Why would we choose the Trans-Siberian Train for an adventure. Isn’t Siberia pretty dreary. Well, perhaps, but Charlotte grew up in Saskatchewan, Canada and Nora in Montana. We figure Siberia will feel like home. Charlotte, a nurse now serving OMF in Singapore, can remember walking home from the medical clinic in Saskatchewan when it was 47 below zero. Nora can remember the High School cancelling a dance just because it was 50 below. What a bunch of sissies! But you will notice we both moved to warmer climates when we had the chance.

Nora’s packed a duffle full of food, just in case we go hungry, and Charlotte is bringing a full medical kit. Add a couple of t-shirts and jeans and we’re ready to go.

Building the Trans-Siberian Railroad

The Trans-Siberian is the world’s longest train journey: 8,000 miles from Beijing to St. Petersburg. What did it take to build this railroad? 62,000 men and 35 million Pounds Sterling. In 1891 Tzar Nicholas II began the line from his home in St. Petersburg to Vladivostok at the Pacific Coast. It crosses two continents: Asia and Europe. Who knew that the Asian continent ended at the Ural Mountains in Russia or that Europe begins in the Urals?

Here is the map of our journey:

Trans Siberian Train Route

We leave from the Beijing Central station next Wednesday and spend 36 hours (in a 2^nd class cabin with 2 unknown cabin-mates). We arrive in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia after a journey through the Gobi Desert. Somewhere along in here we understand that the wheels on the train will be changed to a different gauge so the carriage will be lifted up and set on a new set of wheels…that should be interesting!

We have a great trip planned around Mongolia seeing this beautiful country that was home to Genghis Kahn. We’ll sleep in gers, travel to several of the not-to-be-missed sites – and post pictures along the way. We’ll also see the businesses outlined in Ben’s story (see his blog on the B4B website) about using trash to create treasure.

We’d like to invite you to join us on this journey at no cost and while sleeping in your own bed – so join the B4Blessing Facebook page for our continuing adventure: https://www.facebook.com/b4blessingalliance