On a Floating Bridge

And I did so almost in style, as I got up from the platform where I’d been wi-fiing my blog and pictures and emails, straight into my own couchette supplied with towels, copious bedding, basin that doubled as a table, bathroom cupboard and mirror above basin. Not to mention the mini wardrobe and other cupboard with lots of shelves inside it.
Famiiles of up to 3 people were sharing a similar sized space between themselves but no-one seemed to be sharing with strangers, in this class anyway ( – 2nd I think). In fact, the only thing Soviet about the train was the toilet paper. I was delighted on the train for 3-4 hours until about dinner time.
I picked my way through the carriages, the ends of which had (mostly women) passengers smoking and staring out the door-window. Through what I assume was hard-class, I walked further until I opened a door that released the smell of curried rice in my direction. Before I’d got more than 3 steps into the carriage, a portly man looking very unfriendly put his arm across my path, saying nothing.
“Hi” I said. “Hi” he said. “Is this the restaurant,” I asked. “Niet bus-nyues classs” he shook his head. “Then where is the..”"Niet Niet” he said marching forwards forcing me out of the carriage. Sorry I mimed as he closed the door.
Mild panic took hold of me in this moment for I was due to be on the train for 33 hours and I only had a bag each of dried pears, dried mango, and dried peaches [thanks Josh ] 1 and a half small chocolate bars and some coffee. What kind of transportation goes for 2 days without any facilities for purchasing food?!
Since we’d made a very odd diversion through Frankfurt?, we would not pass Warsaw until gone midnight. I wasn’t sure what the currency of Belarus was, and I certainly didn’t have it, so there was every chance that no food would be available to me until Russia. I passed at least one bleak hour thinking about my arrival in St. Petersburg in the darkness of pre-dawn having not eaten for nearly 2 days.

After 2 discussions with the Providnik (carriage attendant) I sort of ascertained there would be time to get food in Orscha, Belarus at 13:30, day 3, where the train decouples to split off – half to St. Petersburg, half to Moscow. This is all well and good if they will accept Rubles or Euros or Dollars but I have little else to bargain with except my ipod, which I’m not so keen on giving up for a bag of crisps
I settled back into watching the greenery of Poland go by and with the help of my water bottle discovered that I can wash my hair in under 2.5 litres of water, in my basin in my private train room. A further 0.5 litres to wash.