Saturday is traditionally our adventure day. Since we had a big adventure on Friday this week we decided to go on a small adventure to somewhere totally new today. We have been to the southern end of the tram loop so today we went to the northern end and went to the ?????? (Voksal) or Train Station/Terminal. Wow. It is huge. The picture just doesn’t show how big it is.
This is the Voksal but the picture really doesn’t give the dimensions to it. This is only the center section.
The tram took us to the northern side of Vokzalna Square. It is a large square with the train station on one end and other buildings and stores all around. The tram turns off the main road and goes around the square before stopping and letting everyone off. There were not too many people on the tram by the time we got there but there were a lot of people waiting to enter when we were getting off. I think the ride back would be very crowded. Perhaps a train had just come in and they were all going home. All around the square are also vendors. One thing that is very popular from street vendors is Sharma {or shawurma is a Levantine (or Arabic) meat preparation, where lamb, chicken, turkey, beef, veal, buffalo meat, or mixed meats are placed on a spit, and may be grilled for as long as a day.} The missionaries love these and they are sold all over. There are Sharma’s everywhere – kind of like a Walgreens on every corner. Once you know what they are you see them all around. They are not all the same and the missionaries definitely have their favorites. They brought us two a few weeks ago. It is like a huge burrito with meat, vegetables (including cooked cucumbers) inside. We enjoyed the ones we had. There are other vendors as well for things like coffee, cigarettes, ice cream and other foods.
A view of Voksalna Square from the steps of the Voksal.
This huge building seems to be a combination apartment building and businesses. Taken also from the steps of the Voksal.
We went into the Voksal and inside it doesn’t seem as big because most of it is not accessible for people coming through. There is a large like foyer with one ticket agent in a booth. There is a sliding door into a waiting area with lots of chairs and a snack bar and other things. There is also a sign for a WC (water closet – bathroom) downstairs.
We walked around inside and then went out back. That was another surprise. We had no idea how many train tracks were behind the Voksal. As Elder Morgenegg said in his note – there were was one train track right in front of us but it seemed there was no access to the ones beyond. We walked to the end of the track within the Voksal enclosure and watched a few people get off a train a couple of tracks away and walk across a walkway but how to get to the others????
A freight train that seemed to be just passing through.
A passenger train waiting to go.
How do you get to these other trains?
The tracks and the electric lines go on and on.
When we went outside we found a stair way that went over the train tracks. There were a lot of people climbing over so we decided to go see what was there.
At the top of the stairs you can see all the entrances to go down to the various tracks.
A view from the top.
More tracks and more trains
The other end of the overhead walkway. Elder Morgenegg wondered what was out there. I let him go experiment.
You can see the walkway becomes a wooden walkway and seems to go on and on. In reality is does end at a street on the other side where people can climb up and cross over the train tracks to go shopping.
After we left the train station we checked out the various malls in the area. One has a Silpo Market in the basement and assorted small vendors on the first and second floor. Another seems to be mostly restaurants, including one like the one we had gone to with the Clendenings when they were here. Then there is one that is two floors of a ATB where we got 10 cent ice cream cones to eat. We wondered around looking at all there was to see. Back at the main road we crossed over to go to a large yellow mall. It had no windows and inside it was just like a huge assortment of small vendors of clothing of assorted kinds. There were hundreds of stores set up around the outside and inside with “streets” across the middle. I have no idea how many there were in actuality but it seemed like hundreds and there was a second floor as well of more of the same. There were people there but not that many – who buys all this? Amazing in such a poor country to find so much for sale.
Then we walked the maybe quarter mile to the branch to use the bathroom before heading back tot he tram and coming home. The weather was beautiful and there was a nice breeze so it was the perfect day to be out and about and see what is at the other end of the tram line.