D5 - Odessa
15JUN - Day 5 - Odessa - Km1251
El tren blau es el que em portara a Odessa. 19 hores de cami, 892 quilometres per 15EUR amb llitera. Aixo ens dona una velocitat mitjana de menys de 50km/h que es mes o menys la dels trens que em trobare durant tot el cami.
Al tren conec Rita, de la minoria hongaresa de Ucraina, marit i dos fills viuen a Budapest pero ella esta passant una temporada a Mukasheva, una ciutat prop d'Uzhgorod. M'explica, mig en alemany i mig en hongares/rus que va a Odessa amb una parella amiga que tenen un fill de 18 anys a l'exercit que va ser agredit sexualment per un oficial. El noi esta a l'hospital militar en tractament psicologic i els pares no tenen recursos per viatjar a veure'l. Ella els paga el viatge en tren i alla es posara en contacte amb una periodista per anar tots junts de visita a l'hospital. Tambe em parla molt de la seva filla de 22 anys que viu a Budapest i que anira aquest estiu a Londres, quan li dic que jo tinc amics a la capital anglesa, insisteix en donar-me el seu numero de telefon.
A la nit no dormo gaire, el meu unic vei del compartiment del tren rep trucades al telefon fins les 2 del mati, em poso els taps a les orelles i no sento res mes que les sotregades del tren sobre les vies.
Pel mati, quan el tren para mitja hora, pugen dones del poble oferint begudes i menjar, moltes maduixes i cireres que ara es el temps. El vago esta ple de botelles buides de cervesa i de vodka, com si durant la nit hi hagues hagut una gran festa.
Arribem a Odessa al migdia, fa bon temps.
The train from Uzhgorod to Odessa takes 19h for 892km, an average speed of less than 50km/h which is about the average speed I will get in all the normal trains in the CIS countries. The price is 15EUR for "coupe" class, which means a compartment with 4 beds.
I meet Rita, ukrainian from hungarian roots, she leaves now in Mukasheva, a city not far from Uzhgorod but her husband and 2 kids live in Budapest. She cannot speak english so we mix german, hungarian and russian in our conversation.
She is in the train to help a couple that have a son in the army in Odessa. The 18 years old son was sexually agressed by a 50 year old superior of him. Now their son is in psychological treatment in the army hospital in Odessa but the parents could not afford to travel there, so Rita is paying for the tickets and also getting a journalist to go with them to hospital and publish an article about it. She talks all the time about her 22 years old daughter that leaves in Budapest, speaks 5 languages, plays piano and is going to work in London for the summer. She offers me the mobile number of her daughter.
The only other guy in my compartment goes to Odessa for holidays to meet her wife and daughter that are already there. We talk again in Hungarian and russian, very little because of my poor skills. He is truck driver with a 100EUR/month salary, he says is average salary in Ukraine
In the morning, after hardly any sleep, what brings my attention is the bin full of bottles of beer and vodka. I didn't hear any big party last night, it seems to be a normal night train trip. Some old ladies (babushkas) enter the train in the morning offering food and drinks... Vodka is officially forbidden in the platforms but I saw one getting to my neighbours.
posted by budapest2beijing at 22:17
3 Comments:
Great, I found back the address of your blog !
Do you have a mobile ? We'll try to phone you during the weekly meeting this week.
Hi! I am a french friend of Arnaud. I live in Holland as he did a few years ago. He gave me the URL of your blog. I just read all the stories and enjoyed it a lot. I have the feeling to travel a little bit with you. Arnaud is just back from Odessa and was not lucky with the weather. I have been several times in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus and I can speak Russian (not fluently but not too bad). If you look for a reasonable and authentic Hotel in Odessa go to Hotel Passage. I took twice a suite there for 30 Euros. The rooms are huge, have high ceilings and parket and some of them have a fantastic view to the inside "Passage". You can of course go for cheaper rooms...Have fun and show us pictures of some beauties from Arkadia ;) René. PS: I have always dreamt of taking the trans-syberian....
That ricketty old sleeper train sounds like the one I took to Bucharaest from Budapest. I think you need the alcohol to get a good nights sleep.
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