This clip was a happy accident, but I'm quite proud of it as it gives you an idea not only of what the scenery was like but also the sound of the train. It really does move that fast. The pine forests - at least as seen from the train, were nowhere near as tall or thick as I had expected. Indeed, one of the passengers told me that they were being cleared even faster than the Amazon. Nor did I ever see a birch tree as thick as those the Buriyati used to make their milk churns from. The marvellous thing about Russian trains is that they have BEDS – well, short bunks with fresh clean sheets -even in cattle class. They also have samovars -continuously boiling urns of hot water, where you can make coffee, tea or two minute noodles and scald yourself, anytime you want. Unlike buses, they also have corridors where you can walk around and at the end of each carriage there’s a smoking compartment. You also fly low enough to see the scenery. It’s not all peaches and cream though, as you...
Practising Geographer - nature culture places people