| After deciding to move to Siberia for a year to teach | | | | never see Chita. Instead, it was clear that I was in |
| at the Chita State Technical University, I embarked on | | | | some type of bizarre reality television series based on |
| a travel odyssey unlike any other. In this entry, we pick | | | | travelers being driven slowly insane. Amazing Race? |
| up the last stage of the seven-day trip to get there. | | | | Give me a break. As with oh so many things, I was |
| Siberia As Seen From A Train | | | | wrong. |
| In preparing for my trip, I had actually done some | | | | The Seventh Day |
| preparation. As a common man, I know most of you | | | | Brooms scratch. Particularly when handled by the |
| female readers will find this hard to believe, but I swear | | | | Russian woman in charge of our car. As I shot up out |
| it was so. Yep, I had read up on books, rented movies | | | | of my bunk, I realized she was talking loudly and |
| and so on. I was familiar with the tundra, the forest and | | | | pointing more than a bit. The train was slowing down, |
| the perma-frost of Siberia. And I was going to see it all | | | | but I couldn't see much out the window because we |
| during the three-day train ride across Siberia. Au | | | | were in trees and there was too much sun. Upon |
| Contraire! | | | | awaking Grae with a few whacks and a laugh, I finally |
| Apparently, the untamed wilds of Siberia are a bit | | | | recognized her saying, "Chita". |
| farther north than where the Trans-Siberian Railway | | | | We had arrived. After three flights, one angry customs |
| runs. During our train ride, we saw no forests, no | | | | official, a few embarrassing moments, way too many |
| mountains and pretty much nothing. It was like taking a | | | | crackers and seven total days of travel, we had |
| really slow train ride across Kansas. There just wasn't | | | | indeed arrived. At 5:30 in the morning. |
| much of anything to see. I wish I could tell you | | | | Jumping out of bed, we each stuffed our belongings |
| differently. | | | | into our bags. Staggered out into the hall. Realized we |
| End of the Road | | | | both badly needed showers. |
| As I went to sleep on the evening of the sixth day of | | | | And stepped off the train into Chita. Siberia. Russia. |
| the trip, I was developing a firm conviction that I would | | | | |