My final stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway before returning to Moscow was Kazan, a city that is as ethnically and religiously diverse as Ulan Ude – perhaps more so. It is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, an autonomous region within Russia populated over 50% by Tatars – a Turkic people with roots dating […]
Kazan and the Temple of All Religions Read More »
If you travel to Russia for a week or two, you’ll certainly be aware of how different it is from your home country. Spending three months in Russia gave me a lot of time to notice things – big and small, good and bad. I personally tend to notice (and sometimes get amused by) the
Thirty Rubles About Russia Read More »
As I walked away from the taxi outside of the Yekaterinburg train station, I felt my hope slipping away. My main reason for stopping in the city on my Trans-Siberian journey was to visit Ganina Yama, the monastery that now stands on the site where the bodies of the last Russian tsar Nicholas II and
An Excursion to Ganina Yama Read More »
A few days ago, I hit the wall. I knew this day would come. Every long-term traveler I have talked to has hit such a wall at some point, so it was bound to happen. After over 100 days on the road, things are starting to get to me. Travel burnout has set
I have to admit, I thought about backing out. As I was wandering around aimlessly searching for my hostel in Krasnoyarsk with the wind whipping against my face, I seriously thought about backing out. And when I lost my debit card to an ATM machine for the second time on this trip, I
A Winter Hike in Siberia Read More »
I stood in the dark outside my apartment building in Irkutsk, already feeling the chill in my legs. The marshrutka (mini-van) I booked through the Baikaler Hostel was scheduled to pick me up at 8:45 a.m. and it was nearly fifteen minutes late. I tried in vain to dial the hostel from my Blackberry, hoping
Olkhon Island: Getting There is Half the Fun Read More »
I have to admit, I did not love Moscow. Unlike St. Petersburg, where I flipped through my guidebook and wanted to see just about everything, very little stood out to me as “must-sees” when it came to visiting Moscow. That being said, in the two and a half weeks I spent there, a few things
Five Favorite Things in Moscow Read More »
Most people barely spend two days in Irkutsk, much less two weeks. I initially planned a short stop as well, but when I heard about an opportunity to volunteer with the Great Baikal Trail organization, I thought a longer stay would be worth my while. I reached out to GBT in September and
Taking a Break in Irkutsk Read More »
I stared out of the dusty train window at rows and rows of wooden houses. They seemed to go on for miles and, as the train slowed down, I assumed we must be nearing the train station – and arriving at my first destination after a 62 hour journey from Vladivostok. Instead, we just kept
Discovering Buddhism & Buryatia in Ulan Ude Read More »
Prior to this trip, the longest I had ever spent out of the country at one time was 23 days back in 2001. As of today, I have been traveling for 92 days. Three months. I thought a lot about writing this post because, well, sitting on a train for 32 hours with “roommates” who
10 Things I Think About 3 Months on the Road Read More »
