Hi Jon, just thought I'd check your blog to see how your travels in Armenia have gone. We are back in Yerevan, but didn't go back to Theatre hostel, instead we thought we'd try Grammy Hostel which is much better. We are going to be heading South tomorrow - on our way to Iran, so it was good to read your blog and get some ideas!! Enjoy the rest of your travels.
Thanks ! Thank you Jon for all that precise as precious information ! We're getting to Krasnoyarsk in 15 days now and that's exactly the route we'd like to do.
Cool. I think that I would find this place interesting. Enjoy your time on the Black Sea. Summer is still acting a little tentative in the PNW. Maybe August...
Polska Slovakia Dobrzse siberia mongolia riGht where i want to be.. you're stillllll going... wowee.. he who never tires of the backpack.. i've recently begun climbing & hiking again & just came back from 2 weeks on rainier & in wenachtchee.. god we live in a beautiful state!! travel safely.
Hey Mimi!
Oh, I'm tired, exhausted actually. Probably getting too old for this but I still don't plan on coming back anytime soon. Next week down to the Black Sea then Armenia, Georgia, and Turkey for 5 or 6 weeks.
More photos of minutia The stories of the endurance travel are very interesting but Christopher and I agree that we want to see additional photo documentation of your daily experience: Street scenes, Grocery stores, meals, accmmodations, etc. in addition to the vistas and monuments.
Stay safe!
Siberia/Altai-Republic Hi Jon,
Did the people you met in this area seem happy, liked where they lived? It looks visually stunning, but also so barren. I'd love to visit the area as a tourist, but can't really picture what it's like to actually live there. You sure are taking some crazy rides to get around!
Hi Heidi,
Interesting question and I wondered the same thing especially after the -60C comment. It was like something you'd see on the Discovery Channel.
shouldvebeenthere,shouldvedonethat Oh, it brings it all back to me. I did try - in the opposite direction, in 1998. However, applying for the border area access pass meant contacting the border troops in Kosh Agach, who said they wouldn't issue it as there was 4m deep snow on the passes, and even their troops weren't patrolling. They kindly gave me use of their showers as the 2-room 'hotel' had no running water or indoor facilities. So I hitched the long way round via Khakassia and took the back, unpaved route into Tyva. Got arrested at the inter-republic border post as the 2 young soldiers had never met a foreigner, let alone seen a business visa. No telephone or radio, or common language, but after waiting a day for something to happen, using my bilingual dictionary I wrote an officious letter of complaint to Yeltsin, and showed it to them. That got me a lift on the next truck to the military post in Ak Devorak, and after telephonic communication with Kyzyl, a charming lady border guard blushingly apologised! She took me to a free bus to Kyzyl which I shared with that year's local group of very drunk and tearful draftees - following plentiful kisses and waving goodbye to family and girlfriends. I then accidentally spent the next 2 years living there, working at the uni teaching English. Then I did the same in Kalmykia - another story.
The sound of silence Wow. Looks like stuff I've seen in Natl Geo films or read about in books. What a different feeling it must be to be so far out there. Cool stuff.
Who knew there was so much going on in Siberia? I thought it was all just woods, hunting lodges and prison camps. You have changed my perception. Thanks!
Hi Hi Jon! Love all of your posts and especially the great photos! Sounds like you're having an awesome time. You are a "professional" traveler for sure. Sorry about the Celts.
Nice! That's a beautiful pic of you with the Alps in the background. Thanks for the scoop on cheap digs in a part of the world I hope to visit some day and maybe try to revive my rusty German. I like your focus on hiking and climbing. Some day mine will be global birdwatching, which is also a way to see dramatically beautiful landscapes. Thanks Jon for this series of posts.
Caroline
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Hi Jon, just thought I'd check your blog to see how your travels in Armenia have gone. We are back in Yerevan, but didn't go back to Theatre hostel, instead we thought we'd try Grammy Hostel which is much better. We are going to be heading South tomorrow - on our way to Iran, so it was good to read your blog and get some ideas!! Enjoy the rest of your travels.