http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/mcooper/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from mcooper en-us Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:44:18 BST Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:44:18 BST So it is Paul again.Our train carriage from Irkutsk to Ulaanbaatar was full or westerners A first for us on this trip. And in a way a real treat nice to have some people who can speak English with us easily.We met a few crazy FinnishSwedes who were on the same style trip as us but in three weeks. Lots of French and a few Aussies. Nice to have easy people to share what was our longest border c http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Mongolia/Ulaanbaatar/blog-298993.html Paul again.Let me start by apologising. There will be no more photos added to the blog or facebook until we get home in about 5 weeks.We seem to have lost some of the photos we have uploaded so they are online but not on our memorycard in our computer.So from our last blog we have been to Almaty in Kazakhstan an interesting city no longer the capital but bustling with markets and beautiful bui http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Russia/Siberia/Irkutsk/blog-294736.html Well another installment while we can Here are some pictures from our time in Uzbekistan which is almost drawing to a close. It was a long tedious 3 day train journey to make it into Uzbek but worth the suffering just We have met some fantastic people exclusivley Uzbek. The architecture here is just amazing. I always love being in Islamic countries you can't beat hearing the call the praye http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Uzbekistan/Samarkand/blog-290281.html Hi everyone Just a few pictures from our stint in Moscow and St Petersburg. We are finding it incredibly difficult to find internet cafes where we can upload photos here in central asia. We had an interesting time in Russia. The majority of people in the cities weren't overly friendly but nicer out of town. Moscow was a bit more exciting and edgier than St Petersburg but bloody expensive We di http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Russia/Northwest/Moscow/blog-290272.html Hi everyone. Well here is the last installment before we leave the west and head east. Tomorrow we catch the train to St Petersburg in Russia.We have had a lovely relaxing time here in Finland. It has been nice to spend some time with a family friend Salme who has looked after us well. We are clean fed and ready to go.The countryside here is so beautiful in Finland. We've had loads of nice day http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Finland/North-Karelia/blog-284063.html Hi everyone.Time for some more photos now that we are staying at a family friends house and can use a computer. Since I last wrote we left Riga in Latvia a place I totally fell in love with. Headed north through Estonia to Tallin another beautiful Baltic city but much smaller than Riga. Caught the ferry to Finland stayed in Helsinki for a few nights then drove further north to the town of Im http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Finland/North-Karelia/blog-281126.html Well yesterday we rolled into Imatra. The little Vauxhal Corsa did it All the way from London to Imatra in Finland despite the long miles and the German bollard attacking it the car brought us safely here.We have just had a few fun days in Helsinki with Roy and Mari who lucky let us stay at Roys' place he has a great cd and record collectionnice for me. Helsinki hostels are very expensive. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Finland/blog-279965.html Well.here goes.We arrived in Estonia today with my incredible driving keeping us safe. The Lativans seem to think that a 2 lane road can be straddled by 4 cars with 2 overtaking at once no problems.I am super car nervous after our car greif in Germany. Who has bollards that come up from the ground under your car to stop you continueing into a restricted zone Why not just have a good sign and a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Estonia/Tallinn/blog-277968.html Hi guysAnother blog entry since we have free albiet very slow and unreliable internet access at our guesthouse here in Riga.I thought Vilinus in Lithuania was beautiful well Riga is even more so. The buildings and architecture here are totally amazing. They are definitley restoring the city to its former glory the communists really did not do much to enhance the beauty of the place.We arrived http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Latvia/Riga/blog-277533.html Hi everyone Been a little while since the last update but it has been incredibly difficult to come by internet cafe's in rural poland.Since the last blog we had a small accident with our lovely little corsa. Drove into a restircted area in Schwerin in germany an automatic bollard came up out of the ground and smashed the front end and radiator. Paul was swearing and i was almost crying. But luc http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Lithuania/Vilnius/blog-276972.html Just a quick entry. Hope everyone is well. After a fun ferry journey from Denmark complete with man and guitar and dancing drunk swedish pensioners we docked in Gteborg port. We're having a great time here in Sweden with our friends Camilla Rick and their 3 energetic children. Having continuously glorious weather and enjoying Swedish hospitality. Gtenburg is a lovely city and Camilla has an http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Sweden/Vastra-Gotaland/Gothenburg/blog-273503.html Today was not spent in the typical Danish way. Our family friends we are staying with decided to take us out to their local lion park as you do in ScandinaviaSo we had a lovely day in the Sun with african animals.Tomorrow morning we head off to Northen Jutland Frederikshaven where we will catch the ferry to Goteborg in Sweden to stay with an old friend of mine.Will be sad to leave here as we h http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Denmark/Jutland/Vejle/blog-272838.html Well I know it's only been a few days but thought I would add something seeing as though we have free access to the net here in Herning.We've just spent a lovely day with our friends Steen Rikke and their georgous little girl Mikkeline. Steen is the son of the couple we are staying with. They put on a fantastic danish spread for lunch. Then we all took a walk through some woods and up one of Den http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Denmark/Jutland/blog-272288.html Well here it is. Many people have been asking whether we are going to do a blog of our travels and I have finally got round to it. Please be patient while I try to work out how to use this site.Well on sunday 27th april we finally said goodbye to our home of 4 years in Ealing after an extended farewell from our landlords Anthony and Alex apparently we have been their best ever tenantsThe jou http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Denmark/Jutland/blog-271634.html