Oh Mother Russia, why so cold?
Researching (googling, to be fair) the Russian visa situation gives me a headache. Why not just let us in??? Maybe then, more tourists would like to pop in and give your economy a bit of a leg up, spending our excess of Western money on your vodka and babushka dolls.
(And at this point I'm hoping that border control officers don't read blogs...more specifically, this blog!)
To get into Russia, one needs to first get an invitation to stay in Russia. I know what you're thinking - ''but I don't know anyone in Russia to get invited to stay with them! Apparently hotels can provide this when you book your first night in Russia (another necessity for the 30-day tourist visa). But Phill and I being the footloose and fancy free young things that we are, we have no idea when we will get to Russia. So in order to get a visa (before we even leave Australia), we have to book a night in an Irkutsk...get them to invite us...pay them some money...then send all our most precious documents to the Russian Embassy in Australia, and hope that, when we get to that border crossing, they'll let us through! Please, let us through!
Buuuuuut it's all part of the adventure. We'll just wear trackpants with stripes down them (preferably Adidas) and carry our belongings in plastic bags to fit in with the locals (thankyou Lonely Planet). And I can say 'I love you' in Russian, that should get us far.
(PS: I'm sure there's more in Russia than vodka and babushka dolls.)
Monday, September 28, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The Start
Our plan is ambitious, but really it's only three words: North, West, Canada.
We're taking the long way round, the slow way as well.
At a time when air travel has never been cheaper. But we don't do things by the book; we're a bit out there like that. Also, because we're both quite tall, airplane seats aren't great. Trains and boats and buses seem like the better option.
February 4th, 2010, is D-day - Brisbane to Bali, the only flight for months. After having worked hard for what will be 12 months, saved enough money for a deposit on a house, and lived apart for the year, Phill and Kate will be spending said deposit on food, drinks, transport, cheap-as accommodation and cultural escapades in an effort to boost the world's economy. No worries, world, it's our pleasure.
The itinerary goes something like this:
Indonesia, 3 weeks.
Malaysia and Thailand, 2 weeks.
Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, 4 weeks.
Biiiggggg train to Beijing, climb a wall and that for a week or so.
Then get on another train, do this journey that some people call the Trans-Siberian. Chill out with Mongolians in yurts, drink vodka with Russians, read lots of books.
Eastern Europe, Oktoberfest, September (crazy Germans).
Canada, ski season, Whistler.
We're taking the long way round, the slow way as well.
At a time when air travel has never been cheaper. But we don't do things by the book; we're a bit out there like that. Also, because we're both quite tall, airplane seats aren't great. Trains and boats and buses seem like the better option.
February 4th, 2010, is D-day - Brisbane to Bali, the only flight for months. After having worked hard for what will be 12 months, saved enough money for a deposit on a house, and lived apart for the year, Phill and Kate will be spending said deposit on food, drinks, transport, cheap-as accommodation and cultural escapades in an effort to boost the world's economy. No worries, world, it's our pleasure.
The itinerary goes something like this:
Indonesia, 3 weeks.
Malaysia and Thailand, 2 weeks.
Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, 4 weeks.
Biiiggggg train to Beijing, climb a wall and that for a week or so.
Then get on another train, do this journey that some people call the Trans-Siberian. Chill out with Mongolians in yurts, drink vodka with Russians, read lots of books.
Eastern Europe, Oktoberfest, September (crazy Germans).
Canada, ski season, Whistler.
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