Siberia, Russia Part 6 – When Stairs Attack in the Khabarovsk Train StationWritten by Rick Chapo
In this continuing series, we cover my move from San Diego to Chita, Siberia to be a professor at Chita State Technical University. We pick up story going to train station in Khabarovsk to catch Trans-Siberian Railroad.Day 4! If you’ve been reading this series on NomadJournalTrips.com, you know my original travel estimate was 2 ˝ days from San Diego to Chita, Russia. Well, day 4 has arrived and I am just getting on train. This horrible time estimate is evidence of a poor math education. I blame American education system! I never could figure out those math hypotheticals, “If a train is going south at “x” speed and a cyclist is going north at “x” speed, when will they meet?” When are they going to meet? More like, “What heck is cyclist going to look like WHEN they meet?” What about his family, not to mention nightmares suffered by conductor. I mean, really, who can do math under such circumstances? Stairs…Evil, Evil Stairs At Intourist hotel, we arranged for train tickets to Chita. By we, I mean my friend Grae did everything. For $27, “we” had arranged a private berth and all was good. With a good nights sleep, we headed down from room and out into the…pouring rain. A local was kind enough to give us a ride to train station and all seemed good. After a bit of pointing, extreme facial expressions and so on, we discovered our train was running about an hour slow. We hunkered down and did a bit of people watching. As we sat, I pondered my luggage. I had a large hiking backpack and something I called “the lump.” The lump was an extremely large duffle bag with tiny wheels on one-end and plastic bars running down flat side/bottom. In theory, you could roll it or drag it anywhere. Mine was black, wet and weighed about 70 pounds. Before you snicker, keep in mind I was going to Siberia for a year. What would you take? Still, I had an uneasy feeling, but couldn’t really figure out why.
| | First Class Airfare: How the Rich TravelWritten by Kerry Emrich
First Class Airfare: How Rich TravelHave you ever wondered what all entails first class airfare, but never knew where to look? First class airfare can cost up to 15 times more than regular fares for same trip. So what do travelers living high life actually get for these super inflated prices? Well, a lot. This article will detail major carriers, and what they provide their first class airfare clients with. It’s a wild ride – are you ready? First Class Airfare: Goodie Bags If you thought goodie bags you received when you were in elementary school were cool, think again. First class airfare passengers get a whole lot of stuff when traveling on first class airfares; let’s take a peek at some of those goodie bags now: • American: Lip balm, cooling gel, and if requested, shaving cream. • United: Brand name mouth wash, lip balm and moisturizer that was created for United specifically. • Delta: Lip balm and moisturizer. • Continental: Whitening toothpaste, toothbrush and cotton socks. • Virgin: Eye gel, body gel, pen, paper and mints, all branded with Virgin name. • Singapore: Brand name hand lotion, lip balm, and aromatherapy oils. First Class Airfare: Sleep Aids Of course, many of first class airfares cover a large geographical area. Therefore, passengers need to relax and perhaps even sleep during their journey. Since first class airfare comes with all of great perks, they couldn’t forget sleep aids, could they? • American: A privacy divider and a seat that reclines completely. • United: Full pillows, a privacy divider, and a seat that reclines completely. • Delta: An eye shade and ergonomically designed seats. • Continental: Full pillows, electronic lumbar support, and an adjustable footrest. • Virgin: Seats that recline completely, eye shades, cotton pj’s, and warm socks. • Singapore: Seats that turn into beds with fresh linens and duvet, and givenchy pj’s.
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