Contribute?
Something great to say to the world? You can contribute to this website by writing a special. Send us an email and we'll send you the information how to participate.
tell a friendX
Silk Road Express
Posted by zerega on April 1st, 2008 | 5 comments | 670 views
Soviet nostalgia all the way down the Silk Road: Riding a long
distance train from Moscow to Almaty/Alma-Ata via the
infrequently served Saratov - Aral Lake - Baykonur Route brings
back memories from the old days.
A close look at the image reveals why this route is infrequently served.
Eight hours further down the line little has changed.
While there isn’t much happening in the photographs snapped from the train window I may take the opportunity to tell you a bit about this particular route. It was the first long-distance railroad built in Czarist Russia even before the Transiberian Railway. Later, the Soviet incarnation of the empire brought branch lines to all its Socialist Soviet Republics along the former Silk Road.
Fast forward to 2005, new borders divide the bankruptcy assets of the Soviet Empire, leaving this part of the line through the great nothingness amidst a Russian-Kazakh-Russian-Kazakh border maze. As soon as one border police unit made its way through the train, the next one starts all over again while the train is travelling on a zig-zag-route from country to country and back and forth.
Switching between Russia and Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan and Kyrgystan and Tajikistan.
You start to loose the general idea which state you are actual in and stretching the validity of simple single entry transit visas way beyond their design limit.
Being without proper visas for Russia and Kazakhstan isn't a good idea. Applying our Russian mate Alexei's quick Soviet-style-problem-solving-lecture, we happened to have the inevitable multiple bribes to border police and customs officers paid from the provodnik's (sleeping car attendant) baksheesh fund. This account exists in every carriage mostly for paying off Kazakh Travel Police to not notice the huge passenger and cargo surplus traveling along the Silk Road in each sleeping car. Observing our provodnik's off-the-record duties of dealing with post-soviet officialdom is a lesson in proper dashing-out-bribes-etiquette.
Visa problem solved, officialdom scans the rolling stock for new business opportunities along the road. Us consuming alcohol in the railcar's aisle - check! You can hear the cash register in the travelling policemen's head while hustling us into a separate compartment quoting an opening bid of USD 100.00.
After a lengthy trial with some in depth examination of exhibit A (a bottle filled with clear liquid) the shtraf was trimmed to a more modest USD 0.00. We finally got away with a 10 minute lecture about C2 Abusus and its evil impression on health and sanity, which we didn't understand very much of for lack of vocabulary.
For our continued comfort and overall convenience the compartment tribunal let us keep exhibit A (a half full bottle of vodka), exhibit B (a full bottle of vodka) and exhibit C (several large coffeemugs filled with the 'kokteil' of exhibit A and an an excellent variety of Russian cranberry juice).
Acquisition of exhibit A, B and C in Aral's general store.
More problems with liquid
photo: jarom
A further 6 hours down the line our train should run along the shores of the huge Aral Sea according to our map. Fishing boats dock at the harbour next to the Railway tracks for an intermodal exchange of their fish cargo, but for an obvious lack of water under keel it looks like the maritime part of this transport chain got lost.
In the far distance of the photograph you can still spot a glimpse of water. The once giant lake is doomed and will dry out completely as long as all tributaries are cannibalized for irrigating the desert. The Aral already split into two halves a decade ago. The northern part was separated from the main Sea with a huge barrage to save at least this part filled by the Syr Darya River.
Plugging your laptop? This is rocket science!
After three days on the road we're approaching another
part of Russia within Kazakhstan. Andrej was a resident
there and is returning to visit his mother still living at
the huge space port of Baykonur.
Once a student there, Andrej worked at the space centre testing scientific cameras for spaceability. We were eager to see some photos of his working place. No problem, Andrej got the newest multi-media laptop with him, filled with lots of spectacular pics of rocket launches.
Like Space Shuttles always running into problems just before lift of, so was the laptop. It's got an energy problem. Electricity is needed from somewhere. A plug nearby reads 110 V DC. It looks that we need a Baykonur rocket scientist to get electric appliances running in this train.
The sleeping car is wired with an eclectic mix of electric currents from 110 V DC to 220 V AC running through it, ending at power sockets in various corners of the car. So we asked for some wire and plugs from the provodnik, twirled the parts together and constructed a power line from the one fitting outlet through half of the carriage.
Andrej wiring up the sleeping car.
plug in ... push ON ... starting windows!
(Proton launch from Andrej's
amazing laptop photo collection)
Live settles in our moving hotel while we continue across the vast Kazakh steppe. Every hour or so you are brought to a railway station bazaar to stock up on drinks and food.
Though Kazakhstan is now a booming Oil producing country, many retirees have to complement their pension by selling produce from their gardens. The groceries are promptly refined into meals in every compartment, turning the whole car into a large buffet where you are free to roam around, have a taste here and there and offer your stuff in return.
Complementing the party atmosphere, the sleeping car attendant feeds his PA system turned into a music club/radio station with an eclectic mix of Emir-Kosturica-style-gypsy-polka, techno and Russian Heavy Metal.
The clack-a-de-dack bogie rhythm box playing.
Moving scenic viewpoint, seen on train window TV.
After four days on the road the train rides along the Uzbek and Kyrgyz borders. Just one night to go to Almaty, where the moving community dissolves into the stationary town.
Immobile, at last.
The Kazakhstan now rides from Moscow to Almaty
every other day leaving Moscow on day 1 at 22:25 and
arriving at Almaty on day 5 at 06:52.
It is reported that single entry and/or transit visa are
accepted now without fuss.
Almaty is a pleasant tree lined city with access to ski slopes
and spectacular alpine scenery.
From Almaty you can continue by train into China twice a week.
distance train from Moscow to Almaty/Alma-Ata via the
infrequently served Saratov - Aral Lake - Baykonur Route brings
back memories from the old days.
A close look at the image reveals why this route is infrequently served.
Eight hours further down the line little has changed.
While there isn’t much happening in the photographs snapped from the train window I may take the opportunity to tell you a bit about this particular route. It was the first long-distance railroad built in Czarist Russia even before the Transiberian Railway. Later, the Soviet incarnation of the empire brought branch lines to all its Socialist Soviet Republics along the former Silk Road.
Fast forward to 2005, new borders divide the bankruptcy assets of the Soviet Empire, leaving this part of the line through the great nothingness amidst a Russian-Kazakh-Russian-Kazakh border maze. As soon as one border police unit made its way through the train, the next one starts all over again while the train is travelling on a zig-zag-route from country to country and back and forth.
Switching between Russia and Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan and Kyrgystan and Tajikistan.
You start to loose the general idea which state you are actual in and stretching the validity of simple single entry transit visas way beyond their design limit.
Being without proper visas for Russia and Kazakhstan isn't a good idea. Applying our Russian mate Alexei's quick Soviet-style-problem-solving-lecture, we happened to have the inevitable multiple bribes to border police and customs officers paid from the provodnik's (sleeping car attendant) baksheesh fund. This account exists in every carriage mostly for paying off Kazakh Travel Police to not notice the huge passenger and cargo surplus traveling along the Silk Road in each sleeping car. Observing our provodnik's off-the-record duties of dealing with post-soviet officialdom is a lesson in proper dashing-out-bribes-etiquette.
Visa problem solved, officialdom scans the rolling stock for new business opportunities along the road. Us consuming alcohol in the railcar's aisle - check! You can hear the cash register in the travelling policemen's head while hustling us into a separate compartment quoting an opening bid of USD 100.00.
After a lengthy trial with some in depth examination of exhibit A (a bottle filled with clear liquid) the shtraf was trimmed to a more modest USD 0.00. We finally got away with a 10 minute lecture about C2 Abusus and its evil impression on health and sanity, which we didn't understand very much of for lack of vocabulary.
For our continued comfort and overall convenience the compartment tribunal let us keep exhibit A (a half full bottle of vodka), exhibit B (a full bottle of vodka) and exhibit C (several large coffeemugs filled with the 'kokteil' of exhibit A and an an excellent variety of Russian cranberry juice).
Acquisition of exhibit A, B and C in Aral's general store.
More problems with liquid
photo: jarom
A further 6 hours down the line our train should run along the shores of the huge Aral Sea according to our map. Fishing boats dock at the harbour next to the Railway tracks for an intermodal exchange of their fish cargo, but for an obvious lack of water under keel it looks like the maritime part of this transport chain got lost.
In the far distance of the photograph you can still spot a glimpse of water. The once giant lake is doomed and will dry out completely as long as all tributaries are cannibalized for irrigating the desert. The Aral already split into two halves a decade ago. The northern part was separated from the main Sea with a huge barrage to save at least this part filled by the Syr Darya River.
Plugging your laptop? This is rocket science!
After three days on the road we're approaching another
part of Russia within Kazakhstan. Andrej was a resident
there and is returning to visit his mother still living at
the huge space port of Baykonur.
Once a student there, Andrej worked at the space centre testing scientific cameras for spaceability. We were eager to see some photos of his working place. No problem, Andrej got the newest multi-media laptop with him, filled with lots of spectacular pics of rocket launches.
Like Space Shuttles always running into problems just before lift of, so was the laptop. It's got an energy problem. Electricity is needed from somewhere. A plug nearby reads 110 V DC. It looks that we need a Baykonur rocket scientist to get electric appliances running in this train.
The sleeping car is wired with an eclectic mix of electric currents from 110 V DC to 220 V AC running through it, ending at power sockets in various corners of the car. So we asked for some wire and plugs from the provodnik, twirled the parts together and constructed a power line from the one fitting outlet through half of the carriage.
Andrej wiring up the sleeping car.
plug in ... push ON ... starting windows!
(Proton launch from Andrej's
amazing laptop photo collection)
Live settles in our moving hotel while we continue across the vast Kazakh steppe. Every hour or so you are brought to a railway station bazaar to stock up on drinks and food.
Though Kazakhstan is now a booming Oil producing country, many retirees have to complement their pension by selling produce from their gardens. The groceries are promptly refined into meals in every compartment, turning the whole car into a large buffet where you are free to roam around, have a taste here and there and offer your stuff in return.
Complementing the party atmosphere, the sleeping car attendant feeds his PA system turned into a music club/radio station with an eclectic mix of Emir-Kosturica-style-gypsy-polka, techno and Russian Heavy Metal.
The clack-a-de-dack bogie rhythm box playing.
Moving scenic viewpoint, seen on train window TV.
After four days on the road the train rides along the Uzbek and Kyrgyz borders. Just one night to go to Almaty, where the moving community dissolves into the stationary town.
Immobile, at last.
The Kazakhstan now rides from Moscow to Almaty
every other day leaving Moscow on day 1 at 22:25 and
arriving at Almaty on day 5 at 06:52.
It is reported that single entry and/or transit visa are
accepted now without fuss.
Almaty is a pleasant tree lined city with access to ski slopes
and spectacular alpine scenery.
From Almaty you can continue by train into China twice a week.
Comments
# posted by Martin de Rijk on April 2nd, 2008 5:06 pm
Interesting and humorous story.
I noticed that some of the images used in the blog are perfectly clear while others appear to have jagged lines from poor antializing. Is it that the blog's width is different to some picture's stored m size and it presses those into the blog width w/o much care for proper resizing?
Quite interesting story. Thanks, Zerega.
very nice this blog, gives me the feeling I have been traveling along instead of sitting in my Dutch room.This new blog feature is a great asset!
Beta test of the new blog thingy.
Editing was quite comfortable. You have to make extensive use of the "[h] [/h]" and "[hr]" features to press text and photos into a pleasant looking structure.
I'm looking forward how the route lines on the map look, once this feature is moved into the travel tab.
Is it possible to edit this line to put in places w/o photos?
Note: When you add photos or c&p text into the middle of existing text, the whole editing window snaps to the end, leaving you to search the pasted part in the middle of somewhere. Bit annoying. Sometimes the pasted stuff is somewhere else where you expected it, but maybe that was due to improper placing the cursor.
Editing was quite comfortable. You have to make extensive use of the "[h] [/h]" and "[hr]" features to press text and photos into a pleasant looking structure.
I'm looking forward how the route lines on the map look, once this feature is moved into the travel tab.
Is it possible to edit this line to put in places w/o photos?
Note: When you add photos or c&p text into the middle of existing text, the whole editing window snaps to the end, leaving you to search the pasted part in the middle of somewhere. Bit annoying. Sometimes the pasted stuff is somewhere else where you expected it, but maybe that was due to improper placing the cursor.