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