Bit of a landmark today...

Bit of a landmark to my journey today as I have reached Asia for the first time this trip. I remember once before on the Trans-Siberian train route crossing the Asia / Europe border by land in the Ural mountains running through Russia. Then, it was an exciting moment as we all looked out the window trying to spot the obelisk that marks the boundary between the two continents. The Euro/Asia border follows the Ural mountains from Northern Russia Southwards and then continues through along the Ural river through Kazakhstan to the Caspian Sea.
This time I am in Atyrau, Western Kazakhstan, through which the Ural river flows. This morning I was woken up around 4am as the train pulled into Atyrau and Asia for the first time, after some sleep I took a marshrutnoe into town and ended up back in Europe as it crossed the bridge over the Ural river. After a wander around the western side of the river, I walked back over the bridge back into Asia, quite simple really, I might go back to Europe again later if I fancy it ;)



Left: The border into Asia
Right: The Ural river at Atyrau, to the left: Europe, to the right: Asia.

So much easier than 6 or more hours or it took crossing from Russia into Kazakhstan. Around 90 minutes at the Russian post, about 2-3 hours journey through no-mans land steppe, though I am confused how we stopped at one station where girls came running out selling beer and water as usual, what nationality were they I wonder? And then 2-3 hours or so at the Kazakh post where after the formalities were eventually completed, we got off the train and waited almost another hour.

Anyway, have some train tickets to sort out so byee for now

Hotel Rossiya

A few years back when Wales played a play off match in Russia, many of the 1500 welsh fans stayed in the slum known as the Hotel Rossiya, a concrete monstrosity, right next to Red Sqaure. It had been rumoured for a long time, that it was to be demolished and i know a few people have been very concerned about this.. So here for you is an update.



Left: Hotel Rossiya 15 July
Right: Hotel Rossiya 22 July, looks much the same as 3 years ago ;-)

Live in Moscow Part 2

Someone had obviously fed me wrong information about t.A.T.u playing last week, they weren't supposed to be there, because they were playing there last night, Saturday 22 July. I happened to be back in Moscow and found out, so this was a must see ! Line up was Russia's eurovision entrant this year Dima Bilan, t.A.T.u. , Shakira and Black Eyed Peas. Managed to pick up a ticket outside, for just 500 Rbl, (face value 1500) and got to see the two most famous lesbians in Russia on stage live in Moscow's Red Square. They weren't actually that good. Have to admit although not my usual musical taste, Shakira put on a great show.



Left: t.A.T.u live on Moscow's Red Square.
Roght: St Basil's Cathedral and a police control line.




Above: Shakira was the best and most popular performance of the night, epsecially amongst the men.

Kazan

So onto the next stop, Kazan - another city on the Volga river - is the capital of the Tatarstan Autonomous Republic. It looks immediately pleasant, lots of lights, neon signs made it look quite modern when i arrived late at night and a couple of minutes walk from my hotel I found the main street lined with busy cafe bars full of people. It had a good feel, better than previous places. Tatars are Turkic people and speak a dialect of Turkic language, so you will see street names and signs in both Russian and Tatar languages.



Above: The 'Tatarstan' train that runs betwen Moscow and Kazan.


First visit was to the Kremlin which was far more impresive than the Kremlin in Nizhny Novgorod. Surrounded by white walls and towers, it hosts the impressive 'Kol Sharif' mosque and the orthodox Annunciation Cathedral. There is also the 'Bashnya Syuyumbike' (Syuyumbike Tower), a rather tall tower with a story attached. It is named after Princess Syuyumbike who had refused to marry the Tsar at the time. In an attempt to put an end to the constant requests for her marraige, she agreed that in the unlikley case that he could build a tower higher than that of any mosque in the city within a week, she would marry him. Unfortunately for Princess Syuyumbike he did just that. Not wanting to go ahead with the marriage, she threw herself off the top of the tower which was later named after her.



Left: Kol Sharif mosque in the Kremlin of Kazan
Right: Syuyumbike tower.

Volga Region (North)

Heading East and a little South from Moscow along the path of the Volga river, my next stop was Vladimir, Russia'a capital before it became Moscow. You would hardly believe it as it is such a small, quite quiet place compared to other Russian cities. Worth visiting I thought, because it is 'home to two of the most beautiful buildings in Russia' according to the Lonely Planet guide. Founded in 1108 it became capital of Kyivan Rus at a time when Kiev was devastated and around this time the Uspensky Sobor (Assumption Cathedral) was built; a majestic, white stoned, domed cathedral modelled on the style of Kyiv's Byzantine churches. It really is impressive and worth seeing. The second building mentioned is the not quite as impressive Dimitrievsky sobor (St Dimitry cathedral).

Above Left: Bell tower & St George's church adjoining the Assumption cathedral.

Vladimir is quite a nice place, though not so much to see other than that mentioned above. But had a bit of nightlife, so I had a bit of a night out my first evening there in a local club to top up on the vodka intake forced upon me by Colin and Mikhael, two carriage companions from Nizhny Novgorod.



Left & Right: Different views of the famous Assumption cathedral, Vladimir

Heading East I had a few hours in Nizhny Novgorod, which did not offer much, a long tram journey to the citadel was my only outing and not really worth it, the main street was quite lively and may have been ok for an evening but alas I was not able to discover if that would be the case.



Left: A matryoshke made of flowers (the best thing i saw in Nizhny Novgorod!!).
Right: St Peter & Pauls colourful cathedral in Kazan.

Roland's Travelog: Moldovan countryside

Have just added this bit back from End June, bit late getting it written !

Roland's Travelog: Moldovan countryside

Live in Moscow

Nice to be back in Moscow. Have been here plenty before, but this time it seemed better, more beautiful and more interesting than ever, maybe the scorching sunshine and the kind of clothing that it influences the Russian women to wear had something to do with it. I stayed in a different area to previous visits, quite central though and meant I was within walking distance of Krasnaya Ploschadt (Red Square) along Prospekt Mira which is exactly what I did first. Around Red square, one of the huge old building has been demolished and although some building work is going on, a whole new area has opened up with a couple of little street cafes and restaurants. Looks better and more spacious than before. Along to Aleksandrovsky gardens and they are as busy as ever with people sitting everywhere drinking beer, wine or champagne in the warm evening sunshine.

Next evening I hear there is a free concert at Red Square, Scorpions, Tatu and Craig David (mmm, yeah i know) are mentioned ! Get there around 6ish, later than expected due to the massive detour required to get to an entrance and I go, see some rapper whose music I recognise, so must be quite famous, but I do not recognise the face, will check it out later. Also some female singer I don't know, but have heard her music too... Anyway all worth standing through if I get to see Tatu on stage later !! Awesome the though of seeing Tatu live on Red Square ! See some Russian bands I don't know, then, oh no !!! Craig David.. I can't bear it after 2 minutes and have to rush off to get a beer (none on sale anywhere at the concert). I wander back to the stalls I know of 10 minutes away, oh no!! they will not sell beer !!. Find a couple of shops, also their beer shelves are closed, disaster. Eventually give up and head back along the huge detour and when I get there The Scorpions are just about to come on. Very popular in Russia it seems ! And then, it all finishes, what happened to Tatu ???? I don't believe it.. Did i miss them when I went for a beer, were they on in the afternoon ? Did they drop out ? Devastated...



Left: The Scorpions rocking Moscow Red Square 'like a hurricane' as they would say.
Right: GUM on red square after leaving the concert.

Visa Watch ! - Part 4 (Kazakhstan)

12 July: Find Kazakhstan embassy in Moscow, but consulate is round the back, eventually find it with a bunch of people hovering around a battered old looking blue door. Lots of queuing again, but people are coming in /out regularly, much more activity than at Russian consulate in Odessa. Again the 'kto poslednii?' (who's last?) seems to be going on here, so everyone knows their place in the queue and no pushing and shoving here. Couple of ladies start asking what I am doing and helpfully let me in ahead of them as apparently foreigners can jump the queue, I just did not understand that the guy had said this. They are intrigued that I want to travel in Kazakhstan and tell me a bit about Almaty where they are from. Anyway, get inside, guy at desk tells me I should have been there before 12:00 as he wants to go hoem now. I explain I had been outside waiting there since 9:15 but he doesn't get it. Have to fill in another form now and while I am about to do it, he closes and tells me to come back tomorrow. I still won't get visa until Monday either way.

13 July: back again at 8:30, an hour before they open and alreday there are a number of people, there is also I see a paper and pen on which people have written tehir names, so I add mine. Guy opens the door around 9:00 takes the list and re-appears a few minutes later and reads out my name. I get in first !! yeahhh ;) and before the 9:30 opening time on the sign. Have to go and pay for visa at the embasy cash desk, I go there, but it's not open until 10. Back at 10am, pay, back to consulate, noone queueing at all ! Buzz and get in straight away and within 10 minutes I'm out of there... Will collect hopefully sometime next week. Cost $ 45.

Visa Watch ! - Part 3 (Russia)

Country: Russia
Location: Odessa, Ukraine

03 July: Go to consulate address I have from guide book, it's not there. Luckily security in that building seem to know roughly where it is and not far, so I head in the direction suggested and eventually find a Russian flag. Get in and there's a bit of a scrum of people. After a couple of hours of watching everyone else pushing, shoving, arguing, bitching I get in and ask if I can get a visa application. Reply is that it's too late, come back tomorrow.

04 July: Arrive at 9am this time, usual pushing and shoving from the crowd, mainly middle aged, older ladies who are constantly niggling each other and arguing over the jostling for position. Get in around 10:45. By about 11:00 I get asked into the back room where the consul who is a very nice guy and happily speaks good English asks about my plans etc and says it should be no problem. Back out fill out application form as my one is different again. That done and money paid I get another form, asking for contact details of previous 3 employers ! which of course i don't have at hand, so guess at addresses. Another questions asks for a list of countries visited in the last 10 years !!! I get back to about 3 months ago and run out of space on that one.

Visa should be ready Friday 07 July at a bargain $175 ... fingers crossed, wood touched etc..

11 July: Visa collected succesfully. Again a large bunch of people outside, though today I notice everyone coming in asks who was last in the queue and most people tend to wait their turn. Of course there are exceptions who just puch their way to the door with an excuse of some kind. When the lady inside opens the door and everyone shouts their justification for going next, I hear one lady saying something or other about ' ya paluchit' which means "I collect", so I try this, shouting that I also want to collect and wave my receipt, the lady notices, checks out my receipt and passport copy and tells me to come in, I fight my way through and inside. 10 minutes later I have my visa. Queuing time today was another hour and a half I suppose.

Total time spent : About 7 or 8 hours.
Total duration: 8 days
Summary: Got there in the end, though spent a lot of time waiting. Expensive as ever.

Kiev

I hadn't intended going to Kiev yet as I needed to get back to Odessa to collect a Russian visa from the consulate, but somehow I think Leah and Kristina - "the hot ozzie chicks" as they like to call themsleves - seemed to hypnotise me I think. Because of my bit of Russian ability, they got me to go buy their tickets for their journey to Kiev, I was still deciding about how and when to leave myself, but without having decided in my head what I was going to do, I instinctively bought a third ticket for myself, it was only a short while after I realised what I had done. So anyway another overnight train with them to Kiev was a fun one. Albi, an Ukranian in the next carriage heard us outside speaking English and wanted to talk, he was a military journalist and had been many interesting places. Soon after we were invited in with Dima and Natasha who had a fine bottle of brandy to help pass the long journey. A typical Eatern Europe train journey with locals and cognac was fun and interesting night helped get a good if short nights sleep.

Kiev has changed a lot since my last visit in 2000. Partly perhaps as it was summer time now and it had a lot more outdoor activity, but the centre around the main square - Maydan Nezalezhnosti - where the Ukrainians gathered during the Orange Revolution of a couple of years is completely revamped and has cafes, stalls and fountains around. Last time I remember much of it was like a building site. Underground where used to be lots of small private stalls a new modern shopping complex has appeared. For those who were there with me last time, the "cowboy bar" has changed its name now, but I did not go in this time.

Visited the "Cave Monastaries" (Kiev Pechersk Lavra), the first monastery of Kyivan Rus, a walled area with monasteries, orthodox churches and a 97m high belfry. The churches were very impressive from outside and although impressive inside, maybe a bit over elaborate. The cave monsateries were remarkable, underground, claustrophobic, winding, weaving paths lined with coffins containing the preserved bodies of monks who previously lived there. A bit freaky but an impressive and unique experince, there were more to be seen but unfortunately could not find all or found them after closing time. Also visited 'Raden Mat' or the 'Defence of the Motherland monument' which I only saw from a distance last time, a huge female silver statue that dominates Kiev's skyline.


Left: Dormition Cathedral at Pechersk Lavra
Right: Sofiysky Sobor (St Sophia's Cathedral)

Next day we visited St Sophia's Cathedral and St Michael's (built for Queen Olga of Kyiv Rus, during the 11th century), again quite impressive orthodox churches with golden domes that shone brightly in the beautiful sunshine that engulfed Kiev. Finally ended the sightseeing along the stall lined Aleksandrii Vuliva which is filled with Ukrainian and Soviet memorobelia and souveniers.


Left: Another of Kiev's many domed orthodox churches
Right: St Michael's Monsatery

The night ended in O'Briens (Phil and Stu might remember from last time!) watching the world cup final with Kristina and Leah for our last night together. They are leaving to Lviv and the Baltic countries while I head East. I will miss them loads in their own unique ways, have had a fun last week with them from Odessa to Kiev, will feel strange not seeing them each day from now onwards. Will just have to try find someone to replace them ;-)



Left: With Leah and kristina, our last night together was in Kiev watching the World Cup final.
Right: One of the sweetest cats ever was in my compartment on train bck to Odesa.

Southern Ukraine: Odessa and Crimea

Arrived in Odessa on a hot sweaty old bus from Chisinau. Border crossing went fine though the bus driver made me redo my immigration card as he wanted it written in cyrillic, at which point the girl who was next to me kindly started raving about how stupid it was asking a british person to complete it in cyrillic. I told her it was OK as i could do it myself anyway but was nice of her. I was also asked what religion I was, which is a strange one. Never had that at a border crossing before.

At Odessa I stayed at "Black Seas BackPackers" and I will give it a big thumbs up, run by Ceri an Australian and only just opened, in fact it was not yet completely open and was allowed to stay for free as long as we passed the word on about their place, so here is my little bit of promotion.

The owner took us all that night to a night club on the beach with gymnastic, acrobatic and violinist shows before the stage turned instantly into a dance floor filled with beautiful Ukrainian women dancing the night away. Earlier I had caught up again with Kristina and Leah who I met in Romania and Moldova, I happened to see them at a bar across the road from the hostel, was nice to meet up again. Also with John the cyclist and loads of others from the hostel, was an interesting night. Odessa is a nice place to hang around, not so much to see specifically, but it has a relaxed atmosphere.



Left: Lovely Leah and Kristina who became my travel companions for some time in Ukriane.
Right: "Tavriya". As it says on the sign, our train from Odesa to Simferopol in Crimea.

After a couple of morning trying to organise my Russian visa, I get persuaded to head over to Crimea with Kristina and Leah - who I have now been spending a lot of time with - on an overnight train to Simferopol and down to Balaklava - is this where the article of clothing worn by robbers got its name ? - which is a suburb of Sevastopol near the sea.Visit some beaches and take a trip round the Crimean coast to Yalta.



Left: Kristina and Leah on our boat trip
Right: Me and our boat 'Margate'

Hightlight was the "Swallow's Nest" castle perched on the edge of a cliff, something I have seen photos of before and always wanted to see.. A really wonderful sight.



Left: "Swallow's Nest" castle off the Crimean coast.
Right: We have a few deserved beers on the way back.

I am not the only one !! (update)

Update to below

Walked into BlackSea Backpackers in Odessa about a week ago, and I hear 'Hi Roland'. John had arrived here couple of days ago, bit of a surprise to hear your name mentioned just as you arrive in a strange, new place.

Couple of hours later I am sitting at a bar and Leah and Kristina walk by. Not so much of a surpise as I saw then in Chisinau too, and had arranged to meet at the hostel, but nice surprise anyway.


From June 23:
Cool, just found the first person on this trip who is going same direction as me. John from US is cycling (!!) from where we are now, Brasov in Romania through Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and into China. Not sure if our paths will cross again, but will keep each other informed. Good to find someone else who is heading the same direction

Also met Kristina and Leah last night who have just left to Chisinau, Moldova where I am heading a couple of days, they are also planning to go via Transdniestr to Ukraine after, so we may meet up somewhere. Had some advice from someone working in the German embassy in Chisinau, not to go through Transdniestr, but will still do it anyway, it's got to be done !

Visa Watch ! - Part 2 (Transdniestr)

Country (so called): Transdniestr (Republic of Transdniestr, Moldova)
Location: Border post of Transdniestr

30 June pm: Arrived at 'non-existent' border in afternoon by bus. Passports checked, mine and 2 others are taken away by guards, told to go into soldier hut. Bags searched money asked for as they say Moldova visa not valid and Transdniestr visa required, as expected although we all know it's nonsense. Bribe required or I won't be allowed past, again as expected, haggle and bribe paid. Goto border post to get transit visa which i know costs 8 Lei. Asked for 10 Euro, I tell them no, it's 8 Lei, he asks who says this, I reply that soldiers at post and locals all tell me it's 8 lei. He kicks me out of room and says to get visa from soldiers then. Keep trying with soldiers and other border guards, no luck, they just won't give me transit pass. Bus driver gets pissed off and tells me my bags are being taken off.. He walks to bus, throws my bags off and drives away. Find bus back to Chisinau and they let me on.

Time Spent: Approx 40 minutes .
Time Wasted: Most of the day travelling.
Summary: Failed. Frustrating and disappointed not to get in and pissed off with stupid border guards for a non-existing country, wanting more money just beacuse I am not Moldovan, no reason not be let in is it?