short notice

Sa-bai-deeeeeeee!!!
Back to internet connection and Thailand. We spent the past 3 weeks in Lao and we have so many thoughts and experiences to share. We like the fact that are followers anticipate for our next post :D, as our m8s and friends are not that keen on our blog.

P.S. Thank you all for your wishes on my name day. My mobile was not working in Lao so I couldn't receive any sms, but it feels like I read them.

Shanghai

Accommodation: Alex penthouse, Xinzha Lu 88, Simen Lu (en suite room in the living room with A/C)
Sights: Art Museum, Jintao Tower, People’s Square, Shanghai Art Museum and the park around it, Yu Garden
Places worth of visit:

• M 50 district, re-use of grey fields for the use of galleries, studios, any kind of art workshops. Walk in the nearby neighborhood.
• Banana leaf restaurant. Thai cuisine for all flavors, mango and coconut dishes, huge crabs

Our highlights:

• Sky Club, John Digweed on the decks. Chinese poshy ravers do not dance. Just champagne around the table.
• German electro live band @ Logo Bar. Shelter No.5 after hour, banker party.
• East Shanghai International Hospital for toe first aid, stitches etc
• Food and fruits: HongKongnese, Vietnamese, Beijing duck, duck tongue, chilly chopped frogs, sushi, street cooking,
• Old market stands between Yu Garden and People’s Square. Real Shanghainese old neighborhood, like the ones they have in all chasing movie scenes
• Massage Xinthianti area. Posh place, worth the money. Thanx-la Leo!
• KTV or karaoke night. Incredible evening. After 2 hours we were fighting for who gets the microphone. "Born to be wild, breathe, no woman no cry in the repertoire of Dima

Hospitality was much better than expected by Alex and swiss flatmates, Steven & Valerie, welcomed us so warmly. Sorry that we ate all your Lindt chocolates, but we got the munches after so long time ;) Chechen-la for everything. C u soon in Greece-la, it will be nice to host you!!!

Beijing (a whole week in November)

Accommodation: 9 Dragons Guest house (15€ double en suite)

Sightseeing: Tienanmen Square, Monument of the People's heroes, Temple of Heaven, Forbidden city, Palace Museum, Old city (Liunlichang street), Olympic stadium, Olympic aquarium

Places worth of visit:
1. “Waiting for Godot” café (4-24 Jiadaokou east st., dongcheng) for notebooks, internet, table games, cool people, seek for greek sayings on the wall
2. Close market stands around Dengshikou subway station (0,5-1 € all food things like gyros, spinach pie, jelly fish suvlaki, seaweed)
3. Beijing Duck at Da Dong restaurant, cozy poshy place (22€ whole duck)
4. Street full of small nice bars and pubs (learn the dice games), a bit touristic though (2€ beer, 4€ drink)
5. Oldest pharmacy in the country situated in the old city, emperor used to get his herbs from here [a part of an animal used as natural Viagra since ages (1.000€ per gram)]
6. Airport (6€ by metro) keep lighters in checked-in luggage

Highlights

• Custom made bike tours around the sights (Quite many kms per day, as blocks are more or less size of NY)
• Trekking 12km on the Great Wall from Jandling to Simatai. You pay both entrance and exit unless you want to walk 4 hours back ;)
• Scam at tea houses or handicrafts(watch out whoever speaks good English and spends more than 2 hours with you around)
• Hot pot at a restaurant and many street cooking stands
  

Ulaanbaatar – Beijing by taxi, train, “jeep”, sleeper bus

We got once again train and a usual Kupe to reach the borders and we arrived there early in the morning. Then you have to find quickly some local jeeps that they will pass you from the borders, as no one is allowed to pass on foot. Many hours of waiting as the whole train was embarked in tens of these jeeps that they run almost without petrol, one is pulling the other. Our driver gave his seat to one of the passengers to pass the Chinese borders and he has hidden under our luggages. Probably he had no entry visa, but I was thinking why we had to experience such a stress although we had a legal visa. Tespa …

From Ereen, closest Chinese town to the borders –very freshly planned with huge roads, bike lanes, pavements, roundabouts and only 2,5 million population, a sim city template (15 years old)-, our only solution was a sleeper bus that we were told it takes at least 15 hours to Beijing. No seats, just beds, Chinese size though. 1.50 * 0,50, without exaggeration. And imagine us with our “small” bags on us (all valuables, books and laptop), as we were scared to leave them so many hours with the backpacks in the port-baggage, and above all we had a huge a plastic bag (with some food, candies and alcohol) and a mattress that was on the bed. Nightmare that would last 15 hours!! We only managed to sleep for few hours when we drunk all the Genghis vodka with a Mongolian teacher of geography that he was travelling abroad for the first time. However, his knowledge of basic English and global geography were enough to keep our conversation alive for hours.
One o’ clock in the morning bus stops in a tiny parking and half of the passengers get off. We ask the driver and he replies something like “Beiza” … We thought that it cannot be possible to come 4 hours earlier than we were supposed to, and we stayed in the bus. Around 2am it reached a huge parking lot many km out of the city of Beijing. We realised on the way that we were there, by watching so many highway intersections, gardens with Olympic cycles signs, special Olympic lanes in some roads. Where do you go in a city of 15 million people, some 50km away from the bus station, at 2am and without anyone understanding English?

Golden Gobi #4

We left the infertile landscapes for some more mountainous ones, next to trees and at the altitude of 2.000m in the heart of Arkhangai county. This was the place where we experienced horse riding and probably the friendliest Mongolian nomadic family that hosted us and offered at once “airag”, a traditional mix of tea and yak milk. Mongolian horse riding? Hmmmm, we were pretty confident after the first 2 hours, where the horses (short but really muscular) were just moving faster than the camels, on my behalf I suppose, as my horse was held up from the horse leader. Shortly after we had the second horse riding sessions that it was just amazing. Just by whispering “chew” the horse accelerated so fast until you were afraid of it and you had to make it stop. Our ride tour included a frozen waterfall, a frozen lake and some nice view of the river, in addition to a plain valley next to the snowy mountains.

Our next stop was Kharkhorin or Karakorum, the old capital of Mongolian empire back in the Chinggis Khan years. The diffrence is that they have enough wood to make fences and separate their landpieces between family gers. The highlight of this town is the Erdene Zuud Khiiid, probably the most well known monastery in the country. It was also interesting our visit at the local school, where children were amazed to see foreigners inside their classrooms. We arrived early at night at our last stop on the way back to UB, next to some imposing rocky mountains and it was actually our last experience of a remote place in this mindblowing trip. The view from our ger was magnificent and we hiked a bit around to take as many pix as possible of the sunset. Our way back to the capital was quite silent with a stop just for lunch and we had plenty of sceneries to remember. Ulaanbaatar welcomed once again in a foggy atmoshere and we spent two more days there in order to get our train tickets to China, but it was more adventurous than we thought.

Golden Gobi Tour #3

From Khongoryn Els we drove back to the east, reaching Bulgan village before midday. The one and only reason to stay there is for getting food & water supplies. We visited a friend of our driver at his house, where suddenly a couple of cute faces just arrived from school... There were his sons and when they saw us, they changed clothes and threw a ball for starting the game. It was a mixed of basketball-volleyball and football or anything can be played in such a different playground but all of us were enjoying it. After a while, more and more children wanted to play with us and finally we ended playing with more than 15 children.

We left our young friends with a big smile on their faces and we headed towards Bayanzag, commonly known as the Flaming Cliffs, where the panteologist Roy Chapmane found dinosaurs eggs and bones back in 1922. The monotony of all these flat plains, breaks suddenly by some sandy-rocky huge formations at the colour of desert sand. Our ger we were going to spend the night was once again in the middle of nowhere. The only visible things are rocks, red sand, flocks of camels and a field of some short trees. The wood from these trees kept us warm and its burning smells so nice. Just before sleep we had a glass of Chengis, whereas the two junior British companions decided to pay a visit to a neighbour ger around 22.00, as we saluted some European girls earlier that day.
It was only around 9 when we were seriously worried for them, as they haven’t come back from their walk even for their breakfast time. We checked all nearby gers, we found out either they were locked or empty the others told us that they left from their ger around midnight. So where on earth might they be after 9 hours? Worst thoughts possible crossed our minds, as the desert is so cold during the night and windy. At last around 10.30 we managed to contact all gers in the area, and they were found in a distance of 8km, in family ger as they froze. Almost speechless in most of the trip we drove many hours and because of the delay we reached our next stop at night in the middle of a snowstorm.
Our new ger owner has a cute bulky son that enjoys our company. This time we shared the ger with our drivers too. 7 people on the ground all around, feet facing the door of the ger –as it should be-, making fun of the juniors about their adventurous story earlier that day. Thank god we were not in the mountains where hungry wolfs are around ….
Compass & matches at least guys ;) I am sure u still don’t have them in your huge pockets. Take care and remember: “Nobody crosses Gobi without misgivings” (English lady in 1920’s)

Golden Gobi Tour #2

It was the first day without so many kms to drive and we were driving parallel to high mountains to reach the largest and most spectacular sand dunes of Khongoryn Els (300m high, 12km wide, 100km long). They were even more spectacular as in some parts there was snow, so contradictive landscape as we all have desert sand dunes in our mind in really warm countries. We drove over the mountains reaching 2.000m on an almost non-existent passage next to herds of sheeps, cows and horses. We enjoyed an amazing view over the desert that was underneath us.

Just before sunset, we had a short walk around the ger camp, meeting camels and enjoying the beautiful land and sky colours. Dinner more or less was the same as the previous ones, saltless soup and a lot of white loaf for getting some calories of energy. Having nothing to do before go to bed, we decided to play some poker just to see how two British, one Swiss and two Greeks can gamble and bluff better. Funny, but you could easily see the difference among us-the Swiss banker was a conservative player, the Greeks up and down and only ones bluffing, but still gambling and the other two just dependants mainly on their luck. After consuming a bottle of Ghenggis vodka (best Mongolian) and a lot of smoke from the stove we enjoyed the cossyness of the warm -at last wood burning stove- colourful ger and went to sleep relatively late for our new schedule, midnight.
Next morning after having the usual breakfast at 9:00 (butter, marmalade, bread, tea or coffee) and some advises from Gedoff about riding camels, we headed towards the sand dunes just 5km away, but when you are riding a camel everything looks so slow and dull!
Nevertheless, it is an experience to travel with such a big and friendly animal that is called the “ship” of the desert. The Mongolian camels have always two humps and if they are in good condition these humps are always firm and tall. Despite that they smell pretty badly and spit all the time they provide a decent way of transportation in the desert being able to carry 250kgs and stay without water a whole week and without food a whole month. We left our hairy animals at the beginning of the dunes, started climbing over the dunes which is really tough and exhausting thing as declination is high at some points and sand sucks your feet. From the top the view is outstanding, the sand, the sky, and the cold wind reminds you that it is a desert during wintertime. We took tonnes of pictures and getting back to the ger camp was much faster we got used to the camels and we went faster. Night-time it was a unique experience to observe the stars, maybe the most starry sky we have ever seen, as there is no light pollution at all, no humidity and no clouds in the country of blue sky (250/365 days). We wish we knew more constellations :(
[Tina where is the telescope?]

Golden Gobi Tour #1

It took us one day and a half to organise our trip around Mongolia. We were a bit reluctant to follow the crowd and drive exactly the same route as anyone, we also thought to rent a just a driver and do it on our own or get the local buses from region to region. However, it proved that you need many weeks to travel around this country and to make the most out of the days we had was to arrange the trip with our hostel “Golden Gobi”. Mongolia is huge, difficult to drine through it as there is hardly a road network. ... actually there is a huge one, but after rains, snowfalls and sandstorms, it changes constantly every other month.

Eventually we left one fine morning 2 British guys, Dan and Richard (22), a Swiss one, Pierre (33), the two of us, the driver (Jigme) and our fat cook-guide (Gedoff) in this Russian jeep (manufactured in 2008 without seatbelts). It was only 5km from the city centre when we left the urbanised area and suburbs appeared so different to us. They are huge areas covered by gers and slight wooden fences separating a group of gers from others according to which family the belong too. It was only 10 min later when we left asphalt and driver joked that it will be only off road route from now on. We laughed that time, but it proved to be true and the most off road kms we have ever experienced.
First lunch break took place around noontime, when we stopped at a ger (see Leventis on the Greek highway). First time we saw a ger from inside; mother was cooking something in a huge pot set on the oven, father was bringing some weird things to light up the stove and children palying around, staring at the foreigners. You could see some jeeps or bikes passing by and making a small stop to eat there. Food was home-made pasta, with potatoes, few vegetables and tiny pieces of mutton. Quite untasty, but this proved to be more or less our food in the rest of the trip. We went a bit of trekking in the surround rocky Mountains and we headed on to the ruins of an old monastery (Sum Khokh Burd). Only some kms further was the place for our first night, ger experience. It hardly fits 5 beds inside and has a short door to enter; decoration is thick woollen carpets on the floor and golden needlecraft at the side “walls”. It looks like an Indian big tent, but u can stand in most of its space. There is a stove that keeps you warm in the centre of it, but the owner came around 7 to light it up and then around 6 in the morning to refill it. In-between these hours we freezed a bit, although in a sleeping bag, and we thought to complain next morning, but we haven’t seen nothing yet. Dinner was a vegetable soup from our cook, much tastier and we had few hours to spend until the candles went off.
Breakfast’s usual hour was at 9.00 and we had a long trip the second day in order to reach South Gobi. We passed Mandalgov, a small town of 13.000 people and of course no sewage system, water and pipeline network or asphalt anywhere. They hardly have electricity network with many blackouts during the day. Our destination was 360 km away so we had an easy lunch on the way. Jeep stops, baggages get out, small folding table, 7 stools, ingredients for sandwiches and tea – Oh yes, tea was a must three times per day minimum-chocolate split to 7 parts for desert. So easy, but so tasty. Crossing so big distances makes you hungry although u haven’t done much. We arrived late afternoon, dark already in Dalanzadgad to overnight in a house where they rent one room with dorm beds. Electricity and water supply seemed luxury for us even the second day. It was last chance for a shower till the end of the trip, but we did the mistake to think that we are still very clean ;) ….

San bai nuuuuuu… first impression from Mongolia ….

We arrived really early in the morning in the capital of Mongolia. Youth hostel owners seeking travellers and “Golden Gobi” was the one that found us. Hospitality of locals was already visible from the very first ours. Their attitude regarding tourism is quite different than Russians. The temperature was –10 C or even less and the whole city smells coal burning. I guess it resembles the industrial developed cities in Europe many decades ago. Anyhow, Mongolia was so many years a part of Russian or Chinese countries and you can see the influence in their architecture, alphabet (cyrillyc), lifestyle, economic dependence (China controls 70% of the whole market).

Ulaanbaatar or UB or the city of land cruiser is an Asian city by all means, Chinese restaurants, traffic jumps, street sellers, inpatient drivers, pickpockets, pubs, night clubs, dodgy neighbourhoods and air pollution. It has a completely linear development and a major road crosses the whole city, it is called Peace Avenue. The main square Sukhbaatar, named after the person that gave them their independency in 1912. However, the heart of the city is the Department Store. 6 floors with cosmetics, clothes, supermarket exchange office that indicates the rates for all transactions, and the smallest Ikea ever seen. Tugrik is their national currency, so easy for Greeks to remember it.
The very first day we visited a reflexology centre for a recommended foot massage, which was wicked and cost was 10 €. Not really cheap for here, but affordable for Europeans. Next experience was a buffet of BBQ and at last we had proper salad, noodles, horse meat, cow tongues and sheep. The most expensive meat in Mongolia is chicken. No wonder why, the lethal disease is still recent and China is a neighbour country ;)
We are heading to the borders of China in a more adventurous way, as the direct train to Beijing is once per week and we missed it. That’s a nice experience to share in a future next post. However we have to complete the "Golden Gobi Tour" we had for 11 days all around the Country. That is real Mongolia ... stay tuned ...

Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia)

I myrwdia apo to kammeno karbouno dynamwnei k to treno rixnei tis strofes tou gia na na stamatisei meta apo ligo stin prwtevousa tis Mongolia. Den prolabainw na anapsw tsigaro k mesa se 2 min exoume brethei se aytokinito pou tha mas paei sto kentro gia na broume ena hostel pou tha mas filoxenisei tis epomenes nyxtes..I hostess -Olgi- mas prosferei zesto kafe k elafry prwino sto Golden Gobi k apofasizoume pws tha einai zoriko na psaxnoume allo hostel stous –10 C k 6 I ora to proi .... Siga siga emfanizontai agouroxipnimenoi travellers pou menoun sto hostel k pairnoume tis prwtes info gia to ti esti Mongolia.
Prospername mouseia k plateies stin Peace Av. k meta apo nostimo break se Chinese restaurant kateythynomaste gia to reflexology center gia massage poy mas eixan proteinei apo tin Rwssia. Thalpwri k xalarwma gia kammia wra itan oti xreiazomastan ekeini tin stigmi.
Anazitoyme allous 2 travellers gia na kanoume tour stin inner Mongolia k gnwrizoume sto hostel 2 English boys, Dan & Richard, k kanonizoume na perasoume tis epomenes 10 nyxtes parea stin Gobi desert k sta xionismena bouna. To kryo tsouxtero k xreiazomaste boots gia to tour, opote vour gia to black market tou Ulaanbaatar.Mia terastia anoixti agora gemati kosmo k emporevmata pou erxontai apo oli tin Mongolia. Edw mporeis na agoraseis apo aytokinita mexri k ena tsigaro, na mpalwseis trypes sto panteloni sou k na sou rapsoun epi topou sakkaki apo cashmere..Mpainoume se mageirio k dialegoume deixnontas ena entono kokkino piato..
Prin pame gia nani sto hostel, pinoume tis prwtes Mongolian mpyres me tous English co-travelers k kanoume ta prwta plana gia to ayriano trip pros Gobi desert..Mmm,o ilios mas lene oti tha mas kanei tin xari k tha einai tranos k xamogelastos tis epomenes meres..

Irkutsk-Ulaanbaatar (22-24 October)

I Russian visa kontevei na lixei, opote epistrefoume sto Irkutsk gia na paroume nihterino train #362, Wagon 10 k olotahos gia Mongolia... Tharro pos ehoume kani lathos wagoni k mpikame stin 1st class. Edelos senyo & kenouri, me lcd plasma mesa to kathe kupe (alla pou den pezi), krevatia aneta pou horas horis na diplonis podia I kefali, k gia misi mera imastan “olomonahoi mazi”. Diklino lux lipon. O Dima epimeni oti efoson mas tsekare I ipefthini tou vagoniou (patimena ta 50 me vammeno malli, kokkino stis rizes, platine pio kato, nihi teenager me strasakia, hriso donti of course, treli fatsa) imaste in the right train. Prohorai kala to trip, pername Ulan-Ude (megali poli pou telika de dianikterefsame eki) stis 06.00 k stis 13.30 ftanoume sto methorio stathmo tis Russia, Nauskey. 7 ores hriastikan gia na allaksoun, wagons (miname mono 2), passport & custom control (to diplano cupe me tous Italous epsaksan apo foreigners) ….. treli taleporia giati tis mises ores ise ektos trenou (pali kala ihe ilio k +3C vathmous ekso). To horio adiaforo, me ena athlio magirio (borsh soupa horis kreas, se pion re ta poulan afta …) & ena mini market mono pou anefodiastikame giati pezi pina. O Dima ehi hasi idi 5-6 kgs.

… Back again k sto coupe mas ehoume enan Mongolo diplomati me ti madame tou. Milai kala agglika & enthousiazonte k aftoi me tous Ellines. Mas vlepoun san kati eksotiko mallon se olo to taksidi so far. Tarifas sto Irkutsk pou mas hreose arhika tis valitses, “baggage”, meta apo 2-3 kouventes k otan katalave apo pou imaste, pire ligotera. O kathenas gia tous dikous tou prosopikous logous, oi pio polloi epidi imaste omothriskoi. Allos anefere tous 12 theous, allos gia tin istoria & ton politismo mas, o Mongolos, siggnomi I madame, gia na akrivologoume, giati gnorizi tis perifimes gounes Kastorias!!! Tha trelathoume edelost diladi …

Around Baikal Lake - Listvyanka (20-22 Oktober)

To xwrio me to akribotero agrotemaxio (oso sti Nikiti kani ena summer house edo) sti notioanatoliki Baikal mas ypodexetai me dynato aera k thermokrasies pou se anatrixiazoun gia tin epoxi (gia ta ellinika dedomena panta). Kataligoume sto hostel tou dasarxeiou gia ftino ypno k thea sti limni pou xekinise na pagwnei. O kosmos elaxistos tetoia epoxi, se antithesi me to kalokairi pou gemizei me tourists (kirios efporous Rossous,) pou kanoun mpanio k apodraseis sto dasos.

Se ayta ta meri epiballetai I parousia enos ntopiou na se gyrisei sta gyrw xwria pou einai panemorfa k grafika me xionismena sxedon ta panta. Edo emfanizete lipon o Andrej, o daskalos germanikon pou ihame gnorisi sto Olkhon Island. Gia emas itan i katallili stigmi, afou idi ihame perpatisi to horio k thelame kati diaforetiko. Mas pigeni mini tour sto horio tou & kataligoume sto spiti tou parea me ton eptaxrono gio toy Ivan. Einai periergo na akous “Arbanitaki” na milai me ton patera tou Germanika, kapou sti stepa tis Rwssias se ena ksylino kaloftiagmeno spiti poy pragmatika se agkaliazei me tin zestasia tou. Eksw parkarismena, aystira Japanese 4x4 (kathos afta mono mas ipan oti antehoun se toso antiksoes kairikes sinthikes), dexiotimona aytokinita k ena XR400, pou an antexeis se pane sxedon pantou …

Den ine hlidata aftokinita, oute lampoun, apla ine anagkaia gia ti doulia tou Andrej pou ine pleon guide se ekdromes, os epi ton pliston Elveton & allon European. Mas edikse fotografies apo tin custom-made ekdromi pou organose I gineka tou persi & nomizo pos aksizi ton kopo kapoios na ti dokimasi to Sep 2009. 3 weeks, ksekinontas apo Siberia me Jeeps, pigenis se aftohthones gnostous tou kapou se mia limni sta sinora me Mongolia, akolouthi o gyros tis limnis ipevontas gia mia vdomada (akoma k an den gnorizis ippasia), sti sinehia esoteriki ptisi gia kapoia horia shamanon k epistrofi sto Ulaanbaatar, protevousa Mongolias. Kostos mazi me fai: 1.500 € ekastos!!! Taksidi pou de sou to organoni oute to kalitero praktorio extreme ekdromon stin Athina. …. Osoi pistoi proselthete …

To vrady kata tis 21.30 itan I ora gia banya .... Prwxoroume katw apo ton kentriko dromo k mas anoigei tin porta enas typos (mallon apo Kazakstan) me 3 zeygi plastikes pantofles k petsetes k mas proteinei na perimenoume ligo na anebei I thermokrasia entos tou steam room panw apo tous 100C. … (kolya: edometaksi eho idi akoma kameno afti k kefali apo last time me to zematisto nero k ime ligo distaktikos kata poso tha apolafso this time ta banya tous). Akribws apenanti mia skouriasmeni porta mas xwrizei apo ti limni. 10 min sto zesto dwmatio einai arketa gia na apobalei o organismos sou oles tis toxines tis teleytaias ebdomadas k amesws meta mploum sta pentakathara k poli pagwmena nera tis limnis!!! (K: edo Ellada k de voutame himona, poso mallon sti Siviria, mehri prin voutikso elega oti den iparhi periptosi na to kano afto. Gia poio logo na patho kardia diladi edo k na teliosi ets adoksa to taksidi… telika ine monadiki empiria, kati san tous filandous pou kkyliounte sto hioni meta ti sauna. To soma ehi tetia thermokrasia pou esto k 10 sec pou menis sti limni, vgenontas apo aftin pali vgazis atmous … trelo skin koritsia :p). Yiaouuu-agaliasi, anazowgonwsi k axnista swmata na sbinoun tin kapsa tous mesa se liga deyterolepta k once again mesa gia refill zestis…. Meta apo misi wra se pianei mia zalada, glukia k synexomeni, oi xtypoi tis kardias oloena k dynatoteroi, panta forwntas to special kapelo me to russia asteri sto kentro... Aperigrapto feeling. This is real banya en telei!

Olkhon Island (15-19 October 2008)

Arketa kourastika xiliometra boreionatolika apo to Irkutsk, pername me to 8thesio ferry apenanti sto nisaki Okhlon opou synantoume k tous prwtous European travellers pou kateythinontai gia to Khuzur, sto oikismo tou famous Nikita opou tha araxoume gia merikes meres. Mpainontas sto Khuzur mia eikona bgalmeni apo to parelthon, toulaxiston 70 xronia pisw, menoume kollimenoi sta idrwmena tzamia tou mini-van k syllambanoume eikones apo ntopious, ksylina spitia, palia rwssika aytokinita k trikykles Ural mihanes (kyriws prasines). Polles oi drastiriotites epi plirwmi pou proteinei o Nikitas, alla ws original travellers, xekiname to epomeno prwino meta apo xortastiko (ouou) traxana gia trekking sto dasos k ftynoume tis organwmenes excursions stin boreia pleyra to nisiou. Trelli bolta parea me enan elbeto, ton Herr Hofmann k kataligoume se mia aperanti anoixtosia me thea oli tin notiodytiki pleyra tou nisiou..
To brady oloi mazevontai gia fagito k mpla-mpla stin trapezaria tou oikismou, eytyxws den einai high season k eimaste to poly 15 atoma. Break gia rwsiko “banya” 100 metra pio pera, enas meraklis ntopios exei kanei to diko tou steam room k to apolambaneis me 350rub/hr (10€). An den eixame k tin kraygi tou Kolya pou eftase sto allo akro toy xwriou, mia koubadia kauto nero itan I aitia, ola tha itan yperoxa. Ananewmenoi loipon pame gia vodkokatanyksi..
Elampe tin epomeni mera o ilios k pame gia photos sto xwrio, afou exume noikiasei dyo yperoxa Mongoose!! (mountainbikes). Ateleiwtes eikones apotypwmenes se myalo k memory cards, ereipwmena spitia k naypigeia, ayloportes k kyriws idiaiteres fatses pou den zitoun $ gia na xamogelasoun sto fako.. Theklaki mou, esy mwro mou tha emenes mexri na teleiwsoun oles oi cards tis Pentax...

… an English approach ….
It was not until we reached the half way of the route Irkutsk – Khuzur, when we had a break for chai & soup in the middle of nowhere, that we first saw a bunch of backpackers. Somehow lost faces, quite European and they were a bit squeezed in a minivan. Indeed Nikita’s (ex-champion in table tennis) homestead is a meeting point for all those travellers that they head from Beijing to Moscow or vice versa by trans-Mongolian railway. Travellers, mainly from Europe, exchanging emails, websites, hostel cards, mobile numbers in the dining room every night. Locals speaking fluently English, German or French enjoy this entire Babylonian atmosphere, as they practice what they have learnt. Once again British were the kings of loudness, but excused, as it was Billy’s birthday. They run out of alcohol (How come?), for a moment only … :p This is where we met Victoria (an excellent ambitious masseuse) and Andrei (German teacher). Both of them are not average Russians of their age, have travelled a lot abroad and we hopefully we can host them someday in Greece. Thank you for making our stay more pleasant!
Khuzur settlement has less than 1000 inhabitants, but during the summer months they are doubled or even tripled by tourists. In October not many places are available for staying and definitely Nikita’s is the best choice. I am not sure though about the summer, as it is packed and of course service won’t be good enough. It’s a bit disappointing though to notice that all facilities are charged, at least in logical prices (except laundry 3 €/kg!!!!!). Homestead as a concept can work a bit better, at least during the off-peak months, like October. Anyway! Oxymoron is also the fact that they keep reminding you with notices to save water and there is not direct water supply to the rooms. You get water for your needs in a bucket, although you are only 100 meters from the 20% of the world’s natural water resources!!! Maybe the invented “sustainability” as a term …
Nevertheless, trekking, mountain biking, horse riding, fishing and other outdoor activities are highly recommended. The whole island has a unique micro-climate and dry atmosphere (forget Salonica) makes sleep sooooo enjoyable (10 hours per day … ho ho ho …). We were amazed with the daily life of local people, which brings us back probably many decades, the life that maybe our grandparents experienced. A tonne of pictures taken and some videos representative are needed to remind us in the future this paradisial island. I just wish it won’t be over-advertised and soon rich Russians build all over the places their summerhouses. It’s not a joke, if you consider that they are ideal beaches for swimming in the summer and just an hour away on foot you find yourself in a forest. Next summer with our hammocks and tents there …. Enough we had of Vourvourou guys …

..next post from Mongolia ... tsiou!

Tomsk-Novosibirsk-Irkutsk

… Itan molis 5 ores to bus gia Novosibirsk k ftanontas ihame 5 ores na trigirisoume mehri na figi to traino. Platia Lenina oonce again & mikri volta sta magazia. Epitelous vrikame mia “kapelerie”, me apistefta kapela, kirios feminine. Sto dromo oles oi ginekes pou sevonte tin ikona tous forousan peritehna kapela, fisika me mia dosi kits pou diakatehi olous tous rossous.
… mpenoume sto traino, sto diadromo ekso apo to coupe emfanizete moustakalis me mikri mpirokoilia & otan antilamvanete oti menoume mazi, perni mia perirgi ekfrasi. Aleksander o kirios. Telika apodihtike oti oi gnorimies me ena mpoukali vodka den apodidoun. Oute aftos, alla oute o allos sigatoikos (Aleksey) epinan alcohol, oute stagona re karry. Penintarides pou erhotan karfi apo Mosha (itoi 3 meres idi mesa sto coupe) pou ihan pai gia check-up. Gri ksenes glosses oi antropoi, alla milisame arketa en telei kata ti diarkeia tou trip. Vlepete ehoume mathis toulahiston 25 leksis sta rossika. Genika polles morfes sto wagon 9 this time.
… Epidi mpikame stis 22.00 mesa, stis 23.30 esvisan ta fota. Fisika emis den kimithikame amesos & afto itan to mega lathos mas. Poli sintoma ksekinise I lokomotivba tou trainou na ihei mesa sto coupe mas, me rythmo & stasis & frenarismata. K ti na tou pis tou Aleksnder? Girna plevro! … den pezi. … na itan kanenas Ele, na ton skountiso, na fonakso … me afta k me alla eftase 5 I ora sto diadromo na pinoume mpires, mehri na pame ksana gia ypno. Eki itan k o “full monty” typos, aftos pou epeze sto “trainspotting” ton kako pou plakonotan sinehia … idios leme.
…. Se 35 ores at last ftasame Irkutsk I ora 6 to proi…. Skotaaaaaaaadi ekso …To boliko tram mas peremenei ypomonetika na aneboume k dyo staseis pio katw einai to Admiral hostel pou tha mas filoxenisei to brady.. Tha thelame omws, tetoia wra mono kati ilikiwmenes kyries bgazoun ta metalagmena skylakia tous boltak emeis sto pagkaki me full moon panw apo ta gemata eikones kefalia mas.. 10 min argotera mia apo tis parapanw kyries mas eipe na xtipisoume ta parathira k ontws mas anoikse I agouroxipnimi landlady, deixnontas mas dyo adeia krebbatia pou itan gia mas..
Xekourastoi pleon, bolta stin dithen pio European poli tis Siberia, to Irkutsk. Kataligoume meta apo syntomi stasi se mageirio, ston potamo Angara,me ta xaraktiristika louketa sta kagela toy pezodromou opou kleidwnoun tin agapi toys ta nea zeugaria gia kali tixi. Prosthesame akomi dyo k epistrepame sto hostel gia cooking k etoimasia gia to ayriano taxidi pros to nisaki Ohlon mesa stin limni Baikal…

... Train #44 - Tomck

10 Oktober 2008: Traino #44 gia Novosibirsk (poli tis kainotomias & tehnologias tin epohi tou psihrou polemou) … Wagon lit once again, krevati pano-kato this time … tavli sta 11 oi partides … sigatoikoi sto 2.5x3 coupe, o Igor o paidiatros-anaisthisiologos & I “grammateas” tou simfona me ta erga tou Dima (sinehizi na grafi o idios …) I wra pernaei grigora akougontas tous teleytaious rwssous pou mpekropinoun. Kati kseroun k autoi, eipe o Kolya anoigontas to diafano mpoukali mias soviet votkas pou pirame apo ena kiosk stin teleytaia mas stasi..
O giatros xamolelaei tin stigmi pou xtypaei to rwssiko kinito mas einai I mama tou kolya.. Anoigei to laptop sta grigora k pliktrologei kati sto Russian-english lexicon. Mas grafei ‘’mama’’ kai mas eksigei mama einai I emotional experience.. Skybei pali panw apo to laptop tou k emeis afinoume auto to diafano apostagma na mas taksidepsei pio makrya..
Prwino sto trapezaki tou wagon k emaste pleon etoimoi gia afiksi sto Novosibirsk, Sabbato prwi pleon. Sta grigora epibbasi sto 1212 autobus gia ton kentriko stathmo opou me busaki tha pame sto Tomsk, kamia 300 km boriaanatolika. Prwto sok, odigoun k aristerotimona k dexiotimona stous idious dromous me apisteuti eukolia k sbeltada..Gyrame pisw k kleisame ta matia.
Siberia k 20 C gia prwti geysi sto foititiko Tomsk, famous gia ta ksilina spitia tou k ton proxwrimeno kosmo tou. Menoume sto spiti tis landlady Nadia, aplo, lito, alla simpathitiko me view se backgarden & eripomena parapigmata. Tyxainei simera (vl. htes) na einai kati san ethniki giorti edw, ordes kosmou sti ulitsa Lenina les k einai Prwtoxronia.. Mpainoume se sushi, pectopan na min ksexniomaste, gia tin epomeni wra k xwris polla polla kateythinomaste pros to spiti..trwgetai gia eksw o kolya k telika teleiwnoume me irish Guiness se pub tis perioxis ….
Teleytaia mera sto Tomsk,o ydrargyros ksafnou stous 3 C k etoimazomaste gia ayriano trip to Irkutsk. Net disevreto pleon, opote ta posts ligostevoun … kalo fthinoporo sto Ellanta …

Pakaaaa

K & D

... transib train experience - Yekaterinburg

… lipon, ihame mini last day in Moscow. Afierothike stin koultoura k pali :P Pushkin state museum, fine & modern art ipotithete, alla ta pio modern itan 19 & 20 os aionas European & American art. Simplirothike diladi oti den ihame di sto Leningrad. Aigiptiaka, ellinoromaika & ellinistika, ehoume polles pix na dite soon … sinehisame voltes sta periks k pesame se kirile sinoikia Rossiki, mono megala jeep edo & european akriva cars. Fagame lita se pubia giati ola ta ypoloipa ine panakriva. Thelis toulahiston 50 afro ekastos gia na pis oti efages & ipies ena potiraki krasi … kourasmenoi epistrofi home & proetoimasia gia to big trip. Noris to proi ksekinisame gia stathmo, giati to metro mathame pleon poso hronovoro ine …
Wagon No.10: klinimaksa style diki mas, apla tetraklini. Sigatoikoi mia mitera me ti mikri tis (itoi 14, me cosmopolitan agalia). I mana gri agglika, adallaksame liges kouventes se 28 ores trip. Vrohi mera nihta, stathmoi me ntopious na poulan tis pramaties tous, thelis krystalla & gyalika (poli Vekuva), frouta (poli kalathi & babouskes, ginekes ntopies, na trehoun apo vagoni se vagoni, mpirakia & tiganita (aidia itan) … Orees ikones entos k ektos wagon lit, perimename na piasoume Kazan na doume tin protevousa ton Tataron. Ihe pai idi 2 to vradi, sto diadromo nekra apo tis 11 … en telei vrehi karekles k kathomaste ektos trenou molis 2 lepta. Tzifos akoma k i anamoni anamesa sta vagonia ….
Arrivaroume Ekaterinburg to apogevma, meta apo poli skaki, tavli, diavasma vivliou, mpiraki & sandwichaki. Mas ypodehete sto stathmo I Natalia (Couchsurfer pou tha mas filoksenisi). Arketa taksidemeni milai agglika k elahista ellinika. Dinner me kati files tis se oukrano-rossiko restaurant (borsh ciupy) & poli kouventoloi. Logo koinis glossas epikinoinias analysame k politico-koinonika themata … ton Putin ton goustaroun telika edo. Epidi tous dini lene mia efkeria na doun kati allo, na katanalosoun, alla den mporis na tous katigorisis mias k esi ta ehis idi gefti afta. Oute na tous pis an aksizoun I ohi k se pio vathmo. An den dokimasoun apo monoi tous den prokite na katalavoun. To thema ine pos simfonoun k oi idioi oti to timima ine pos ligoi tha akolouthisoun to rythmo tis neas Rossias k opios mini piso ton efage marmanga. To riskaroun!
… Ekaterinoupoli I poli tou Lenin mallon, edo dolofonisan tsaro Nikolao II me oli tin oikogenia oi Bolsevikoi gia na tous ksefortothoun mia gia panta, horis diadohous etc etc. Pano sti Lenina street k eki pou kanoume mini volta perpatontas, akoume kati mpam k mpoum (tainia leo tha girizoun) & molis girname ine mia mertsenta mavri 500ara na spiniari gazonontas k apo piso 2 Lada me 8 typakia me pistolia sta heria k akoma na rihnoun. Poli cool mporoume na poume oti imastan gia kati tetio, gia molis sta 15 metra apo emas. Skeftomastan isos oti oi krotoi itan apo pseftikes sfaires & halllara sinehizoume. Meta apo 500 m. mpatsoi ehoun olous tous emplekonenous stamatimenous. Ta typakia apo ta Lada itan ola pitsirikia, under 20, oi misoi baglaromenoi k I mertsenta me skasmeno lastiho, k lekedes sto aleksisfero tzami …. Resume. Yparhi mafia edo, den ine psemata re …

Moscow #2

First working day gia tous mosxobites simera, xaos sto metro, ateleiwtes figoures na anebokatebainoun astamatita stis kyliomenes k emeis kateythinomaste gia kentro, na paroume to karabaki gia ton Moscow River. Me ilio k Baltika 7, i diadromi tis 1 1/2 wras itan eyxaristo paixnidi. Apo tin mia omorfa parka, pou den exoume apo ayta stin poli mas, apo tin alli yperoxa mnimeia tis Moscow pou diakoptontai apo 150m reklames tis BMW M series..

Ergotaxia pantou, oikodomikoi geranoi peristrefontai diarkws gia tin dimiourgia mias neas Moscow.. Entonos o neoploutismos twn rwsswn, jeep k luxury cars pantou.Em, kapws prepei na bgaloun k aytoi tosi sysswreumeni katapiesi..Prwto simadi, ston pezodromo tis Arbatskaya pou thimizei eyrwpaikes poleis me kosmo na eisxwrei k na katanalwnei sta emporika kentra k ta fantaxera polykatastimata..

Pisw sto soviet metro gia ''banya'' stin Ulitsa. Safws ligoteroi ksebrakwtoi apo xtes, eixe tromaksei o Kolya k meta tis prwtes fovies i entoni murwdia apo ta fylla eycalyptoy se xalarwnoun. Automastigvnesai i bazeis ton Kolya na sto kanei, me fylla eycalyptou mesa sto steam room. Full k mono russian entos hamam pou pernoun wres metaksy tous k idrwnoun.. Den exei masaz san tou Istanbul alla aksizei mia episkepsi..

Mporei kapoios na mas anoiksei to xabiari??

arrival in Moscow

... proti diadromi me traino, molis 8 ores. Poli ipnos, polles gnorimies ... O Dima gnorise k enan akoma Dima k aftos tous filous tou pou mas nikisan k pali. Ta typakia ine pollaplasia tis dinamikotitas tou karry edo m8s. Ksekiname ta mpirakia apo to mesimeri k imaste diarkos piso apo opion gnorizoume. Fimi pos pinoun oloi vodka, poli mpira k zesti malista katanalonetai ...

... Me afta k me alla ftasame se dodgy station sti Moscow. Ftohologia, ergatia & perierga vlemmata. Polloi auslaunder (ksenoi) ... alla haraktiristika sta prosopa. Shisto mati diladi, mallon apo tis notia sinorevomenes hores, aftes me tis -an kataliksis ... Lost in metro pou ine chaotic k en telei sto apartment tis daspaza (Frau) Tina. 55ara monderna typissa pou mas travikse k se gitoniko clubaki to vrady k tin epefte se allo guest tis, Carlos from Palermo. Businessman lei ... to clubaki antiprosopeftiko tis ideas pou ehoume gia ta russian clubs (ksa kati san Dubai). Oloi oi ksenoi tis polis erxontai edw k xorevoun se rythmous r&b k house. Kapoios tha elege oti to club einai idioktisia tou Bilakou..

Argoporimeno wake up k vour gia Red Square me to soviet metro, poy se kerdizei me tous palious alla epiblitikous stathmous tou. Den einai k to pio user -friendly metro pou exete synantisei alla tis megales apostaseis tis Moscow mono etsi tis dianyeis..Mikro peripeteia apo pou tha bgeis k ftaneis sto kremlino. Kosmos, mnimeia k parka full, mpyraki sto xeri k tour stis terasteies plateies mexri na nyxtwsei..

Kaname ti prwti mas apopeira gia hamam, paradosiako russian hamam, Ulitsa 1905 Goda, ftasame arga gia na to apolafsoume, opote eidomen ti tha mas pei k o Victor avrio ....

Spakoinai Nochi

St. Petersburg #2

... to Lenningrad ine telika poli endiaferousa poli .... Praha arhitektonika, Berlin poleodomika ... Ohi mikri, 4,5 miria den ine liga ... pezi genikos arketo hrima k akoma pio poli theloun na to dihnoun oi vlahoi edo ... SUV oles oi kiries k pampolla kirile restaurants ... Theli pantos poli, ma poli perpatima na grafis kathimerinos, giati allios de vlepis tpt. Kala, ta mousia theloun one week mona tous, opote oti prolavame (soon kallitehnikes pix)...

... super sinantisi k respect ston Agi. Marie min ton perimenete piso Ellada ... k episis stis kopelies pou mas lipithikan sto stathmo (kitousame misi ora ton pinaka k akoma den kserame an ine meres, thesis, ores ...) k mas voithisan na klisoume train apo edo gia Moscow. Ooooo, ne avrio anahoroume .. aksiologo meros prohtes to "laundrette" ... plintirio-cafe-baraki ... genika ehi i underground merakia i kirile clubo-loungies .... emis dialeksame na ta skame (20 euria ekastos) se ena sushi restaurant, alla to fai tou apaihto ...

Kolya & Dima pleon ..

St. Petersburg

... arrival sto mikro airport & transfer me public transport of course sto soviet building hostel. Eksodos gia ligo rossiko ska me pitsirikaria se underground steki (profile pix) .... k trelo sushi restaurant gia after (junkia demek). Trelo fai & open parakalo mehri tis 6 to proi. .... vrohi & krio & doulitses simera. Stay tuned!

The week before

Only few days are left, but still passports not in our hands. Chinese visa is still pending, accommodation in St. Petersburg (first 4 days of the trip) not confirmed yet. No train route booked so far, just some dates are roughly decided .... Packing? .... hey, of course this is too much 5 days before departure. Weekend is our last chance to get everything organised, but once again we will in the flight when we will realise how many things we forgot once again.... he he he .... Honestly speaking, how much more Greek can we be? ...