This is going to be a bit random because it's early, I've not had much sleep, and to be honest I can't think very well.
We've just come off a 39hr epic journey from Altai to (almost) Lake Baikal. We travelled pleb class (platzcartny), in a VERY HOT carriage with 52 other people. The carriage is divided into sections with 4 bunks on one side of the walkway and 2 on the other. We went for a quick walk when the train stopped last night (1 lap of the station) at about 11pm and it had cooled down to 23O outside the train - was definately hotter inside. I've just managed to get to the loo in this cafe, (they lock the train ones anywhere near civilization) and it's lovely to have clean paws again - I'm amazed how grubby they get without doing anything really.
We stayed for a couple of nights in Barnaul. Marina and Natalie let us use a spare flat, and we had a great evening out with them in a traditional Russian `traktir' - the closest thing there is to a pub, but really a bar/restaurant. They were really lovely to us, both with pretty fluent English, which made life easier, as in Altai Republic the only person we met who spoke any English was Micha the surgeon.
Siberia is really beautiful, it has been taiga we have been travelling through mostly - open birch woodland with some pretty pine trees and so many wild flowers it's almost unbelievable - huge sheets of orange, purple, white, yellow, blue and pink against lovely clear green. No red flowers, tho, which is interesting. Lots of bright pink roses, paeonies (something like P. anomala) patches of dainty yellow day lillies, huge swathes of the bright geum orange flower that I don't know, mixed with airy sprays of buttercups and dense patches of bright purple salvias and white anemony looking flowers. So frustrating as although the train doesn't go fast, about 40 mph, it's still too fast to photograph flowers! When we find somewhere with usb AND we have the card reader on us we will upload the piccies.
We have applied for our Mongolian visas this morning, which was a doddle, and hope to arrange to go to somewhere wild on Lake Baikal for a few days while it is processed. Mosquitos are taking the form in my mind that capybara are in Andy's though - at least 12 feet long and all out to hunt me down. I itch in so many places, which is sad because it makes me want to not go out in the evenings. I will try to hunt down some serious anti-mozzie weaponry today, along with an international phone card. We may well be out of touch for a few days, but we want to be back here on the 26th to collect our visas.