I’ve spent the last 2 days holed up in a Beijing hotel room, relaxing and preparing for the big trip. After the intensity of Jinju, relaxing feels like a guilty pleasure. Once again, I stayed at the Sanlitun Youth Hostel in the heart of the embassy and bar district. This time I booked my own double room, to give me space to spread out all my belonging, take stock and spend some time alone. Dorm rooms here are good value, but I’m going to spend the next 6 nights in a train ‘dorm’, so I want some peace and quiet while I still have the chance.
Getting my Russian transit visa was pretty straight-forward. Making the application was a little annoying, mainly because we had to queue outside the embassy for almost 2 hours. But once I got inside, the staff were fairly helpful and it was a quick albeit expensive process. I went back the next morning to collect my passport and was in and out in ten minutes. I even got a 100 yuan refund on the visa fee, with no explanation, so I guess they overcharged me yesterday. I didn’t complain or ask questions, just took the money and left.
For entertainment on the train, I’ve been stocking up with ebooks, real books, podcasts and music. The Trans-Siberian Handbook and Lonely Planet warn against taking too many books, as they say you won’t have time to read them all. Apparently there’s a mad social life on this train, which I’m curious to experience.
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