Rustic Warsaw

No headroom

Apologies for not completing my blogging for my epic overland journey from Japan to the UK. I'll try and finish the remaining blogs over the next few days so that I can start posting more up to date news.

From Moscow, I took the overnight sleeper train through Belarus to Warsaw. Arranging the Belarus transit visa in Moscow was a frustrating and time consuming task. It was also strange to be continuing my journey alone, having left Joep in Moscow so he could catch his flight back to Scotland.

Once again, I found myself crammed into a small compartment, although the quality was superior to the Trans Siberian trains - there was even a little table in the corner which contained an internal wash hand basin. The overnight journey was for the most part uneventful, with the exception of being woken up at an unusual hour by  a rather nice Belarusian female border guard who checked my passport and visa before asking me if I was transporting illegal narcotics.

Atmospheric square

I eventually found my hotel with the assistance of a local taxi. It was in the centre of the old Warsaw city - beautifully rustic with horses and carriages trundling past outside my window. For the two nights I stayed in Warsaw, I stayed well within the the old city. I did hardly any sightseeing - I just loved walking around the old cobbled streets finding cafes to have lunch, a coffee, or a beer.

Hotel in heart of old Warsaw

Warsaw experienced terrible suffering during WWII. By the end of the war, most of the residents were gone - either massacred by the Nazis or displaced because of the total destruction. The city rebuilt itself successfully and managed to rebuild much of the historical centre, hence the reason why it is known as the Phoenix City by some.

Night scene

I enjoyed being by myself in Warsaw. The people were generally friendly and the food, beer, and accommodation were all at a reasonable price. From Vladivostok to Moscow, there was hardly any time to catch breath - we were always moving from one place to another. In Warsaw, I had no concrete plans or any great desire to do much - it was a welcome chance to catch up on my thoughts by looking back at my journey from Japan and forward to the impending end in Scotland.

Coming soon will be blogs detailing the last couple of legs of the journey - a couple of nights in Berlin followed by a couple of nights in Paris. Thanks for reading!