Photos and travel costs

I've added the photos now to my blog. This might give a better impression off how it all looked like. I got some inquieries about the travel costs so I will put some numbers here to give a rough idea how much the journey costed me.
I also heard some bad news from the tiger leaping gorge. I was afraid that I wouldn't survive the trip on the lower trail when I saw the land slide and saw the Chinese way of driving. Indeed, two travelers did perish a few weeks ago while being in the gorge area. We are lucky to be alive and anyone planning to go there should reconsider... wet season IS the worst time to go there!

Everything: app.2000 euros for two months

Flight tickets: 452 e Hong Kong-London-Helsinki
Train tickets: Tikkurila-Pietari (2nd class) 54 e
St.Petersburg-Moscow a.1300 RUB = 37 e
Moscow-Irkutsk (3rd class) 93 e
Irkutsk-Ulan Baatar (2nd class): 1950 RUB = 56 e
UB-Beijing (Train&Sleeper bus): a.70 000 T = 44 e
Beijing-Kunming (Hard sleeper) : 529 Y = 52,9 e
Kunming-Guilin (Hard sleeper) : 239 Y = 23,9 e

Bus tickets:
Kunming-Lijiang (Sleeper bus) 142 Y = 14 e
Yangshou-Shenzhen (Sleeper bus) 170 Y = 17 e
Olkhon-Irkutsk 350 RUB = 10 e

Public transport:
Metro, Moscow 8 RUB
Metro, Beijing 3 Y
Bus, China 1-2 Y

Russia:
Buy tickets in advance if you have a short holliday.
Don't worry about the registration, nobody will ask
about it on the border, but if you stay in hostels they
might want to know where you stayed the previous nights.
Kiosques are the cheapest place to buy alcohol,
you can find places were you can dine with 2 euros
or 20 euros in St.Petersburg. Moscow is expensive,
but note that if you are ready to stay in the suburbs you
can find cheap places to stay in. ISIC was worth gold,
you can get in to the Eremitage for free for example.
Circus 100 RUB,
Bolsoi-theatre 2600 RUB, Cheap hostels 350 RUB-700 RUB
Beer 35 RUB, One bliny 40 RUB, 1 Omoul 30 RUB

Mongolia:
Take a lot of cash with you because it can be really difficult
to find a working ATM or a bank that is willing to charge your
visa. Independent traveling is not possible in the same sense
as in other countries, you can't hire a car without a driver.
It shouldn't be a problem, however to find travel organisators,
just keep in mind the cost of living and don't pay too much.
If you need a taxi just raise your hand and a private car will
stop and take you where you want for payement. I don't really
have an idea about the costs expect that hostels charge 3-5 euros
per night.

China:
Nights in hostels 15-40 Y, meals 1-40 Y, Tea 0-15 Y. Remember
to bargain otherwise you will pay to much. Bargaining is not the
custom in restaurants and travel services, but will buying souvenirs,
clothes and other stuff from markets you can always ask for
discount. You can find ATM's easily and buying tickets is easy.
China is a safe country for women traveling solo as you won't
really experience harrashment from the men. China scores number
one in traffic accidents, which doesn't make me amazed so I would
advice using a train (it's also much more comfortable than sleeper
busses) everytime it is an option.

Yeah, better use cash all the time, even in some of the capitals like
Moscow Visa wasn't accepted.


Nights spent in/at

Hostels 15
Trains 12
Busses 4
HC/CS hosts 14
Tent 4
Ger 10
Baboushka 1

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