Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ary hardware were being sent by train and stockpiled where we planned to cross
into Afghanistan. Poles would have to smuggle us, not in yellow barrels, but by us-
ing a bit of guile. Zawada decided to take a big chance and book the train journey.
Who would notice five Western Europeans among so many Polish climbers and
trekkers? No doubt Zawada had to pull strings and pay a few bribes when eye-
brows were raised at names like Alex MacIntyreovich and Terry Kingski entered
on the travel documents.
The six-day journey from Moscow would take us across the Volga at Kuybyshev,
now called Samara, then down between the Aral and Caspian Seas to Bokhara, and
finally to Termez in Uzbekistan, which is where we would cross the Amu Darya -
the Oxus.
Moscow was an eye-opener for all of us. It seemed a city occupied by its own
army, like many Chinese cities today. We had a couple of days to wander around
free of the restraints normally put on Westerners. Terry, Howard, Alex and I
walked for miles while Zawada and the others haggled and bribed their way to se-
curing our onward journey.
Although a beautiful city, the signs of oppression were obvious. I noted in my di-
ary that it had 'all the bad aspects of a big city but none of the good … dirty, sweaty,
expensive, fast and turbulent. People push and barge about without any considera-
tion for those in their way.' Motorcades of Zils with Soviet flags on the four corners
raced past escorted by motorcycles. Unmarked trucks with darkened windows
cruised the back streets. We saw armed soldiers jump from one of these and break
down the door of a house, but we didn't stand around to watch. Like all the other
pedestrians on the street, we hurried on as if nothing was happening. The number
of drunks in the parks stunned us; these men seemed more ragged than the drunks
in London parks.
Warsaw seemed positively attractive compared to Moscow. I understood why the
Poles spoke so scornfully of the Russians. Zawada took me to Red Square. He told
me how he had once been arrested and questioned about some anti-Russian com-
ments he had made in public.
'They kept asking the same questions until three in the morning. I kept telling
them that my father had fought alongside the Russians in the war and my grand-
father had fought for Russia during the revolution. I just didn't tell them he fought
for the White Russians!'
We stood in the centre of Red Square. The main attraction was the impressive
changing of the guard at Lenin's Tomb, the soldiers moving slowly with their exag-
gerated stride. Zawada asked me: 'What do you see missing here?'
