Another 1438km, 33 hours, 1 compartment, about 50 people, 1 disgusting toilet, 30 degrees

The 2nd section on the Trans-Siberian route

As I stand ready to board at the platform in Novosibirsk at around 5:35 am on Thursday morning, I am excited. Everything went smoothly. The taxi driver was very nice and didn't charge me for the ride, and I made it in time. Yes, it was close...!

I board the train in a good mood, but then I encounter the true reality of 3rd class. Snoring, half-naked men as far as the eye can see. It smells unbearable and I wonder if there is also a 4th class. If so, I obviously ended up there.

I take my bed on the top right and the man from the bottom left wakes up. He wants to help me and seems nice, but he also smells.

I feel disgusted and go to wash my hands. I spare you the picture of the toilet at this point. DISGUSTING!

When I come back to my seat, I realize that I forgot my bread, cheese, Tupperware, and spoon at the hostel. Catastrophe!!

I calm down and decide not to get upset anymore. It's 6 am. Another 33 hours. So, put all valuables under the pillow, put mint oil under my nose (for a better smell), put earplugs in, put on a sleeping mask, close eyes, and go through it!

It's hot, I'm sweating from doing nothing!

At the next 30-minute stop in Krasnoyarsk, I buy bread and cheese. I eat and read. The man from the lower left bed watches me eat shirtless. He starts explaining to me that he speaks German, but only "a little". "Good morning," etc. We cross several big bridges and he tells me the names of the rivers in many big cities of Russia. He is really nice!

By now, women and children have also boarded, as well as a couple with big backpacks. Maybe tourists? 😉

Among others, a grandpa also boards. The word "olwer" from the Baden dialect describes him 100%! He sleeps in the bed below mine.

I make myself a chai. The grandpa who boarded offers me his honey to sweeten the tea. My spoon is in Novosibirsk... Before I can get upset about it, the honey grandpa takes his spoon out of a cold, unfinished, Russian 5-minute meal, licks it clean boldly, and puts 3 full spoonfuls in my tea. Just my thing... When drinking, I try not to think about it, he means well. 😉

At around 9:30 pm, I go to bed. I want to sleep, but the time difference is affecting me. There are still 5 hours left, and another one in the night. I fall asleep around 1 am and wake up at 9:30 am. It's time to brush my teeth, freshen up, and have breakfast. The honey in the tea is not spared this morning either. 😉

2 more hours until Irkutsk. In the end, it wasn't so bad after all. On the contrary, it was nice with the grandpas and their big bellies and the 18-year-old Uzbeks who tried to read my notes. When I asked them if they could even read Latin script, they said no. 😂