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Mongolia to Russia Update
Greetings from Stockholm, Sweden, where I’m visiting temporarily to renew my passport and obtain a second visa for Russia. Seasons have passed since my last blog and early snows of winter began to dust the woodlands of central Russia weeks ago. This writing hiatus hasn’t been due to idleness. Since departing China in July, I’ve…
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China Second Round
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in ChinaThe Russian gateway was barely more than a collection of odd buildings set in a barren valley. Its presence marked by twirling clouds of gravel dust kicked up by each transferring vehicle. My feeble attempt to sneak through the gates was abruptly halted by an austere guard. ‘Bus!’ He demanded, pointing back the way I…
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Russian Far East Final Chapter
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in RussiaTasseled, crimson cloth draped around the windows and Buddhist insignia dangled across the windshield. It seemed oddly placed in a Russian vehicle. I hate buses!, I thought, watching from the front seat as the driver veered off course while texting on his mobile, and drove half a kilometre down the suicide lane. It made me…
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Greetings from China
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in ChinaGreetings from China! Finally I find a WiFi connection that works and I’m able to access my website but, as expected, all western s.media platforms are XXXXX, so won’t be able to post video for a while. I made it into China without hassel and cycling west through Inner Mongolia (autonomous region of northern China).…
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Predators and Problems
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in RussiaA few years in Japan will turn any man soft, life was too good, and I knew the transition from comfort back to the nomadic experience was going to be tough, but I’m not the kind of person who tiptoes into cold water. I needed a challenge that would allow me to take the plunge…
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Bound for Mainland Russia
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in RussiaAbout a third of the way up Sakhalin island the coastal road veers inland. Traffic reduces to the occasional Japanese 4×4 burning passed or Lada Nivas struggling almost as much as me on the bumpy road, though more regularly I’m disturbed by the thunderous, clanking steel racket of dumpsters and transporters hauling machinery and parts…
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Getting to Know Russia
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in RussiaI arrived in the small township of Nevelsk, on the west coast, exhausted and with frostbite on two fingers on my right hand, and on one blistered toe. I spent a few days recuperating, treating my extremities, and readjust my gear in an old brick boarding house. Footsteps and chatter and snapping locks echoed through…
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Setting Out
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in RussiaWhen I arrived in Japan in January ’08, after travelling through Southeast Asia and China, it felt like a holiday. Everything seemed to function in this orderly, democratic society. Now I awaken to new cultures, face new challenges. The holiday is over. I spent a few days preparing in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, though I still need to…
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Sayonara Nihon!
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in RussiaGreetings from the Russian Far East! I’m set to begin the second stage of my journey, albeit later than I had intended, because I’ve struggled to meet my own deadline with the complicated preparations for this leg pushing my start date deeper into winter and presenting a greater challenge to plan for. I intended to…
Earth Odyssey Expedition 