Not only that, but I felt calmer, more relaxed and more clear-headed than I had done in years.I had first heard of the Sivananda Yoga Ashram, in Kerala, southern India, from a guy I met in Calcutta a couple of years ago. After two days in the ashram, or retreat, I was, frankly, ready to pack up and walk out. Or at least I would have been if my legs had not been so stiff from all that bending.
I stuck with it, however, and by the end of my fortnight-long Indian yoga vacation I was twisting myself into positions I had never dreamt it possible to get into. My first yoga session was not an entirely happy experience. I had never done yoga in my life, and the eye-rolling exercises made me feel sick. I could not keep up with the sun salutation, got a numb arm from doing the shoulder stand, and almost blacked out bending my head backwards into the fish position.
My second session was not much better, nor were my third and fourth. Despite grabbing the Critics Prize at Cannes, it has been dropped by distributors October Films after pressure from parent company Universal.Liese Spencer. Twenty years after her debut in John Carpenter’s Halloween, “Scream Queen” Jamie Lee Curtis will soon be reprising her role as Laurie Strode in Halloween: H20 (below). Reviving the franchise after 1995’s Curse of Michael Myers, it’s the latest in the slasher renaissance sparked by Scream.
Happiness is stalking, masturbation, dismemberment and paedophilia, according to writer/director Todd Solondz, whose follow-up to his indie hit Welcome to the Dollhouse has been making studio execs a little unhappy. Re-titled A Perfect Murder, it sees Michael Douglas in the Ray Milland role of Steven Taylor, who plans to bump off his wealthy wife (Gwyneth Paltrow, below). Automatic teller machines, accepting UK bank cards, are pleasingly common.Fact File.
Along with the re-release of Psycho, no fewer than five Hitchcock (above) remakes are in production, including Gus Van Sant’s shot-by-shot Psycho and new versions of Rear Window, The Thirty Nine Steps and To Catch a Thief. First on to the screens in October is 1954’s Dial M For Murder. I lean out of the window to watch the rest of the train snaking along behind, and wonder when I’ll have the good fortune to enjoy this particular slice of Russian life again.THE EASIEST way to tackle the Trans-Siberian is to consult a specialist such as Interchange Travel (0181-681 3612), Regent Holidays (0117-921 1711) or The Russia Experience (0181-566 8846). They will fix everything, from connection flights or trains to Moscow to en-route accommodation and visas.Expect to pay around pounds 500 for the Moscow-Vladivostok haul, though you may be able to take advantage of a ripple in pricing by buying a Moscow- Vladivostok-Harbin (China) ticket for a couple of hundred pounds less, but not taking the last part of the journey.The current exchange rate is a precise 10 roubles to pounds 1; although President Yeltsin yesterday vowed to not to devalue, you probably shouldn’t change too much at once. Solo female travellers may feel safer booking a bunk in a four-bedded rather than a two-bedded compartment – safety in numbers.My strongest memories of Russian trains are of juxtapositions.
Snow and dark landscapes stretching as far as the eye can see; graveyards marked by blue fences, birch forests mixed with darker conifers; three army officers who quizzed me about property prices in the UK, yet were all politely reluctant to discuss any aspect of their own lives.One minute I’m sitting alone in a compartment, proudly working my way through a Russian classic or – let’s be honest – watching the telegraph poles flying past in a never-ending line that dissects and connects this vast land; the next I’m fending off questions from a middle-aged couple who simply cannot understand why I would want to come and work in their country, but are nonetheless more than happy to share their boiled eggs and black tea with me.The train goes over a level crossing where a woman waves us past with a red-and-white stick, then goes back to sweeping the track. Tomatoes and cucumber – which you should wash – and bread are a better bet.Dress code is extremely casual: Russians don’t travel in smart clothes (track suits for the men, simple shift dresses for women) But be prepared for extremes of temperature. When it comes to sleeping arrangements, be prepared to pay for bed linen (a sheet sleeping bag, pillow case and towel), rented out by the carriage minder shortly after the train leaves. At the very least master the Cyrillic alphabet, so you don’t get off at Omsk when your destination is Tomsk. When it comes to vital equipment, pack ear plugs – the trains are noisy places. And bring a strong stomach for the toilets, together with your own toilet paper and soap.Plan ahead for food. Dried noodles or soup are ideal for quick meals, and boiling water is always available at the end of the carriage Be wary of the sausages and chicken sold on the platforms.
Just as well, or I’d have been explaining the absence of a Belorussian visa. The relief was short-lived, however: third class was very hot, very smelly, and very noisy. Next time we spent the extra money.If you’re new to this vast country, there are a few top tips you should know Try to learn a few Russian words and phrases before you go. Krasnoyarsk had been closed to Westerners for many years, and we enjoyed discussing the ramifications of all the huge changes that were taking place there.For many years, train travel was considerably more expensive for foreigners, but a couple of friends had a plan for a jaunt to the West (well, to Belarus, at least): I would travel on a third-class Russian ticket, as the quiet sister in a family group. I began to have doubts in Minsk, as, heart in mouth, I had to see off a conductor by rummaging through my bags as though searching for my passport, while my “brother” and “sister-in-law” tried to stay calm.Eventually, the conductor checking our tickets, did get tired of waiting and he let us all board.