Railway

Your journey begins in Moscow. For 9 days you will be travelling through the Ural Mountains and across the wide-open spaces of Siberia to China. It is winter and snowing outside. Ice covers the windows. The heating system is turned off.
Luckily you are in your warm clothing.

The train stops at a small station.
A group of women sell home-made food to the travellers.
This is their only way to make a living.
It is difficult to get a job in Russia.

A man sits on a horse-drawn sleigh.
He waves to a woman entering the train.
She is wearing a big fur hat, a thick, warm coat and a scarf.
In the corridor she takes off her coat, but not her hat.
She sits down next to you. She opens her bag and finds a little book.
She seems surprised.
Perhaps she did not put it there herself.
She smiles and starts reading.