Last day in Hong Kong

Ian was having a business session with William so I headed out to Hollywood Road (named long before Hollywood in the US was even thought of) when there are numerous antique markets, all rather interesting but cannot imagine that I would want any of it sitting on a shelf at home. Notice there was a Sun Year Sen museum soon went for a look see. Rather interesting in that very little of the display was about him, it was more relevant to the guy who owned the house “Kom Tong Hall”, A Ho Kom Tong owned this first house that blended Chinese and Western architectural styles and was cheaper for the government to use the house as the museum as it required so little because it had been looked after so well. Then information displayed was regarding building of the military academy of the Chinese nationalist party so as the establish a regular army. The training was both military and political and they help build a base camp for the revolution in the province.

Then continued to the Museum of Medical Sciences which covered the Black Pleasure of 1894 and also the man who encouraged the washing of hands in hospitals. He realized that patients attended by doctors following an autopsy had a higher mortality rate than patients being attended by midwives.  Midwives were not involved with autopsies and had an incredibly lower mortality rate.

Headed back to the hotel so we can be ready for eviction at 16:00.

 

 

Friday 3rd October in Hong Kong

Was an individual again today and did the Big B Bus tour over on mainland Kowloon. Caught the ferry from peer 7 and as I got off the ferry it started to rain. While getting instruction on where to catch the  Big B Bus, ponchos were provided so we would not get wet on the sudden downpours. As soon as I put it on, the rain stopped, as it should. Started witha complete tour around Kowloon (as my ticket expired at 12md).

Finally got off at the Sky100 which is the highest tower  in Hong Kong. The lift went from bottom to top in 60 seconds and my ears popped. As there was a Peak Rail ticket spare from yesterday, I got the free ride so up I went.  The single fare for each of the  Sky100 & the Peak funicular ride would have been $160HK –  whereas the Big B Bus ticket cost just $400HK for everything (rather economical).

Excellent 360° views (and could see our iBis hotel on Hong Kong island)  but a pity there was some smog around. Rode the lift back down and played on the underground to the Mong Kok markets via Central then wandered around enjoying the atmosphere and hassling. On the way to and from the markets, the train traveled through Admiralty station so if that is now open, the problem in the papers about demonstrators and teargas has dissipated. Took a tram ride home after getting off the train.

Whilst I was waiting to have dinner there were numerous flashes of lightning in the sky whilst I was talking pictures across the bay and this is the photo I got (much much brighter than any of the others).

Checked with reception for a local Chinese restaurant and off I went – not sure what I ordered but the head waiter seemed to realize and looked after me because I ate well and he was the only one with any splattering of English in the place. I realized during dinner that Ian had had a bad experience with a Chinese on a 2nd floor and wondered if this was where it was. Not sure but i certainly did OK.

 

Arrived Hong Kong – 1st October

Left: Taken whilst lightning flashed          and at Right:  2 seconds later in normal light

Went out to the airport on the train as it was a public holiday for their ‘National Day’ and this year it is 65 years, and we figured that with the hour and a half it took to get to the hotel, we may not get on the plane. We imagined all the people on the underground but were quite pleased with how quiet out was at 9:30. Within the 75 minutes we were at the airport and all finished in half an hour after that, ready for the plane.

It started to rain as we got on the plane so did not get wet but it poured after we were taxiing out to the runway. We had to wait a while and did not get in to Hong Kong until 5. Ian was offered an upgrade to a harbour view in the hotel for very little extra and instead of the 4th floor with views of buildings we are now on the 24th floor with a views of the harbour like this one.

When we got to the room duty manager rang us and said that that included breakfast also (the extra cost was in fact the cost of breakfast). So, after the last 2 last hotels in Russia, these last 2, especially this one has been excellent. When I was here last time I was in a hotel about 3 quarters across the photo.

This city is delightful to walk around at night, everyone well behaved, no drunks, no punch ups and many girls walking alone – seems similar to Singapore.  Look forward to seeing the town via the Big B red bus tomorrow.

 

Monday 29th September – Great Wall

What a brilliant day it has been today. Up at 6am and down stairs for breakfast and then we were collected by Linda at 7:10 but still kept looking for Chas who was at our hotel and heading back to Unn Zud after some time in Tashkent. He eventually turned up and so we rolled on to the next hotel for a French couple working in Abu Dhabi and then on for a Spanish family of four.

Small commuter bus but capable of 11 so we all had plenty of room. Made good friends with Chas during the day and hearing of his experiences in Tashkent which continued over dinner when we got back to the hotel.

Started at the jade shop and were given a good talk and the great opportunity to buy (i guess they all have to have their pitch and commissions) and then on to the tombs/mausoleum of Emporer Shenzong of Great Ming.  We had another good explanation and tour – interesting learning that the Emporer was buried normally in one room and then his wife or wives in adjoining rooms (they usually only had one wife unless she pre-deceased him) but he still was allowed and expected to have concubines who were buried elsewhere in a concubine grave.

Left the Ming tombs and headed off to the Great Wall where we had a traditional Chinese meal on the way to give us strength before heading up for the long walk. We took the chairlift up to the top because it was easier and time restrained but Ian & Chas went up on the cable car – the only restriction was that they had to return the same way whereas we could choose between the chairlift or the toboggan to drop down the book. Jenene and Jon will know where I was, I went from tower 7 and climbed to tower 1 and beyond and then returned to tower 8 & started towards tower 9 before I realized it was time to get on the toboggan.

It was a great experience and i was surprised how hard it was to get up some of those steps. When I got back to the transfer station it was on the toboggan and off down the hill. ll was good fast running until about 90% of the way down and I could see there was a group of 3 in front who were practically stopped. The game has come to an end but what a wizzer of a run up to then.

Back into town and we were eventually dropped at the hotel by “Not English”, the bus driver who was also called Lee. It has been an absolutely brilliant day and certainly worth doing if you are in the area.

 

Us since Saturday 27th September

Returned to the hotel and got organized for the flight tonight, had another walk mid afternoon and returned after a light dinner, booked out and headed to the airport.

We noticed all toilets in Beijing have gents on the left and ladies on the right.          ……….because apparently;   they always are!!

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Met up with a late 20s Chinese breast cancer surgeon and we enjoyed each others company until we took off. He was trying to join us in our car to the hotel but realized it was the wrong Novatel and found his own way back to his home. He was a nice lad who had just enjoyed 2 weeks in Russia.

Headed to the “Gate of Ritual and Celebration” in Tianemen Square which is rarely open to foreigners but as Wednesday is their national day, 1 October, we had today only to have a look at it and so in we went.

There are some photos of people we did not know but certainly provided wonderful views of the city. We met a Swede, Samuel and asked him if he came from the Manchester area but no, he was born in Sweden and his Dad was from Nottingham and had always spoken English with the kids. We walked a little more round the square afterwards and he left to go to the museum.

Sorted tomorrow’s details for the great wall, tombs, Olympic web & lunch. It will be a bus tour rather than taxi but seems to be well worked out.

Ian decided on a rest so I went off to the Temple of Heaven where I spent nearly 3 hours wandering in the solitude with few interruptions – it was brilliant. On the way to the Temple, noticed the many people on scooters and bikes:

Walked back at 6 pm and woke Ian add I opened the door. He was obviously really tired and I feel invigorated. Decided to have a light meal downstairs rather than try and find something outside as we need to get to bed also at a reasonable time, lucky breakfast starts at 6am.

The problem with smog in this city has be mentioned as a real problem, there is practically none, we just picked the right days and this is weekend and many things will be closed here tomorrow which might hold the smog off for a few days. With the celebrations on the 1st, lead up work has been done in the hope that the smog will have lifted and they have also had a few days of rain which makes a big difference.

Leaving Russia

Escape from Russia
Collectively the Russian people were glad to see our dynamic duo depart. Many people had gathered at Vladivostok airport to witness the occasion. It did not occur to them that the people may have been there for their own travel arrangements.


Tim and Ian got the Aeroexpress from Vladivostok Vokzal to the airport. The trip cost 200 rubles each, much cheaper than a taxi, and safer. The trip took 48 minutes, which was a lot faster than the previous taxi ride. It was interesting the carriage had few occupants.
The Aeroexpress appears to be a similar model train to those in Moscow. It is functional and has a moderate amount of comfort.
The last train from Vladivostok runs at 8:04 PM, so we had a while to wait at Vladivostok airport. The new facilities at the airport made the waiting comfortable. (Ian last passed through Vladivostok in August 2012, when the facilities were very Soviet)
By chance we were at the front of the queue to check in, so we got the pick of seating. We met our new best friend, Eason Qu, a medical student. He was happy to find someone speaking English, after spending 20 days in Russia. Tim resisted telling him about Boris.
As it was Saturday (27 Sep) there had been many weddings. Tim sat next to a couple going on their honeymoon, we suppose. The bride was still wearing her veil. And further forward on the plane were another couple, where the bride had flowers in her hair.
Thankfully the flight was relatively short (2:30 hours), the processing through immigration was swift, the wait for luggage was moderate, but then the drive into Beijing was lengthy. Roadworks on the Airport Expressway made it a parking lot.
Upon arrival at the Novotel, just down the street from Beijing (main) Railway Station, we were to witness the desk clerk having a heated argument with another customer, while we were being checked in. Oh, for goodness sake! We just want to get to bed. And we did, eventually.

 

Departing Vladivostok

Interesting observations as we leave Vladivostok and Russia.

Before we arrived we were aware of the news of an unsafe Russia, but;

  • seen no car accidents at all,
  • seen no punch ups
  • not felt intimidated as we walked through groups of young people or older people for that matter,
  • felt safer here than on the streets of Sydney.

But did see a car being dealt with when incorrectly parked:

  • people tried to be helpful, although some could not care less,
  • interested in where we came from & knew it was far away,
  • surprised we would want to go on the Trans Siberian Railway,
  • more surprised we would come to Russia for a holiday as they see Thailand or Vietnam as holiday destinations,
  • were recognized as being different,
  • even a lady on the station suggested we move further up the platform as those carriages would go to the airport.

 Wonderful experience it has been despite Boris being here

 

From the 27th in Vladivostok to Beijing on the 28th

We returned to the hotel and got organized for the flight tonight and had another walk mid afternoon and returned after a light dinner, booked out and headed to the airport. Met up with a late 20s Chinese breast cancer surgeon and we enjoyed each others company until we took off. He was trying to join us in our car to the hotel but realized it was the wrong Novatel and found his own way back to his home. He was a nice lad who had just enjoyed 2 weeks in Russia.

Up at 9 and had breakfast and thought we would feel awful but today has been excellent. We headed off and found the “Gate of Ritual and Celebration” in Tienanmen Square which is rarely open to foreigners but as Wednesday is their national day, 1 October, we had today only to have a look at it and in we went. There are some photos of people we did not know but certainly wonderful views of the city.

I then headed off to the Temple of Heaven where I spent nearly 3 hours wandering in the solitude and few interruptions – it was brilliant. Ian decided to take it easy for the afternoon and lay down for a rest.

Walked back at 6 pm and woke Ian as I opened the door. Decided to have a light meal downstairs rather than try and find something outside as we need to get to bed also at a reasonable time, lucky breakfast starts at 6am.

People mention the smog here in Beijing/Peking, today there is practically none, we just picked the right days and this is weekend and many things will be closed here tomorrow which might hold the smog off for a few days. With the celebrations on the 1st, lead up work has been done in the hope that the smog will have lifted for the day and they have also had a few days of rain which makes a big difference.

 

A day from the journal of Mister Vasily Bond

Vladivostok
Boris and Timofei have discovered the Far-East of Russia. However, their incompetence continues to amaze the combined intelligence agencies. They were tasked to observe and report on maritime activities. In the first instance their photo of the Pacific Ocean Flota was obscured by an inflatable matryoshka.

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Next they found a beached or marooned mini-sub.

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It wasn’t going anywhere. Then they discovered the last of the S-class submarines. It is on display in Zolotoy Rog, and well and truly grounded.

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The couldn’t even take photos of a naval school, just the anchors holding it firmly to the ground.

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Neptune, help us!

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By the way, the S-class were quite successful during the Great Patriotic War, sinking 82,770 gross register tons of merchant shipping and seven warships, which accounts for about one-third of all tonnage sunk by Soviet submarines.

Khabarovsk etc

In the shadow of Graf Nikolai Murav’yov-Amurckiy
In Khabarovsk, the main street is called Ulitsa Muravyova-Amurskogo. It changes name to Karla Marxa at Lenin Square, and of course, there is a Lenin Street.There is a statue of Muravyov-Amurskiy in the park adjacent to the regional museum (Muzei im N.I. Grodekova). [It was first erected in 1891, removed and replaced by Lenin in 1929, and restored to its position in 1989] Boris and Timofei first noticed this fellow, when they fleetingly touched 5000 ruble note. They of course went behind his back and went into the museum.And upon leaving the museum, they found the United Russia headquarters.

Contrasts

Khabarovsk – contrasts
When Boris and Timofei arrived from Irkutsk, it was the middle of the night, but with 6:00 AM on the clock. The taxi driver had relieved 2000 rubles from them for 600 ruble trip. Mafia taxis! They were welcomed at Sapporo Hotel by a very sleepy receptionist (she had been working approx 24 hours straight). As they had not slept on the plane, they caught a little sleep, until midday. Upon looking at the view from the window, they saw possibly a less desirable side of Russia.a20140923_134127

However, they found a gem in the Tsum (ЦУМ) store in the main street.  Here there are richly decorated windows on the staircase.

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Khabarovsk in the Far East

23 Sep 2014

When we arrived at the Sapporo Hotel in Khabarovsk at 7am, a comment was made that we had arrived very early so we apologized and commented that that was when the plane landed. We were then told that our room happened to be free so we could move in straight away, just brilliant as out eyes were hanging on the floor. We crashed until about 1 pm and then decided to walk the town and headed off up the main street. Well laid out streets, clean and tidy but again the very uneven footpaths which would be hell for less agile older people and also during winter. Arrived at Lenin Square and here are the fountains

Not Lenin afterall

Not Lenin afterall

2014-09-23 12.36.37 and Ian taking the stance, as he does. XX

From here we headed downhill, and along the Amur Boulevard where the local dressed up ladies promenade along displaying themselves in their finery, and is only heading towards the local markets. The trams are incredibly varied- it seems that if they are still working then they are on the road. They don’t seem to be cleaned at all on the outside but good fun picking an older one to take us back up the hill. XX

We got off the tram at Ussuri Boulevard which serves the same purpose as Amur but much quieter today. We headed towards the Amur River and passed by the Peace Park along the way. Made of metal and showing all the major continents

North Korea Peace Monument erected 2008

North Korea Peace Monument erected 2008

was rusting away at the base and falling apart after just being created in 2008 – followed the plaque to find that it was presented by North Korea Kim Jong-Il was born here (his Russian name was Yuri Irsenovich Kim and his father was leading a battalion of Chinese exiles), a bit concerning! Came upon Komsomolskaya Square where we saw Odora Concert Hall and the church.

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Continuing back up towards the hotel along the Amur River we came across building a memorial to the Patriotic War, a ship with the name of the fallen behind it. As we took the picture a worker waved at us, posed again and has a short conversation and we all had a good laugh. XX

Ian had a desire for pizza for dinner and we ended up at V-Drova where they were dressed as Italians and kept calling out on loud voices, Mama Mia, Buono Sera and Uno Momento, all a lot of fun but meaning nothing – a most entertaining evening. XX

Baikal ozero – “nature lake”

I believe we had a rare opportunity to visit Lake Baikal.
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It should be ranked as a Wonder.
Well, with 20% of the world’s unfrozen surface fresh water, with its natural beauty, with difficult to access, and with few people other than Russians and Koreans, it is a wonder.
It is the deepest lake in the world: 1600 metres. It is in an ancient rift valley. It is probably 25 million years old.
We got there after an adventurous bus ride from Irkutsk.
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The driver has two speeds: and it was go more often than stop. Overtaking was more a matter of luck than calculation.
Eventually we arrived at the village of Listvyanka at the “mouth” of the Angara River. (The Angara actually drains the lake, flowing into the Yenesei and the Arctic Ocean.)
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It is a one-street town, well with a few side streets. The main road is Gorky Street, and there is no Lenin Street. This must be a mistake. How will the Soviet Union survive?
We did the obligatory walk to the market, the purchase of souvenirs, the boat ride on the lake,
and then the Baikal Museum.
I must acknowledge the museum. It was well set out with a range of displays, including an aquarium housing Baikal seals. These are fascinating balls of blubber.
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On the way back to the centre of Listvyanka, we hired a taxi (150 rubles),
and the driver saw himself as a tourism ambassador, and included in his commentary identification of the mafia homes (above).
The ride back to Irkutsk on the bus was more extreme than the previous. It was an 18-seater bus, but at one time may have held 25 or more.
While the driver tempered his speed to match the load, his attention was not always on the road. We escaped this thrill ride at a shopping centre in the centre of Irkutsk (to make use of the free toilets) and made our way back to the hotel.
A day to remember in many ways!

Alex aye-aye-aye

Little is known about Boris and his allegedly nefarious activities.
When he is in residence in Brisbane, it is known by a few that he has a weekly sojourn with acquaintances at a competitive event.  It is trivial.  One of his associates is a fellow who resembles Tsar Alexander III.  On occasion in Russia, Boris is known to take photos of Alexander III, to remind his colleague of the likeness.

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In Irkutsk there are such opportunities.  Boris found a photo of Alex aye-aye-aye (as Timofei calls him) in the city museum (note to travelers: don’t bother, not worth 120 rubles entry).  On the second occasion, it was a much grander opportunity.  There is a 5 metre statue to the fellow at the end of Karla Marxa street.  Rather ironic.

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The statue was erected to commemorate the original statue erected to commemorate the arrival of the railway, and the new statue was paid for by the railway company.
Boris took another photo for Allan!

The Last Train Ride – to Irkutsk

20 Sep 2014

Heading off on our last train ride from Krasnoyarsk to Irkutsk and Lake Baikal – another 18 hours and we should arrive at our destination….

We watched the view from the window change as we headed east, the forests giving way to less trees & large fields growing livestock feed & the harvested chaff dumped in small haystacks.

Headed off to dinner and were joined by some people from the carriage in front. Interestingly, there were Mongolians (who cooked their own meals in the carriage) plus English, Suisse/Deutsch and French/Deutsch.

We were in the Russian carriage (according to them) and they were not allowed through to our carriage but went and used our toilet to see what they were like whilst they had the chance at dinner. They obviously had a newer carriage with vacuum toilets but then we were mixing with Russians. We have an older carriage, the beds are bigger and we are probably less open to theft with not being a target nationality. Russians seem to be rather trusting and respect other people.

21 Sep 2014

For the 1st time we had to strip our bed in the morning & the conductresses came and collected the sheets and towel some 10 minutes later. I feel we had a good deal because Ian ordered the train in Russian directly from the Russian railway site.

Pea souper this morning as we arrived into Irkutsk probably brought about by the proximity of Lake Baikal, will see what the day brings…

Although the temperature was 0 at the station whilst waiting for the cab by early afternoon it had reached 22. The shops are open between 10 and 8 pm when it starts to get  theand then everyone goes to bed late because they then don’t start work again until late.

Back to the hotel where we grabbed a little nanna nap – the sleep on the train is practically non-existent, one does drop off bit still stays conscious of the rocking of the train.

Headed out for a walk along the “green walk” which took us through the statues of Irkutsk, loe and behold, Vladimir Ilyich is still on site to great is yet again!!!!.

 

Irkutsk on Sunday – Eastern Siberia

Tourism can do without the taxi mafia waiting at railway stations, ready to relieve passengers of their money. They are a nuisance, an irritation and a scourge. While our travelers have learned to avoid them, they are persistent pests. It is getting to the point where rudeness could be the only weapon in deterring them. Our travelers rang the Imperia hotel, and a real taxi eventually arrived. This was just in time as the temperature hovered around zero.  After refreshments at the hotel, our intrepid duo set out to acquaint themselves with Irkutsk. They first saw a restaurant was firmly anchored to the pavement.  It would be realised that the city is different in character from any other in Russia.  The buildings have a different appearance. The back-streets resemble suburban Melbourne, and perhaps it is just the high fences.  Boris and Timofei arrived at the [dis-]Information Centre. “How do we get to Lake Baikal?” – “Go to the Autovokzal and catch a bus with the destination, Listvyanka, and it leaves every 30 minutes (wrong)”.  Why not explore more of Irkutsk?  The marketplace was crowded with stalls. There were all manner of wares on offer, but none of interest.  Setting off to see Alexander III brought them firstly to Vladimir Ilyich.

He had to do it!!!!

He had to do it!!!!

Boris really!! did have to mimic the pose.

Finally at the riverside they encountered Alex aye-aye-aye.
He and the pigeons looked well.  At this spot, the Russian populace were holding the All Russia Running Day.          Fellows in tracksuits were running everywhere.

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After Kirov square, they again saw the restaurant was well anchored and that the anchor had well served its purpose.

The restaurant is still there - the anchor has done its job.

The restaurant is still there – the anchor has done its job.

That evening they had a repast of soup, rye bread and beer.

The Restaurant Wagon on the Transmongolian

Somewhere between Krasnoyarsk and Nizhny Udinsk
Timofei and Boris had retired to the restaurant wagon on the Transmongolian (Moscow to Ulaanbaator, but boarded in Krasnoyarsk, and were to detrain at Irkutsk).

 

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The purpose of their venture was food and beer (Baltica No 7).  It all started when some loud poms arrived.  They occupied a table and began to complain about the weather. Soon; Timofei introduced himself and had every piece of information that could be extracted without resorting to tools of the inquisition.  It turns out they were travelling from Moscow to Beijing.  And they were doing the trip in one journey.

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Sounds as exciting and boring as a Butlin holiday camp. Our heroes felt this group had missed Russia in the process.  They were soon joined by the Swiss Germans who were traveling from Zurich to Bangkok by train – what an objective! They were stopping off along the way.  The Swiss French remained in their compartment.  After much conversation, the groups called it a night and allowed the officientka clean up the restaurant wagon.

.. and the cockatoo said nothing

An encounter at the Zoopark
It is interesting how in the Russian language the word, zoopark, is pronounced.   They voice both o vowels individually with emphasis on the first. So it is pronounced “z-oh-ah-park”.   When Boris met the taxist outside the hotel, he firstly mistakenly used the Engrish pronunciation, then realised his mistake.   Finally the taxist took the dynamic duo to the Zoopark.  They had received informations that a cockatoo would tell them something.  After Timofei upset the old woman in the Kassa, by giving her 1000 ruble note – this is a country without change for moderate size notes – so it seems – they entered the park.  They made their way to many exhibits.  The European bison were extremely dangerous, 2014-09-18 11.35.25  and the keeper was more dangerous and less impressed when Timofei approached too close to the enclosure.  It seems that his standard answer of “ya ne govoroo par russki” is not being understood nor well received.  English is not his strong language either.  When they saw one of Santa’s reindeer, they were circumspect. a20140918_114855 They did not mention they had consumed one of his cousins. (Alas Kevin Radd was no more – only jerky).  The oryx kept pointing their behinds towards the observers. a20140918_115952 Maybe they had good sense.  Timofei and Boris were grateful after they saw the stork had been imprisoned a20140918_130304 for delivering so many babies – doubt whether this fairy-tale translates to Russian folk-lore.  Finally they met the cockatoo.a20140918_130959  It was a bloody bird! How could it tell them a coded message.

This spy business is fraught with many mis-informations.

Chinese adventurers

Chinese adventurers going from Guangzhou to Paris.
As we stepped out of the hotel, we headed down a narrow street towards a green glass building. a20140913_155758 At that point we saw five new Chinese cars with distinctive registration plates. a20140913_160333 (Later we determined they were GAC Triumpchi GS5 five-door sport utility vehicles).  They looked good.
By the time Ian made it to the vehicles, Tim had well engaged them in conversation. They were a little surprised to find people speaking English in the depths of Russia. Ian greeted them with Ni Hao, and the smiles grew bigger. They helped him with his pronunciation of Wo shi oo-da-li-ra-yen. In a short time it was discovered they were traveling from Guangzhou to Paris. They were not totally aware of the route they had taken – each car had three drivers, and we guessed they had additional navigators. a20140913_160356 Before we could find out more, a minder got the drivers back to their tasks.  They certainly have set out on an adventure.

Space program

Gallery

This gallery contains 8 photos.

Moscow, Wednesday: Мемориальный музей космонавтики The Russian Space Program has suffered a huge set-back. Our incompetent heroes have sought to provide their expertise to the program.Sergei Korolev, from his deathbed, strenuously advised against seeking assistance from these fools. His last words … Continue reading

Incheon

Report 31 August 2014 Comrades! Boris has found his way to Incheon. Kim Jong-un want to know, “Why wasn’t I told???”*** Undera20140831_075347 wonderful grey skies in South Chosen, all is well. Boris is taking photos of view from hotel window. Nothing strategic in photos. Distribute this notice to all party members! Keep vigilant! Viktor *** (Kim Jong-un is big fan of basket ball and television show, Number 96) a20140831_075339 a20140831_072246

Last day in Grenoble

Feeling a little better this morning but still rather tender, had small croissant for breakfast as we needed to travel via Tournon to collect my jacket which had been placed in a wardrobe rather than with the rest of my stuff. Traps for young players I guess but good that the lesson has been learned early in the holiday as there will be no going back once we are in Russia. We went off to Valence TGV station and had a coffee whilst waiting and took a nice photo of the family. Good single seat in the train facing forward so, although no good for photos at this spread, they is a brilliant view of the countryside. Sun is shining with just a few clouds, perfect summer’s day which is likely to change overnight as I go further north. Also noticed something different to home, we have a pet cat at one end of the carriage and a dog at the other, totally under the control of the owners, sorry, that was two dogs on the train, and as we are about to get out there seems to be a third dog on the train – nearly more pets that people.

Just a quiet day at home

Still suffering from dinner and spent most of the day in bed. Went off to the local lake up in the mountains but as I was so uncomfortable, was transported back home and they went off to the 30th birthday sans me. I will have a few dried biscuits for dinner and pack the bag so I can head off to Paris, Riga and Moscow tomorrow. The big journey is about to begin.

Pierre & Sylvie's home in Grenoble

Pierre & Sylvie’s home in Grenoble

Onion Festival in Tournon of to Grenoble

Onion festival day outside the window early morning. Had a little bit of fun with the guy selling mops etc outside the window and tried to get him to wash the 1st floor windows of the flat but to no avail. Did a walk around some of the markets but they had spring up all over town and time was not on or side. Started to head of towards Grenoble top stay at Pierre and Sylvie’s 2nd house but will have dinner in town with an old friend of the family. I ended up having unskilled cod and shell fish. Not sure what it was but I ended up incredibly bloated and have not eaten for the last 24 hours – proves you can’t trust a Frenchman.

France challenges Australia to a game of Petanque

Slept in rather late, think exhaustion probably got to me but certainly feel much better than I did when I arrived. Went for a stroll around the city and found out where we would be playing petenc this afternoon. Collected Romane from kindergarten and home for lunch. Romaine had her afternoon sleep them off to petenque where the the French were soundly beaten by 3 points

Mathilde, Julien & Romane in Tournon

Mathilde, Julien & Romane in Tournon

Sydney to Valence in France

24 August – Getting out of mascot was pretty pain free and there was plenty of time to spare. Good flight to Abu Dhabi where we enjoyed temperatures up round 39 which would have been great if not just coming out of negative numbers at home.

25 August – Caught the TGV to Valence France Map with just 7 minutes to spare due to the plane arriving in Paris about an hour late and mine was the last piece of luggage to hit the conveyor belt. Bus took just over the hour to get to Gare de Lyon rail station which was just excellent as the driver assured me I would be there on time. Had to get the tickets reprinted as the carriage number could not be read. Train reached 297 kph and yet the view from the window was quite easy – will be interesting to see how the Sapsan from Moscow to St Petersburg fares. No point taking photos out of train window due to the speed – image is just too blurry at this speed but the fields are very green and lush.

Train travelling at 297 kph - hard to take a photo

Train travelling at 297 kph – hard to take a photo

Leeds to Leek

Left Andrew & Jill’s home in Leeds and headed of towards Leek. We went down the M1 and branched off towards Derby finding accomodation beside the Black Sheep Baa in Ashbourne. With our bed sorted we headed towards Stoke-On-Trent where to have a look at some of the potteries’ sale houses. Not really impressed but picked up a few items to bring back home as a momento. Travelled through to Leek where we met up with Si & Julia, David & Lyn, Ben & Kimberley before going to the local pub for dinner. Also at the pub were Alan & Maureen and cousin Peter was noticed listening to the band a little later in the evening. After a lovely night we headed back to the motel for a good night’s sleep.