Trans-Siberian’s end and Vladivostok
@Russia 🇷🇺
day 26
The way back towards Irkutsk is as bumpy as ever, and quite uneventful. Landscape slowly changes from totally wild and empty to a dense city, full of hurried people and mad traffic.
I take some days off, meet many nice people in my hostel, do my laundry, stroll around the city in good company. It feels good to be calm. After some deep research, I decide to actually head towards Nepal for my next destination. I am under a spell, enchanted by the call of the mountains, and can’t resist heading there. I decide to challenge myself, and to head for the Annapurna circuit, for more than 2 weeks of trek. I’ve never done such an adventure, but it seems doable, as long as I take things slowly and listen to my body.
Out of nowhere, and to my surprise, Lena (a very friendly Italian girl) contacts me online through a nomad group. We discuss a bit, and as she has the same interests as me and that we seem to get along quite well, we decide to meet in Katmandu and hike together along these mighty roads. I’m relieved to have some company along the road, and as we don’t know each other much, we most likely won’t run out of discussion topics over the days. I’m very lucky! Without hery, I would have had to hire a guide that would have considerably changed the price per day I will be spending, and the way wouldn’t seem as fun as it does now with good company.
After these quiet days, it’s time to head back into the train for 3.5 days of travel, towards Vladivostok.
I was a bit overwhelmed by all the people I was constantly meeting, and faith decided to hear my feelings and act accordingly. I decided to book a place in 3rd class this time (upper lateral bunk), to have the full Trans-Siberian experience, and boy I was right to do so! Not only was it cheap (50 CHF to go to Vladivostok), but also finding myself in the middle of 50 people that don’t share a common language with me was quite the experience.
The days went by slowly, at the rhythm of the landscape scrolling through the window. Time stretched, compressed, into a flow of moments, giving me all the time I was asking for. I managed to write articles, sleep plenty of time, read some books, listen to music and really enjoy the scenery and landscapes that were drastically different and more interesting than what I had seen between Moscow and Vladivostok.
After a ride that will forever be in my memory, I finally arrived in Vladivostok. And here I am, standing at the edge of Russia, near the train tracks, trying to realise the epic proportions that these two bands of metal stretch to. I feel tired, and still hear the metallic rattling of the wagon, as I walk to my capsule hotel. I wanted some comfort after these days of travel, and enjoyed it very much, congratulating my past self for having made this choice.
I have to wait one week here, before my flight to Nepal. At first I was very excited. But after four days of walking through the city, to the southern island, to the north beaches, I got kind of bored. My mind is focused on the following of my journey. I dream of Nepal. I read books about mountaineering and adventure. I plan the purchase of a van in New Zealand, impatiently. Time stretches again, in a way slightly less agreeable. But I’m getting there.
Today, I fly towards Nepal, to celebrate in this country the very reason why I travel. Discovering culture, nature, challenge myself, break my limits. I want to witness the mighty Himalayan range, see all its majesty, and feel how insignificant I will feel, standing at the feet of these rock giants, reaching way higher than I ever can dream of reaching.
#foodporn
#bucket-list
- Ride along the full Trans-Siberian railway
- Spend 7 days on two weeks in a train
- Spend 7 days in a row without speaking english to anyone
- Try kimchi and Corean cuisine
- Try unlabelled homemade vodka
