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Trains are dated concept back home. England privatised the rail service to the point in which a short ride will run you more than $50. Want to travel to another city? You're looking at triple digit pricing. To add to this, the United Kingdom is a small place, and to travel from one side of it to another doesn't take all that long, primarily cars are the go-to method of transportation as a result. I don't know if there are sleeper trains in existence back in England still, I've never seen one or stumbled across them online as any option for travel. I am sure there's a market for it, but it'll be considered something more premium rather than a simple method of getting from one place to another. And it appears that in this part of the world, through landlocked nations, ones in which there are vast amounts of land, and some former Soviet Republics which kept transport between the nations simple, trains were the default option.

This would mean lengthy travel durations. Days at a time on the train. So what's the natural solution? Sleeper trains! Packing people into one train together with the option of allowing them to book a bed for the night(s) of travel. A few areas for leisure as you can relax and go about your business throughout the daylight hours. The tables for working and eating from, the water available, and in some instances areas in which you can go to eat and drink. There's even the ability to shower and maintain your hygiene during your time on the trains. This is such a new concept to me, something that I have always wanted to try, to discover the atmosphere with such a simple method of transportation. I've always loved train rides, and the idea of spending more than a few hours on one just fascinates. Particularly as you traverse through such unique landscapes, discovering the world that you'd otherwise miss if you travelled by car, bus, or even worse: flying over it all.

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To be honest, I had no idea what to expect. When I saw the train at the station, to which Armenia was so empty most of the time that it was the first time I had actually seen a train at the station that wasn't just for the metro, I immediately began to think of the upcoming adventure. As well as having some of that typical nervousness over trying a new method of cross-boarder transportation. The inevitable border control coming up at some point, and not having an idea of how it would go. This isn't my first trip to Georgia from Armenia. Back in February I took the bus into the border villages of Georgia, to which the boarder control asked me a few questions and even asked if I was a journalist due to the camera gear I had on me. My nerves were high for this trip as a result, but I felt a bit calmer this time around. The excitement definitely was stronger. I was excited to see the natural areas of Armenia I didn't get to. The wild. The empty. And the diversity in its landscapes after spending so much time in the dry and dusty.&nbsp;

For this trip I had far more than arrived in Armenia with. No longer just carrying a backpack. Now with suitcases full of summer clothes, and having had to leave winter clothes behind. My bags full of tech. Laptop, cameras, lenses, a drone, and a ton of cables. Everything was forced into the bags as much as possible, ready to burst at any moment. Generally holding more than the average person on the train, but my intent was not to have a short stay here in Georgia, but to move here. Upon entering the sleeper train, my first observation was how surprisingly clean it was. No dust. Nothing out of place. Everything spacious enough for the journey. Even air conditioning! And large windows that would hold the views for me. Hot and cold water available at any moment was also a plus, having no idea whether there would be any. But the greatest problem was definitely not bringing enough food.

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Upon entering the strangest thing was definitely the lack of security. A man checked the tickets to ensure identity and that there were in fact tickets purchased. A quick passport check to match the names and nationalities. But that was it. Nothing regarding the luggage side of things. And every stereotype of a sleeper train appeared: the drunks, the vodka drinking, and the chaotic nights. Though none of that was featured, fortunately. Though the ride was riddled with discovery, and all too much for one post. So this will be a short series on this sleeper train travel. And the emotions that were felt as it felt like a tour through an ancient realm long forgotten. With aspects of the Soviet Union that left such a massive impact one me. Starting with factories out in the open, large structures left to rot. Clear signs of former thriving, now decay.&nbsp;

The train didn't take long to get moving, but once it did, it felt like a fever dream. From the changing of Yerevan's scenes to the great outdoors, mostly untouched. Dry and rocky. Void of life. sometimes vast structures appearing from nothing. This was the start of my trip through the Armenian land, all the way to Tbilisi, Georgia.



<hr /><center><em>View this post <a href="https://travelfeed.com/@namiks/taking-the-sleeper-train-through-yerevan-to-tbilisi-part-1">on TravelFeed</a> for the best experience.</em></center>

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