Time and Space

The view above goes on for miles and miles; hundreds and hundreds of miles; and days and days. This induces a peculiar sense of space - the train seems to be endlessly travelling through the same spot; as though it were suspended in space while time unrolls around us.

Time by contrast is a never ending source of interest, concern, and conversation. This is generated by the fact that the train, officially, runs on Moscow time for its entire journey. This is uncompromisingly signalled by the one clock on the train. The printed timetable on the carriage wall splits the journey into Moscow time (GMT+4); Ulaan Bator time (GMT+8); and Beijing time (GMT+8). The locals; provision sellers, and some of the train staff who work only a stretch of the line; resolutely stick to what is obvious and natural - local time. As we are traversing one time zone every 24 hours or so, this generates quite a lot of confusion. Add into the mix that some of the passengers have their clocks set firmly on Moscow time; some on their destination time (Mongolia or China); and some individuals are still on the time zone of their home town - be it Rio de Janiro; London; Amsterdam; New York; Moscow; Ulaan Bator; or Beijing and you can see there is plenty of scope for misunderstandings, debate, and conversation to occupy the journey. Everyone tends to look at the timetable to find out where we are (as I write this we are just approaching Irkutsk). Stops are about every four hours or so, so by the time you have discussed (in multiple languages) the time as you approach the station; discussed it again on the station; and discussed it as you leave the town, it is time to start all over again.