From China to Germany -- a Month on the Rails

The Trans-Siberian Railroad During my two years in Japan I had heard of the Trans-Siberian railroad a few times. Towards the end of year two I met a Swiss couple in Wakayama who had made the trip from Beijing to Moscow a year before. It didn't take me long to decide that this was the trip for me. I didn't want to simply fly back home -- Tokyo to San Francisco to Chicago, or whatever. I had never been to China or Russia. And besides, I could wind up my trip with a visit to Berlin. After all the changes of 1991, how could I resist seeing Berlin for the first time since my two previous trips there in the 1970's? I wrote to JSTB for brochures. I had a travel office in Osaka make my arrangements. I presented Miss Katayama with my requests on March 17. I got all the tickets, visas, and passport back on July 4. Until then I didn't really know if I was going to pull it all off or not. I didn't know what to expect about the "third-class" accommodations. But it wasn't all that bad. The Trans-Siberian journey began the morning I left Beijing. Right away I met Doug and Dave.

	The train left Beijing at 8 Wednesday morning. I was assigned to car #1, seat #15 -- third class. I had envisioned horses and cows. But it wasn't at all like that. Everyone on this train seemed to be travelling third-class. Dave and Doug were already settled in. They were retired Australians on a trip around the world. Doug turned out to be a talker.