RLOPCUkraineBlog: Back on the Train, Gang

Depending on one's temperament and tolerance, riding the rails in Ukraine can be an amazing experience. It's at once mystical and modern(ish) all at once; that is if you get a nice train. If you get an ancient, smelly train then you are out of luck! For me, trains have always had a sense of adventure. Not only are you on the ground, watching the world go by, but you have the time to stretch your legs and meet fellow travelers over food and drink. After five months in Ukraine, I was finally taking on overnight train ride. It all seemed the same as before....but not quite.

The first thing we had to do was get from Zhytomyr to Berdychiv, a short 44km trip. My friends and I arrived at the marshrutka (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshrutka) stop at 18:30 so as to arrive in Berdychiv in plenty of time for the 21:15 train. The marshrutka arrived at 18:40 but looked a bit crowded so our Ukrainian friends suggested we wait for the next one. Something inside told me we had better hop on this one and get on our way but I was dissuaded. Time ticked away and many marshrutkas passed by, none heading to Berdychiv. An hour later and ten degrees colder, we had not seen any marshrutkas and it was approaching 20:00. So we called a taxi (just as the marshrutka arrived), piled on, and arrived in Berdychiv in twenty-five minutes with plenty of time still to spare. Still, always take the first marshrutka! That is an adage I will never forget.

When the train arrives, the train attendants scan your tickets and you trundle on to your car. Unlike American trains there is no AC in the summer and the heat blasts in the winter. If you get stuck on a train on a warm spring or fall day, you could be roasting away in your carriage. And to make matters worse the windows either don't open or another passenger will yell at you since most Ukrainians still believe any sort of stiff breeze will make one deathly ill. Fortunately, our car was at a moderate temperature so we were neither freezing nor burning up.

The rest of the journey played out like a typical railroad trip. You go into your compartment and change into your train clothes. You can either go: third class which is an open car with bunks but no doors or wall separating the compartments; second class which has separate compartments with four bunks in each; or first class with two beds and nicer amenities. We were in second class and all stayed in one compartment. Once we were rolling, we all dug into our bags and proceeded to eat and drink. This is an important part of the journey because it allows you to unwind and connect with old friends and new. Every throws some food on to the little table and busts out the booze. What is interesting is that it is now illegal to drink on the trains. This was never a problem in the past as we had some pretty boozy train parties in days of Peace Corps past. But no one seems to say anything if you close the door and keep it on the DL.

After eating and drinking our fill, we unrolled our bedding, arranged our sheets, and turned out the lights. For me, I enjoy sleeping on trains; it gives me a comforting feeling. This time the car was a bit hot with four of us tucked away inside. There was also some snoring going on although I believe I may have been guilty of that myself a bit later. But overall, the journey was pleasant until the 330 wake up call. Before we arrived in Lviv, the attendant needed to collect the bedding and we needed to rub the sleep from our eyes. Then, before we knew it, we were pulling into the main Lviv train station. It was 400 and minus one on the thermometer but it was good to be back in the spiritual home of Ukraine. Can't wait until my next train trip!