In October 2007 my husband See and I embarked on what was to become an amazing life adventure. We flew from Auckland New Zealand to Beijing China and then began our incredible 21 day train journey across the old Silk Road, taking the Trans Siberian train to Moscow. We then spent another 5 days in the northern capital, St Pete. All was well organized and indeed congratulations are conveyed to those arranging this trip: Open Travel, Open Group Limited and Neva News.
     Our first few days were spent in a five star hotel in Beijing, taking in the sights of Beijing and getting to know our fellow travellers. We had our first taste of the first class treatment we were going to be pampered with for the next twenty one days, when on the first evening we were taken to a Peking Duck restaurant. On the menu was fried baby scorpions, crunchy and interesting, along with many other delicious courses and all the surprisingly good wine and beer we wanted. We would be offered fine wines from Chile, South Africa, France, Australia or New Zealand for lunch and dinner every day. One of my greatest memories is sitting in the middle of the desert, drinking wonderful NZ Mudhouse Sauvignon Blanc!
     A special moment in Beijing was when we went to the Great Wall. As it was a holiday the number of people visiting was mind boggling. However we were served lunch exclusively on the rooftop of a restaurant overlooking the Wall – a little oasis in the sea of humanity. It was magical. We also visited Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, the serene Summer Palace, the Ming Tombs, and the Temple of Heaven. I have a lasting impression of a zillion people in a modern city, which is also reaped in glorious history.
     We were given ear pieces with a little receiver we clipped on and our guide would have a microphone to talk into. Every city we went to we had a local guide who was passionate about their city and provided such interesting historical facts. We could wander off and be fifty metres away from them but still hear what they were saying. It must have been rather amusing for the locals to see us scattered all over the place, but all burst out laughing at the same time.
     A huge amount of thought had been put into where we would eat whilst in a city. For example in Beijing we sampled a different type of cooking every meal, ranging from a noodle specialist restaurant who made their own noodles, to spicy Sichuan, old Shanghai and a specialist dumpling restaurant. The food everywhere was simply fantastic, a delicious variety and an excessive amount!
     The Shangri-La Express train surpassed all our expectations. All the passengers were astounded to be given a cabin each. See and I were to be sharing a cabin with two bunk type beds which folded away during the day. However to have two cabins separated by a washroom was a real unexpected luxury. The train owners had expected a shower car to be ready for our trip but it was delayed so we had our showers each day in what seemed like the best hotel in each city. We were also treated to wonderful foot massages: ah bliss, after a lot of walking. One of my worries had been the horror of hearing you can’t use toilets on a train in China at station stops. But each carriage had a chemical toilet which was absolutely fine, and available when the train stopped. There were two dining cars and a bar car, all very comfortable. The food on the train, when we ate in, was excellent.
     After leaving Beijing we travelled to Heng Shui where we watched artists paint incredible pictures on the inside of miniature bottles, globes, vases etc. Then on to Luoyang, arriving the next morning. Here we visited the Ancient Tombs Museum, and the Shaolin Temple which was about a 2 hour drive by bus. I personally found the Shaolin Temple and Pagoda area was too commercialised, with no sense of peace and serenity. However we then visited 1 of about 80 Martial Arts schools in the area. This particular school had 5,000 students and they live in the school from about age 7 to graduation. The display they put on was amazing, as I had previously thought all those leaping, crashing, sword flinging antics were digitally enhanced in movies. By now it was about 7pm but we went on go the Longmen Caves which were an absolute highlight of the trip. The whole area was lit up with a huge temple overlooking a lake which had a brilliant lotus flower floating on it. The caves were astonishing, about 2,000 of them - some huge, some tiny with over 100,000 Buddha statues. Then a delicious Hot Pot dinner, showers and foot massages, before back to the train.
     The next day we arrived in Xian, a beautiful historical city. After visiting the old walls, an ancient mosque and a Pagoda we headed out to the Terracotta Warriors. The sheer scale of everything, the senseless destruction, and then the huge restoration were simply mind blowing. The day was topped off with a spectacular dinner and show by the Tang Dynasty performers.
     We arrived in Lanzhou the next day, a large city on the Yellow River. It was interesting visiting the city and the Gansu Provincial Museum, where pottery from 5,000BC was on display. It is hard for me to comprehend such an ancient period; viewing items actually used then is so humbling.
     Another night on the train, it was lovely to see snow outside on the ground. We had a two hour drive in a bus from Liuyuan to the delightful oasis of Dunhuang, situated as it is on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert. The road itself was horrendous but the scenery was stunning. The desert changed from black and hilly, to brown and scrabbly to sandy. The little villages we passed were very poor and the one we stopped at for a toilet stop was, well, interesting. Female toilets usually have cubicles, but not here – in fact it was more like public squat trenches, yikes! We had a lovely meal in Dunhuang and then visited the Mogao Caves or Thousand Buddha Caves with it’s caves with original paintings, a thousand years old and looking as if they had just been painted. We then visited the Mingsha Sand dunes and had a camel ride to the Crescent Moon Lake with its gorgeous temple. Loads of fun.
     The following day we arrived at Da He Yan station and travelled an hour by bus to Turpan. These cities may be in China but we felt like we were in some completely different country. The people looked different – in fact 70% of the population are Uygurs and ever the food was different – we had a Muslim lunch, lamb, spicy vegetables etc. Turpan is supposed to be the city with the lowest elevation in China, as well as being the hottest place in China in summer. The grapes and melons were absolutely delicious and we enjoyed sampling lots of different raisins as well as a wine tasting of the local wine. We visited Jiaohe Ancient City - the largest, oldest and best-preserved earthen city in the world with a history of 2,300 years, and having an area of 220,000 square metres. Then we went to a Karez Museum. Karez systems at their peak exceeded 5,000 km and were also referred to as ‘the underground Great Wall’. They were being used right back in 100BC and are very delicate irrigation systems made up of vertical wells, underground canals, aboveground canals and small reservoirs. Melting snow from the Tianshan Mountain is the water source of the Karez. Water is collected by vertical wells and conducted by the underground canals to the oasis. After lunch we drove 3 hours to Urumqi. The vast desert, camels roaming around, and salt lakes: interesting! 2,000 years ago Urumqi was another important town on the Silk Road route. Now it is a modern oasis, also known as the most remote city from any sea in the world. What a beautiful city and the Xinjiang Provincial Museum enthralled me with its lay out and presentation of exhibits. Preserved bodies of men, women and babies found in tombs in Xinjiang, along with the 3000 year old mummies, make for an insightful (if a little spooky) visit! I couldn’t believe the corpses were so well preserved you could see their fingernails, eyelashes, hair as well as the most beautiful clothing and boots they were wearing. We really haven’t advanced all that much! The gorgeous Sheraton Hotel offered a welcome rest, showers and one of the most wonderful meals of the trip. Pure luxury!
     On the 11th October we arrived in Alashankou to cross the border into Kazakhstan. All went well until we heard the train we were transferring onto had been delayed due to a freight train derailing. We had to wait for it all to be cleared. Never mind, we ended up being very well looked after in the local restaurant in this tiny little town. I have no idea what the soup was, but eating it became an everlasting memorable moment! Our new Russian train – they had to change trains because the lines are different widths in China and Russia, was called the Golden Eagle. It was newly renovated and had two classes – we were in the Silver rather than the Gold Class. The cabin was small but very adequate and a teeny tiny ensuite was provided as well. A most appreciated touch was two bottles of vodka in our cabin along with the bottled water that came every day. It all worked very well and the shower was brilliant and the lower bunk was big enough to sleep two of us. I particularly loved the crystal service in the dining room on this train. We put our clocks back two hours this evening.
     We arrived in Almaty, Kazakhstan, at 10.30 in the morning. I certainly wasn’t expecting such a lovely city. It is nestled in the foothills of the Alatau Mountains, part of the Tien Shan mountain range, and is full of trees, parks and modern buildings and the beautiful Zenkov Cathedral. The Cathedral is one of the few Tzarist-era buildings to survive the 1911 earthquake, despite the fact it is built entirely of wood and constructed without nails. It is also one of the eight most unique wooden buildings in the world. After a visit to the National Museum we drove about 30 minutes into the mountains where we had lunch in a traditional type yurt with ethnic music to entertain us. One of the dishes we were served at lunch was a tasty horsemeat concoction – luckily we had not been told what it was before eating it! Also the kebabs we had here had the best flavour I have ever tasted in my life. The mountains were absolutely spectacular in all their autumn glory with snow capped peaks and the famous ice skating rink, Medeu.
     The next day we crossed the border from Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan. Tashkent was an hour drive from the train station and again I was very surprised at the huge, modern city of over 2 million people. We had a bit of a look at a Railway Museum before touring around the city. Although Tashkent’s roots date back to the dawn of the first millennia A.D it has the look of a modern metropolis. Little remains of the old city, ‘thanks’ to a levelling 1966 earthquake and the subsequent Soviet rebuilding. However among the examples of traditional architecture are the Kukeldash Madrassah (16th century), the Sheikhantaur Ensemble (15th century), the Yunus-Khan Mausoleum (15th century). These beautiful old buildings, combined with the well set out parks and fountains, make up a stunning city. We also rode on the very clean, efficient subway – the stations had marble interiors and chandeliers, very nice.
     The following day we spent in ancient Samarkand, which was the capital of Amir Timur (called Tamerlane in the west), and also the most important capital in Asia for about 2-300 years. It was originally founded 2500 years ago and now has a population of about 500,000. With its wide, clean roads, lovely trees and lights and not so many high rise buildings, it has a very nice ambience. We visited the impressive Mausoleum of Amir Timur. The single biggest tourist attraction here is the magnificent Registan Square. At night it was all lit up and looking absolutely gorgeous. However the highlight of the day for me was wandering through the bazaar or open market place, mixing with the locals and just observing their way of life and the foods they ate. We also visited a silk carpet factory and the spectacular Shahi-Zinda necropolis. A busy day in the city where Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves was set, we ended the day with a superb meal and fashion show at a Jewish merchant’s house.
     Our next stop was Bukhara, about 100 – 150 kms from Samarkand but it did seem to be a very bumpy ride overnight. The railway lines here are not nearly as well maintained as they were in China and although the train is very comfortable, the ride was a bit nerve racking. Once we arrived in Russia the lines once again became very quiet and smooth. Bukhara was totally different from the other Uzbek cities. This was much more basic and “Silk Road” seeming to me. No high rises and very dusty. We were told it gets to 50°C in summer in the city and -25°C in winter; however out in the Karakum desert it can reach 70°C in summer! An ancient mausoleum we visited here - Ismoil Samoniy mausoleum built in the 9th century was magnificent in its simplicity. No colour, just intricate brickwork with a semi-spherical dome resting on a cube. Then we visited the Ark or Fortress, the water systems, the madrassas and an ancient city wall. We did have a lot of free time here to wander the bazaars. The locals were so friendly we enjoyed chatting to them. The children spoke good English. They were having a week off school because their teachers had to go to help harvest the cotton.
     The next night was extraordinary. We were detained at the border crossing into Turkmenistan for 6 hours. In the end our tour leaders Tatyana and Sabira were ordered off the train and in their place we had two local guides. It was a bit disconcerting and with the delay it meant we travelled 12 hours from the border to have dinner at the bizarre city of Ashgabad. Travelling through the Karakum Desert,the country was barren, desolate and so dusty. It was much poorer looking than Kazak and Uzbek, however most of the hovels had large satellite dishes outside! We travelled along the border with Iran for some time as well. Finally arriving in Ashgabad at 7pm we were stunned at this magnificent white marbled city sitting plonk in the middle of the desert. It was brilliantly lit up with fountains galore, gold statues and beautiful architecture. We had a tour of the city and dinner at a restaurant that was pyramid shaped, with fountains flowing down four sides of the building. Entertainment included Can Can dancers!! We left the city after dinner to travel to Mary, also in Turkmenistan. I really liked this area, we travelled by bus to the ancient City of Merv which is the oldest and best-preserved city of the oasis-cities along the Silk Route in Central Asia. The remains in this vast oasis span 4,000 years of human history. A number of monuments are still visible, particularly from the last two millennia. I loved the history of the place and the camels wandering the roads. We had lunch and folk dancing at a local Turkmen house, which was delightful. Dinner on the train tonight was once again most memorable. Two types of caviar on little pancakes with vodka, salmon, a potato dish and veges and fruit salad. We were well looked after.
     The following day we were back in Uzbekistan, meeting up with our earlier leaders tour who were as happy to see us as we were to see them! We drove about 40 minutes to the smallish town of Khiva. Its main attraction is the Ichon Qala, the old city surrounded by an imposing mud wall. It has been preserved and restored like an open air museum, and there are plenty of beautiful buildings around, including mosques, medressas and some major minarets. Today was about 12°C+, – yesterday was 35°C+ , an interesting variety of weather. In fact today it rained a little, first time it had rained all year apparently. We spent the next day on the train, transversing the Karakum Desert and crisscrossing the borders of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan and then into Kazakhstan. We were given the opportunity to attend a piano recital by Alexander, the onboard pianist and a talk on the Silk Road by Sabira. The nextday we crossed into Russia and arrived in Volgograd about lunchtime. We had an amazing tour of this city and were wowed by the devastation that had occurred in 1943 and the war memorials that now stand. From the Mother of the Nation Statue, to the changing of the guard at the Eternal Flame and the 360° panoramic mural and sculpture at the museum depicting scenes from the war, I was truly touched and saddened.
     Our final night on the train was heralded by a spectacular farewell meal. We didn’t arrive in Moscow until about 1pm the next day and it was nice watching the changing scenery from the train. The landscape changed from scrappy desert to lush grasslands with beautiful Silver Birch trees with their autumn leaves lining the railway tracks. In Moscow we were taken to the Marriot Hotel where we were to spend our final night, before separately travelling to St. Petersburg. Moscow was so huge. The Red Square, St Basils Cathedral and the Kremlin were all highlights of our visit. We then farewelled our new friends and leaders. It was sad to be saying goodbye, but what an amazing adventure we have had. Thank you one and all for such a wonderful experience. I would thoroughly recommend this trip to anyone looking for something very different.