Vlad in Vlad

The journey from Irkutsk to Vladivostok was particularly memorable for it's length, the two Babushkas on the bunks below me and a troupe of adolescent circus performers who continued their training, by any means necessary, thoughout the entire three days and nights. Some of the gymnasts were actually pretty good, but as a bunch of them were doing somersaults and flips at a short station stop somewhere in Siberia, I couldn't help wanting to see one of them cock-up and go head first into the snow.

It was more amusing to watch them practising on the train itself. The carriage attendants kept, getting really pissy, as is often their want to do, because the trainers had the kids doing hand-stands in the tiny aisle between the compartments. I spent the rest of the trip as on other parts of the journey, mastering the Russian card game of "Doorag", which means fool. As you can well imagine, I was the fool on a number of occasions. But "Who's the more foolish, the fool or the fool that follows him." - Obi-Wan Kenobi (The wisdom of 'Star Wars' as my friend Chris will agree, is all you really need to get through life unscathed).


Anyway with one lovely old arithritic babushka supplying me with extra pot noodles and smash, in return for my help in the hot-water collection and more dextrous duties, and my general train survival routine down by this point (it's a bit like camping really) I was feeling like a seasoned trans-siberianer. Unfortunately opposite the nice grandmother was an absolutely awful miserable old bat, who put a bit of a downer on the mood in the compartment.

Three days and nights on the cramped train did feel like a bit of an endurance test. I also couldn't remember how I had organised meeting my contact in Vladivostok. With my phone out of battery, the last few hours became a slightly nervous affair. However I was so relieved to find Vladimir a lovely bloke who had agreed to host me for three days, waiting on the platform for me.

Vlad is a top man; lawyer, lecturer, musician, and all round talented indivdual, who if he wasn't so successful, could easily make a living as a tour guide in Vladivostok. I stayed with him for three days and he kindly showed me the must-sees of Vladivostok. It was also here, of course, where I had my first views of the Eastern side of the Pacific Ocean. I had hoped to take the ferry from here across to Toyama in Japan. However sadly, my timing just didn't quite fit and this was no longer a possible option. Given that I had no time wait around hoping to get on another boat with visa rapidly running out I considered swimming the Sea of Japan. But in the end settled on good old Korean Air to get me out of Russia, which fortunately inspite of a severe blizzard the day before departure, they did successfully.