and (some of us) bathed in this room for a week with 20 other people.
That's all we'll say.

D: B, why does the toilet seat look like someone peed on it. Oh wait...






A monument to Russia's "Great War" AKA World War II.



"The Crew": The Spaniards, The Lifesavers, The Australians, and of course us!



B: Rita took everyone out for my birthday in Zabalisk, a Russian town on the border of China. We had about four hours to kill while the crew changed the wheels on our train cars to the more narrow Chinese gauge. We ate at a Khazak place and it was awesome.



Tracks made for Chinese and wider-gauged Russian trains.



B: Completing arrival formalities at the border in China.

D: We got nothing less than white-glove service, NO KIDDING!!!! Everyone wore white gloves. They knew English and were all so nice. What a change! They were...nice.
They even called us Mr. Snyder and Miss Dickson. That is always a sign of class to BnD.
And, well, this is were we fell in love with Chinese and their Top Ramen. IT IS AMAZING!!!!!!!

B: We had another full day of travel in China after this and then the morning of August 31 we pulled into Beijing. We didn't know then how much we'd love the place, but we rolled into the Holiday Inn (best birthday present ever Mom) and they gave us a free upgrade and a breakfast smorgasboard the likes we'd never seen. We've had that same breakfast buffet a dozen times since then, but it never compared to that morning when we were fresh off the train.

D: I am so embarassed to say, why I am not sure, but we were haggard looking, probably smelly, and just down right pathetic. We looked like we just came out of the gutter. We TRIED to explain that we just came off of a train for seven days and seven nights without a shower or shave. In TRUE Chinese style...they just smiled and nodded.

It was a crazy experience, but we'd do the train again. Maybe in the other direction...?