Category: Trains

Patagonia, the last hurrah

On By bratislavIn Food & Drink, Trains, Travel1 Comment

Patagonia, that humongous swath of land, which makes up the southern half of Argentina, is also its least populated region. Only a handful of towns exist within, most of them established in the late 19th or early 20th-centuries. San Carlos de Bariloche, in the Patagonian province of Rio Negro, is one of its better known ones.

A favored winter sports destination by Argentines, Chileans and Brazilians alike, it is equally popular in the summer months, attracting hikers and mountaineers from across the continent. Not one to betray its European roots, Bariloche is also known for its alpine-style architecture, specialty chocolate shops, and an ever-expanding roster of microbreweries.

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The overnight to Córdoba

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The demise of long-distance train travel in Argentina followed closely on the heels of the United States. Vastly improved highways, comfortable overnight buses, competitive fares; you get the picture. By the 60s, passenger trains were but a shadow of themselves. So if you were to ask any sane individual today, how they’d get across the length and breadth of this vast country, you’ll probably get “by bus or plane” as their reply.

But there has been a bit of a resurgence in the past few years – new long-distance trains, a revised schedule; and you’d never have expected it, online bookings too! So with an e-ticket in hand, I find myself on Platform 8 of Estacíon Retiro one Friday evening, waiting to board the 20:38 departure of train 269, Buenos Aires to Córdoba.

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To the End of the World

On By bratislavIn Trains, Travel4 Comments

It’s only been a couple of hours since online check-in opened. Unhurriedly, I glance at the seating chart and there’s plenty of space available in the center section, but not a single window seat for the taking. Amateur hour strikes again!

Three hours into our flight, as final cabin checks are underway, I begin to get a little restless. The gent to my right, hogging that precious window seat, is still asleep, with the blind down. I tap him gently, podes abrir la ventana por favor? The good señor obliges, and I stretch my arm across him rather obnoxiously, eventually planting my phone against his window. The approach to Ushuaia is pretty spectacular, and if you’re smart, you’re going to secure that window seat as soon as you can…

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The Train to the Clouds

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The drive from the airport to the city center isn’t terribly long, but Eduardo insists on engaging me in conversation. Never mind the fact that his English is almost as lousy as my Spanish! I’ve learned by now how to say one billion in Español and when I reveal to him India’s population statistic, he can’t stop shaking his head in disbelief. Mucha gente, he says from under his breadth. The rest of his questions about my homeland run the gamut. Do people eat meat? Do they drink alcohol? And most importantly, how are the chicas? Muy lindo, I assure him!

Having sufficiently beefed up his knowledge about India, he sets me down at No.770, General Güemes, my address in Salta for the long weekend. Conveniently located, Espacio Mundano is a quaint little bed and breakfast, kitted out in traditional Salteña aesthetic; plenty of potted plants, heirloom furniture, and the all-essential patio.

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Tigre and the Delta

On By bratislavIn Trains, Travel1 Comment

Estación Retiro is a particularly pleasant place to embark on any journey. Its century-old shed is evocative of an era of steam locomotives and grandiose rail travel. It’s a different matter though that only commuter trains originate from here today, and I’m headed out on one of them, merely 30-km north of the city. While the station has remained largely unchanged, the trains themselves have been upgraded considerably since I was in BA last, and mine is made up of Chinese-built carriages, offering an exceptionally smooth ride.

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Four Corners, and a Bounty of Steam

On By bratislavIn Trains, Travel2 Comments

Gallup is the most populous town between Flagstaff and Albuquerque in the state of New Mexico. But that’s not saying much at all. The town itself is unremarkable and highly unlikely to feature on any itinerary through this part of the country. Regardless of all that, the four of us have made our way here, having left Albuquerque at the crack of dawn, to receive a posse of equally rail-obsessed individuals, due to arrive from the somewhat far away state of California, on board the Southwest Chief, the only passenger train to call on Gallup!

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Rossiya Diaries: To Conquer the East

On By bratislavIn Trains, Travel2 Comments

It’s quite foggy and fairly nippy by the time we reach the Azimut Hotel, and we’re heralded in the right direction (the hotel’s older wing is being renovated) by a young Chinese couple, who also happen to be staying there. In the lobby, Asians outnumber locals, and barring a group of very young Russian gymnasts, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in Beijing or Harbin, as the case may be.

The hotel, a short 10-min walk from Vladivostok’s main train station, is located in a residential area, built into the side of a bluff overlooking Amursky Bay. A good choice for anyone arriving in the city by rail, sea or air, at $125 a night for a double room, it is also excellent value for money. That rate includes a huge spread for breakfast and some of the fastest free WiFi I have ever used!

From our bay-facing balcony, we watch as another great day comes to an end. The hotel’s own restaurant is well appointed and reasonable too, and the combination of a chilled Asahi and Beef Stroganoff couldn’t taste any better.

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Rossiya Diaries: Khabarovsk, and the push South to the Pacific

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We awake, all groggy-eyed and hungover, as the Rossiya trundles across a long bridge. Beneath us flows the River Amur, and the rail bridge, no less than 2.6-km of it, is the longest one in Russia. It carries a roadway above it too, and features prominently on the 5000 RUB note!

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Rossiya Diaries: Rain, Tea and Conversations in the Russian Far East

On By bratislavIn Trains, Travel4 Comments

A couple of hours before we awoke this morning, we had stopped at a place called Mogocha. A town inhabited by 12,000 hardy souls, who endure one of the harshest winters on the planet. Think -62C (-80F)! While the very thought of living in that climate sickens us, we turn our attention on Yerofei Pavlovich, our first stop on day 6, and one that marks our entry into the Amurskaya region of the Russian Far East. Even though we’ve officially exited Siberia, the forest is still dominated by Taiga, and this morning it’s set to the backdrop of low lying hills. The Rossiya, meanwhile, is now running 2 hours late, delayed further by ongoing track work.

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Rossiya Diaries: Through the River Valleys of Siberia

On By bratislavIn Trains, Travel4 Comments

Having set our alarms for 22:50 Moscow time, we awake just as we’re pulling into Ulan Ude. It is just shy of 4 in the morning local time and Igor, the Provodnik who’s taken over the night shift from Olga, is baffled to see us up and about. But this isn’t just another station on the Trans-Siberian – it is the junction for the storied Trans-Mongolian route, and we have stepped off the Rossiya to pay our respect. Our efforts pay off almost immediately! Across the platform from our carriage stands a steam locomotive – not another plinthed one this time, but one that’s actually in steam – bookended by a diesel on one end and an electric on the other! What more could we possibly ask for?

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