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Archive for the ‘Mystery Trip’ Category

Irkutsk

In Mystery Trip, Russia on September 26, 2012 at 1:19 am

We are now in Siberia and the trip has gotten even better.  Our Azerbaijani best friends also became our angels once we arrived in Irkutsk.  We had mistakenly thought we could exchange our Mongolian currency for rubles at the border but there was no bank, so we basically did the trip with 100 rubles in change that my dad had given me just before we left for the trip.  This was enough to get us into the border toilets but not much else.  The Azerbaijanis had already disembarked from the train by the time we got our bags together, but they were waiting for us at the top of the escalators with hugs and help.  They hustled us outside into the cold Siberian air where they promptly pushed us onto a tram, paid our fare, and took us to the center of town.  Then they hassled the locals until they found a bank that would open at 9am.  It was only 8:30 at this point so we stood inside the bank building away from the cold and made each laugh until the bank tellers finally let us in.  Then mama spoke to the teller and made sure she didn’t rip us off in the exchange, and on the way out the door flipped the sign from “Open” to “Closed” as a joke, laughing all the way.  They took us back to the square, negotiated the fare with the driver, and sent us off with full bellies, hugs and kisses.  Our entire adventure with them was conducted mostly with hand gestures as we didn’t speak the others language, but when you become friends with people I guess the language doesn’t matter so much.

We arrived at our hostel too early to check in so we ditched our bags and went to find breakfast.  Just down the road we landed at the Lenin Cafe and had $20 worth of breakfast, which is exactly what you would pay for the same thing at Starbucks back home which means we are now out of cheap territory and back into the expensive, at least on the road.  The coffees chippered us up enough though, and we headed out for more sightseeing.

Beautiful Orthodox churches (I wonder how many we’ll be excited to look at before we are made exhausted by all the iconography), an autumn morning stroll along the river, and then back to the hostel where we finally showered the train trip out of our hair.  We booked in for a 5 hour hike around Lake Baikal tomorrow morning and then went to find the local market.  You can tell the foreigners by the way they walk around stores:  we all have cameras, we all look slightly stunned when trying to negotiate prices in Russian, and we all stare at common things like soap, toothpaste, pigs heads, cheese, and tea like they’ve just dropped in from outer space.  Everything is fascinating because it’s so different.  Now I know why babies always look so freaked out.

Afterwards we went to try and find a restaurant recommended by the traveler’s bible and on the way encountered a building with the faces of the former ‘heroes’ of the Soviet Union carved into the top moldings.  We found Stalin and Trotsky but couldn’t see Lenin. I did find Santa Claus though.  We ended up missing the restaurant completely and landed by the river again.  In attempts to find our way back to the center we stumbled on a rather Parisienne looking cafe with the most wonderfully low-lit ambient lighting and decided to break the bank there.  I ended up with a grilled salmon salad and Doris had one of the best pasta dishes she’s ever had.  A lovely mistake and one that has made the books as one of my favourite evenings in 2012.  We managed to find our way successfully back to the hostel and are hitting the sack shortly in anticipation of the upcoming hike.

This my ancestral land – my grandparents lived in the Ukraine and Siberia until they fled to Canada in the 1920s, and it’s the biggest reason for coming here.  I left about 50% of my heart in Amsterdam after working there more than a year in the 90s, and I’m fairly certain my soul has been acquired from the Arab Middle East.  But getting off the train and standing in the fallen autumn leaves and sniffing the clear Siberian air… I felt like my electrical cord had finally been plugged into the right power source.  I’m back where I started in a sense, and I am so excited to see what’s in store.  We won’t be anywhere near my grandparents towns, but at least I’m in the country and for now, that is enough.

Train, Part II

In Mongolia, Mystery Trip, Russia on September 25, 2012 at 3:28 am

Mongolian crossing time – 3 1/2 hours
Russian crossing time – 1 1/2 hours

and still no bathroom, aaaaaaaaagh!  However, things got good funny fast after the last entry.  The Russian ladies turned out to be Azerbaijani mother and daughter and they are awesome.  They quickly became annoyed with our crazy Mongolian lady and managed to eject her from our cabin.  Now we’re all best friends, sharing meals, listening to Jay Z, watching Gossip Girl in Russian, and teaching each other our languages.

I guess the Russians are not as tolerant of the Mongolian traders and it looks like our crazy lady got busted.  The whole group was kicked out of our car back to last class which could be punishment enough.

We finally cleared all border controls and thanks to the pocket change of rubles my dad gave me we were able to FINALLY use the platform bathroom.  It truly felt like saving the world.  Thanks, Dad!!!

Overall the whole journey by train will take about 36 hours to our next stop where we’ll stay for 2 days.  And judging by the drop in temperature my sweater will finally come in handy.

Train, Part I

In Mongolia, Mystery Trip, Russia on September 24, 2012 at 4:19 pm

We are on the Transsiberian train from Ulaanbaatar to Irkutsk, Siberia.  When we boarded the train last night there was a group of Mongolians who looked like they were moving house – they each had about ten bags and formed a bucket brigade to haul everything in.  Luckily we had a 4-person berth to ourselves the first night and spent it quietly and uneventfully.  The next morning around 6:30 we pulled up to the Mongolian border and the engine and all other cars detached and left our Russian car alone on the track.  The bathrooms were locked off so we disembarked and used the facilities on the platform before getting back on for customs and border inspection.  For the record, the female Mongolian guard was hot, she was wearing knee-high leather boots and a beautifully tailored suit.  She makes Canadian guards look dumpy.

As we waited for inspection, the Mongolians picked up yet more bags from the platform and moved into everyone’s cabin.  They took over ours, hanging up jackets and shoving spangled boots into spare cracks.  It turns out that they get goods for cheap from Mongolia, haul them into Russia where partners wait to grab the bags and then sell them on the platforms while the Mongolians travel back home to pick up the next batch.  We’re all supposed to declare the number of bags in our possession but of course they don’t want to declare theirs as they’ll have to pay border taxes.  Obviously the border inspection is a joke as the guards searched our cabin and no one was charged for anything.  Everyone knows how this works and they turn a blind eye to all of it.

In the meantime, two Russian ladies also joined our cabin and the Mongolian lady set up shop.  As I write this they are haggling over thick socks.  The Russians said no to the ugly sweaters and even to the black leg warmer boots covered in sparkles.  I do believe this next part of the journey will be far livelier than the last which means I have to decide between being annoyed or putting on my curiosity cap and being amused.  If the border officials would give me back my passport I could get off the train and run to the bathroom which I am dying to use.  Until I can relieve myself of this pressing burden I shall be annoyed, but am confident that visiting the toilet will allow me to put my happy pants back on and maybe buy a pair of socks.

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Mongolia Album

In Mongolia, Mystery Trip on September 24, 2012 at 5:04 am

Not the most common tourist destination but a wonderful country nonetheless.  My favourite parts of it were hearing how the locals have adjusted to the influx of mining companies and the commerce they’ve brought with them.  The craziest change is definitely the traffic – endless construction, road closures, and a driving culture powered by pride and competition.  If you’re going anywhere by car, pack your patience.  You won’t be getting there fast.

Mongolian Traffic

In Mongolia, Mystery Trip on September 23, 2012 at 9:52 pm

The traffic congestion in Ulaanbaatar can be attributed to two things:  1. poor construction planning, and 2. new drivers.  Construction envelopes the entire city and no one gives any thought to managing the traffic implications of closing a road.  The result is multiple road closures with one-way alley routes that were originally built solely for pedestrian use.  Up until ten years ago people were still getting around by horse and there were very few cars.  With the arrival of the mining companies the automobile has increased exponentially with poor infrastructure lagging far behind.  And this leads to the second problem, a very ‘young’ driving population.

Most of the Mongolian drivers have been on the road for only two years and a large percentage would have purchased their licenses.  Defensive driving is non-existent and this turns everything into a competition with no knowledge of how to navigate traffic jams.  Traffic lights are necessary because without them cars grind to a halt in utter confusion, so you can imagine what road closures would do to their already discombobulated minds.

Arrogance and pride also play into the general chaos.  Because everyone has to win no one can lose.  If two cars approach each other from opposite directions in an alleyway, they will get stuck for up to five minutes while they stare each other down, scowling at the other to give in first.  It’s stupid and yet the learning curve seems to be rather flat.  One wonders how long they’ll tolerate this behaviour before they change their ways.  Until then, if you need to get somewhere in the city make sure to add at least 30-40 to your estimated trip time.  Happy travels!

Next Stop

In Mystery Trip on September 22, 2012 at 6:10 pm

The day before yesterday we headed out to the hills for two days to do some hiking and horseback riding.  The horses, well, let’s just say I could have crawled faster.  I think the guide thought we were incompetent, which is true, but really.  He was surly looking and none too pleased to take us for the slowest ride on earth.  My horse was the two year old of the group and preferred to eat which resulted in me falling behind as he grazed on the prickly grass.  Later on you could see the other locals racing their horses against the cars and it was magnificent, big sigh.

We ended up sharing the excursion with a retired German physicist who enjoyed the sound of his voice so we listened to stories about ALL the wonderful things he’s done in his life, and believe me, there were many.  And more.  However, for a 74 year old he was quite spry and did more hikes than us.

After our disappointing equestrian event we decided to walk to a temple further up in the hills.  Lots of buddhist sayings on signs on the way up to keep your mind off the climb and then a rickety suspension bridge right at the end.  I looked at it and thought, “Blue.  No red!!”, but was not whisked off to hell.  (Monty Python ref).  At the top was the wall-eyed temple keeper whose English was limited to Elepant, look, and heh heh heh.  He was trying valiantly to cop a feel every chance he got and invited me to join him in his sleeping quarters.  Ick, really???  We eventually left and I am now officially templed out.

All our meals were cooked by the local woman in whose place we were staying, lots of meat and potatoes. You are hard-pressed to not eat meat and if you do find a salad it is most likely covered in mayonnaise.  But the food was good and she was very friendly.  Again no English but signing does get you further along.

We shared our accommodation with the professor who seemed to subscribe to the idea that all domestic work belongs to the women and left me and Doris to cleaning away the dishes and tending to the fire.  Yes, the fire.  It was hot during the day but as soon as the sun set it became quite cold so we had the wood-burning stove in the middle of the room to keep us warm until the fire went out at which point the heavy blankets they gave us were useful and cozy.

Before going to bed we took the opportunity to sit outside and star gaze.  It was clear and the Milky Way was staining the sky, so many stars you couldn’t begin to count them.  I sat outside wrapped in a blanket for about an hour enjoying the natural beauty all around.

The next day we went for a short walk and waited for our driver to take us back to the city.  The driving here is crazy.  The roads are so rutted from extreme weater conditions that you can’t go 4 feet without encountering a pothole.  And these are mighty potholes indeed.  They can be anywhere from 1-6 feet across and in some cases 2 feet deep.  Sometimes an entire section of the road is gone and no suspension can handle that so all the drivers manoeuver around them as fast as possible.  This results in weaving all over the highway, sometimes on the shoulder, sometimes down into a ditch, sometimes right off the highway wrapping around boulders and telephone poles.  At one point I thought we did a figure eight.  Thankfully Doris had vomit stop tablets with her so I was able to enjoy the ride rather than puke my brains out.  It was pretty awesome and I shook the driver’s hand when we got back cuz he drove like a superhero.

Back in the city the flies are finally gone.  It’s a rough and tumble environment that loves Korean food and karaoke.  Cultural events are sponsored by mining companies, girls navigate the broken streets in high heels, and you can still spot the cool boys from a mile away.  Traffic is heavily congested and everyone uses their horns, meat is cheaper than fruit, and there is an over-abundance of German candies.  Again, I’m not drawn in by any of it but it has still been a great time.  We’ll go to a cultural show tonight and then catch the train to our next destination.

So long from wherever we are today, more from the next stop…

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Beijing Album

In China, Mystery Trip on September 22, 2012 at 6:06 pm

Three days is not long enough to soak in a city and its atmosphere, but it is enough time to see a lot of what makes it famous.  Wonderful architecture, interesting people, and a great walking culture made Beijing a pleasure to visit.

That Got Weird

In Mystery Trip on September 20, 2012 at 5:56 am

Ok, someone’s won but I’m not telling who and I’ll hold off on publishing the comments for now, just because I’m curious to see if you can follow the trail.  And the good news for me is that the censorship issue is now manageable so I can finally add pictures as I go along.

So this morning my friend, Doris, arrived and we headed off on the next leg of the journey.  We’ll be together until the end now unless one of us kills the other.  This is a test of two people traveling together for the first time.  It’s started out well and our new location is interesting.  We arrived without incident and then got in a cab to get to the hostel.  We could see the city in the distance but it took forever to get there.  It seemed to close and yet so far when stuck in traffic and spending 5 minutes in one intersection.  Eventually we arrived and headed out for the afternoon to check out our surroundings.

“Industrial” is the word that immediately comes to mind: everything is under construction, reconstruction, in disrepair, getting repaired.  Lots of new towers going up, lots of sidewalk work but oddly not a lot of roadwork.  This is more of what I’ve been looking for.  It’s also not nearly as safe as the last city, signs are up in every restaurant warning of pickpockets, my favourite sign so far is “Let’s careful. Robbers”.  Apparently people try to get into the hostel posing as plumbers or construction workers and we’ve all been warned to kick them to the curb.  It’s not the safest place to be out after dark so we are tucking in early after being up at 5am this morning.

Tonight Doris and I went for dinner to try the local fare.  The sun was setting and as we left the restaurant we walked straight into a gazillion tiny flies.  You could see their wings clearly in the setting sun, if I didn’t know better I could have hoped they were tiny fairies coming to sprinkle their fairy-dust on our heads.  Instead they dusted us with their carcasses as they died on impact.  I looked down at my shirt after 10 seconds and was covered in the things so I could only imagine what my hair looked like.  We took refuge in a mall and tried to brush them off ourselves but the icky feeling remained and we were itchy even though we got most of them off.  Apparently this phenomenon only happens once in a blue moon and this is the first time anyone has seen it in ages.  It’s gross and I’m pretty sure I ate at least 10 of them for dessert.

Then we stopped at a grocery store to pick up some water.  Apparently standing in a checkout is great if you love people crawling up your backside.  The woman behind me was so close I think she was examining my colon.  With her head.  You know my thing about people in my personal space, at least she didn’t try to hug me, or maybe that’s what was going on with her arms…

Then on the way back to the hostel I stepped on something, thought it was a stone and tried to wipe it off on the pavement.  Then I felt something jab me in the foot and it turned out I had picked up a 3 inch screw.  It took a bit to get it out, a Philips screwdriver would have been helpful.  Checked my foot once we got back, nothing was pierced and my tetanus is up to date anyway so no worries.  Weird start to this part of the trip though.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still having a blast and I think this is going to be a great adventure.  Tomorrow we’re heading out into the wilderness for a few days and I’m looking forward to the potential of seeing more than 2 stars in the sky at night and meeting the locals in whose house we’ll be staying.

That’s it for now, more to follow once we’re back on the grid.

Ambiguous Pics

In Mystery Trip on September 20, 2012 at 3:48 am

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Hike to the Heavens

In Mystery Trip on September 19, 2012 at 8:46 am

As much as I should probably describe the incredible hike I was on today, I have to first tell how much I’m loving this hostel and how hard it’s going to be to leave.  I’ve temporarily left my table to write this post and am probably missing more impassioned discussion about Spanish politics, the Austrian medical student system, and surfing in Australia and Ireland.  One of the things I love most about traveling is the people I meet and this trip is beating most others before it.  I’ve seen pretty cool things and gone to amazing places in the past three days, but the people are beating it hands down.

Today I went for a hike, a different location than the three guys in my room who also went hiking for the day. We all got up around 5am and then went our separate ways to get to our destination.  I took a bus an hour outside the centre to meet up with the woman I met on the plane.  She was concerned that I hadn’t eaten breakfast yet and had packed one for me.  Then we went to her home where she tag-teamed the car with her husband and 13 year old daughter, she went inside and they took me to my starting point. Read the rest of this entry »