The whistle was blown in the distance and I found myself encapsulated in smoke as the old steam engine rumbled into life and dragged its carriages through the well-lit station. I was certainly on my way. This was to be a travel experience with a difference: a life-changing journey on the Trans – Siberian railway.

The seats of the train were worn and battered, giving an air of superior knowledge and inviting me to rest leisurely while gazing out of the window. The view beyond the glass pane was wild and mysterious. Rows of tall withe...

air allow along aspect atmospher backdrop batter began begin bench bewild beyond bitter block blown book cabin came carriag certain chang chapter charact chug climb cold communiti compart confin convers cours crave creativ cultiv cultur depart depth detail devast differ distanc door drag dread eachoth element encapsul end engin english environ exhal experi experienc explain explor far fascin final first form found fresh gasp gaze gentl give glass halfway happi hard histori home immers in-between incorpor inspir invigor invit japanes journey kind knowledg ladi land landscap learn leather leisur life life-chang lift lit litter littl meander merg mountain mysteri needless never new novel often old one open opposit pane paper passion path peak perfect perspect plane postcard previous progress provid quiet radic railway re re-writ reach realiz reflect rest revel roll romant row rumbl russia russian say seat seen seri settl siberian small smoke soon soviet speak start station steam stori superior tacki tale tall tentat thought time told train tran transit travel tree trip turn twist two usual ventur vienna view villag watch way well well-lit whenc whistl wild window wither wonder word work worn would write writer wrote