A Country Boy Can Survive!
Trip Start
Jun 05, 2006
1
70
94
Trip End
Jul 15, 2007
Irkutsk,
Russia
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
When it comes to traveling I am jaded in over a thousand different ways. After 3 years of almost constant traveling very little seems to impress me anymore? I sometimes feel that over 3 short years of traveling I have seen 100 life times of interesting things. Unlike most things at this point in my journey Russia has actually surpassed my expectations. I am excited to say that of all my travels Siberia has been one of the most exotic places I have ever experienced! Russian winter is very cold but beautiful at the same time. Everything in eye site is covered in snow and ice. It took me a few days to get adjusted to the weather. I had to learn really simple things such as how to breathe in sub zero weather and how to walk on ice. The scenery is simply stunning but the people are the most interesting thing about Russia. All the women are strutting around in ankle length fur coats, high heels, and funny looking fur hats(think Cruella DeVil with blue eyes.)I have a furry hat(I could not pass it up? It was made with party in mind!) Siberia is a land of strangely beautiful blue eyed blondes walking around gracefully in all their cold weather garb, and then on the other hand you have me trying to avoid the cold by "prancing" from place to place like Richard Simmons. Without the cold weather clothing Russian women are a site to see on their own! They are gorgeous but they wear more make up then Gene Simmons and enough "bling" to make Master P green with envy.
Crazy Story..........
A few nights ago a friend and I (Australian guy)were walking to the store to get something to eat. On the way he ended up slipping on the ice and bashing his head. This simple mistake turned out to be one of the scariest moments of my life. For over 2 minutes he was not talking or moving. The only thing we knew was that was bleeding from his head and drooling? After being knocked out cold for over 2 minutes he finally came through. He had no idea where he was or what happened to him. For the next 30 minutes while waiting for a doctor to come he was completely lost. The doctor had a look at him and determined that it was just a concussion and that he would be OK (with a bad headache in the morning.)
Where Am I know?
I am writing this while waiting for my train to arrive. I am getting on a train in few hours and starting a 60 plus hour(3 day) train journey aboard the Trans-Siberian to the Eastern most point of Russia (just above North Korea on the Sea of Japan)where I hope to jump on a ferry heading towards Japan in the next few days.
"What about China? Have you seen the Great Wall?
All walls are great, if the roof doesn't fall!" ~Bjork (I've Seen It All)
White Russians in the memory of "the Dude" -Johnny Nomad
PS. I know a lot of you thought it was funny that I got a "honkey tonk Ass whipping" by the Mongolian Sumo wrestler. But friends I need to warn you that was just practice for my bigger goal. Apollo Creed did not die in vain! Move out the way Balboa........ Ivan Drago "I AM COMING FOR YOU YA BASTARD!"
