Crossing the Urals

On the third morning, the train stopped at Yekaterinburg.

Asubuhi ya tatu, treni ilisimama Yekaterinburg.

Galina had left in the night. Pavel was still asleep. Two new passengers had come on. A young soldier and an older man with a fishing tackle box.

Galina alikuwa ameondoka usiku. Pavel alikuwa bado amelala. Abiria wawili wapya walikuwa wameingia. Kijana mwanajeshi na mzee mmoja mwenye sanduku la vifaa vya uvuvi.

Yekaterinburg is the biggest city in the Urals. The Ural Mountains divide Europe from Asia. They are not tall, but they are very old. They are 500 million years old. They are some of the oldest mountains on Earth.

Yekaterinburg ni mji mkubwa zaidi katika Milima ya Ural. Milima ya Ural inagawanya Ulaya na Asia. Siyo mirefu, lakini ni ya zamani sana. Ina umri wa miaka milioni 500. Ni baadhi ya milima ya zamani zaidi duniani.

The Trans-Siberian crosses the Urals here. There is a small marker by the tracks. One side says EUROPE. The other side says ASIA.

Treni ya Trans-Siberia inapita kwenye Milima ya Ural hapa. Kuna alama ndogo kando ya reli. Upande mmoja umeandikwa ULAYA. Upande mwingine umeandikwa ASIA.

The new passenger with the tackle box opened it. He laid out his fishing lures on the table. He arranged them by colour.

Abiria mpya mwenye sanduku la vifaa vya uvuvi alifungua sanduku lake. Aliweka nje ndoano zake za uvuvi mezani. Alizipanga kwa rangi.

"Where do you fish?" Polly asked.

"Unavua wapi?" Polly aliuliza.

"Lake Baikal," he said. "In three days. Omul. The fish of Baikal. You will not find it anywhere else in the world."

"Ziwa Baikal," alisema. "Baada ya siku tatu. Omul. Samaki wa Baikal. Huwezi kuwapata mahali pengine popote duniani."

Later, the train passed the marker in a small clearing. EUROPE on one side. ASIA on the other. Three tourists waved at the train. Pavel waved back from inside.

Baadaye, treni ilipita alama katika sehemu ndogo wazi. ULAYA upande mmoja. ASIA upande mwingine. Watalii watatu walipunga mkono kwa treni. Pavel alipunga mkono kutoka ndani.

The train had crossed a continent the way you cross a small street.

Treni ilikuwa imevuka bara kama vile unavyovuka barabara ndogo.