Vlad Inn Hotel Vladivostok

... nor they any English. I tried to speak to them using my Russian phrase book, but they however did not match my effort or willingness to connect. But I guess they didn't need to. They were a group of three. I was one. So I spent much of my time looking out the window, listening to music on my headphones, and enjoying the scenery of Siberia.

But that same day I was standing in the hallway when I met a young ...

... to smile back. But with no such luck. As we walked through train tracks and sidewalks, everyone seemed to give me a cold look. It was something in their eyes. I guess someone forgot to tell them that the Cold War is over.

I spent the next day with a friend I met through Couchsurfing.com. Her name was Maria Baranova and she was the sunshine I needed on another ...

... far beyond the call to help, spent ages trying to interpret my sign language, had walked blocks and blocks out of their way to show me where I wanted to go. The final leg of the journey kicked off in Beijing, days earlier, in a case of 'what a difference a train makes'. Arrive at Beijing station, ornately lit up like a christmas tree. Late purple dusk. Throngs of people sit on the outside concourse. Sounds like India. It couldn't have been more different. Everybody sits in little ...

... di questo tipo. "Devi venire a Yakutsk!" - "Ma io vado a Vladivostok e poi in Giappone" - "No, non andare in Giappone non c'e' niente da vedere. Vieni a Yakutsk!" - "Ma vado a trovare mia cugina a Tokyo" - "Va bene, vai a Tokyo ma poi vieni a Yakutsk cosi' quando arrivi e' estate!" - "E com'e' l'estate a Yakutsk?" - "Fa caldo" - "Si', ma quanto caldo?" - "Quaranta gradi" - "Un po' troppo per me. Magari vengo in inverno, com'e' l'inverno a Yakutsk?" - "Fa freddo" - "Si ...

... is literally built in a cliff so you enter the hotel from the top floor. The lobby and hallways are very modern. For about 200$ per nite we expected a bit more luxury but were very relieved we had a working toilet and shower with hot water. (According to the guide books, getting hot water in Vladivostok, can be a problem) Since Sandra arrived earlier in the day, she did some exploring ...

... ist nur durch Wunder einer Verhaftung und Verurteilung entkommen, es war 1951, Stalin zwar noch am Leben, aber das Regime nicht so brutal wie in den 30er Jahren. Er kam mit Schrecken und einem gebrochenen Arm davon, nach einem Verhör. Sidorow will uns auch an einen Ort führen, dem er viel Zeit gewidmet hat. Es ist ein Museum der Strafvollzugsbehörde der Region, das er noch zu seiner Dienstzeit gegründet hat. Der Dichter mit den kalten Augen und ohne jedes Anzeichen von Lächeln ...

... das illegale Abholzen in ihrem Wald zu stoppen. Als Antwort kommt ein Besuch von dem Lokalpolizisten. Und neulich kam eine Einladung zum Gericht - der korrupte Förster hat sich beleidigt gefühlt und hat mehrere Einwohner auf Schadenersatz verklagt. Um den Mittag gehen wir in Wald. Die Aktivisten, alle über 50, zeigen uns leere Felder, wo früher Pinien standen. Unter dem Schnee liegen überall gefallene Bäume herum, niemand scheint sie um diesen ...