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This morning we boarded the train for another long ride, over 1000 km. We passed over the small Ural Mountains, ancient peaks worn by time into low heights characteristic of hills rather than mountains (the tallest is less than 6000 ft). The Urals separate Europe and Asia, and we could see the difference from our train window. Huge wheatfields have replaced forests and the townships are larger, although still composed of wood cabins with tin roofs. People aren't kidding when they say modern Russia begins in Moscow.
The villages grew in size from East to West. After crossing the Urals we saw that some villages were built with a classic European layout, houses emanating in a concentric circle from a church.
This monument straddles the continental divide between Europe and Asia. Rivers west of this line flow into the Baltic or Caspian; rivers East flow into the Siberian plains.
Sporting the latest in Siberian fashion