JUL 27, 17 .. MY UPCOMING TRIP(s) INTO RUSSIAN SIBERIA .. PT 2/2
Just in case you have already read my JUL 26, 17 (PART 1/2) Post,
I updated it slightly to read that on Friday, August 18th, another friend and I will travel by train from Ulaanbaatar, across the border into Southern Siberia and visit Irkutsk. Instead of taking 54 hours to make the trip as we previously saw on the internet, we booked a brand new, modern, express train, that will make the journey in 23+ hours, less than half the previous 54 hour estimated travel time.
Right up front, I must tell you all that Deegi is the mastermind behind both trips.
It was Deegi that, two years ago, told me that a friend of hers, Sergey, up in Irkutsk, Russian Siberia, wanted to meet me.
Deegi and her husband Saina have been invaluable allies to me here in Mongolia from day one, July 15th, 2015.
Deegi, Saina and I will together visit Ulan-Ude, Russian Siberia, from August 3rd to August 8th.
Then the second big adventure will be to Irkutsk.
I have been in contact with Deegi’s friend Sergey in Irkutsk for two years. Thanks to another ally in Anchorage, Alaska, Tandy arranged for me to obtain a Russian Visa. Tandy getting me my visa made this entire Russian adventure possible! No Tandy, no visa, no trip to Russia.
Now to the Irkutsk trip.
Irkutsk is pronounced as you see it.
Air kooot sssssKuu.
Below is David, my partner in this grand adventure. I have to laugh. We two laugh a lot.
We two laugh a lot because I am NOT able to speak Mongolian. He is NOT able to speak English. Don’t ask me how we are going to manage this trip but manage it we WILL. So we just laugh. This is a two-year friendship mind you! He is age 45 years and I am age 80 years. The ODD COUPLE!
During dinner last night, we three (Changer, David and I) put the below Irkutsk trip details together ‘on the spur of the moment’ over tea at the Crown Restaurant, behind the Blue Sky Hotel and Tower.
“One more photo please Dad!” /sign me/ Blue Sky Hotel and Tower
Get this : David and I are close friends even though we can’t talk to one another. I’d called David soon after I got to Ulaanbaatar. I asked Changer if he knew David. He did. David said he wanted to see me a.s.a.p. Changer told him he and I would be visiting and to join us.
So here we three are together just kicking back over tea.
So last night, with Changer doing all the translating,
I told David I was going to go up to Irkutsk to see one Sergey. David erupted saying he was recently in Irkutsk and that Sergey and he were friends for many long years.
Bingo. I asked David if he would go to Irkutsk with me. He said sure.
So we figured out the basic details. Go by train. Do NOT fly. Do NOT drive a vehicle. So to arrange the train trip it was agreed that I would meet David at the Ulaanbattar Railway Station at 9:AM this morning to purchase the train tickets to Irkutsk.
Ah But we three failed to arrange for a specific place to meet!
I was there on time. David was there on time. He called me.
We don’t speak each others language!
What to do?
I told David to wait and that I’d call him back.
I grabbed a very sharp looking young local Mongolian lad. He did NOT speak English. But I called David anyway. I told my newest Mongolian buddy (with me pointing a my chest then the ground) to tell the man on the phone where I was at the train station.
The young man understood perfectly. Smiling at me, he told David that I was at the booking office.
In less than a minute, David (laughing and smiling) appeared.
We booked our one-way trip. They would not book a return reservation. Total cost for a private cabin, first class, two people only, is 506,000 Mongolian Tug (US $207.89). I am paying 100% of David’s costs as well as I will pay him a generous stipend for his time. Fair IS fair! I would NOT make this first, long train ride, alone. David is a young (age 45 years) horse. In a time of trouble, he could carry me under one arm and my bag under the other. He speaks fluent Russian and of course, Mongolian. He is a make-it-happen man.
Off to the Russian Embassy I trotted. The Russian Embassy is a place that I know well because back in 2015 / 2016 I was going in circles with them trying and trying and trying again and again and again to get a visa.
I wanted to discuss each trip. I took our train tickets and a printed brochure showing details of the Ulan-Ude visit. I just wanted some reassurance that everything was OK.
An extremely sharp-as-a-tack Russian Embassy official, who spoke flawless English, reviewed my two trips. Then he carefully checked my Russian Visa. Satisfied he then told me,
“You will have no trouble Sir. You may stay in Russia for up to 6-months. Your visa is a multiple entry visa good until 14 September 2019. I hope you enjoy your visit(s).”
“Thank You Sir.” I replied. “If I meet Mister Putin I will sure put in a good word for you Sir.”
After almost two (2) full years of hoping, planning, wishing, praying and dreaming about going into Russian Siberia, everything has ‘suddenly’ fallen into place.
And over here to MY Ulaanbaater library I trotted to put this Post together.
The time has come to press publish.
“I told all of you guys that Cap can manage quite well without his own laptop over there didn’t I?” /sign me/ Gullible.
Smiles,
Cap
- JUL 26, 17 .. MY UPCOMING TRIP(s) INTO RUSSIAN SIBERIA .. PT 1/2
- JUL 28, 17 .. SOME PHOTOS FOR PATTI
12 thoughts on “JUL 27, 17 .. MY UPCOMING TRIP(s) INTO RUSSIAN SIBERIA .. PT 2/2”
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Sounds like everything is falling into place. Whew … a 23+ hour train ride rather than 50+ is far more appealing. How great that David can accompany you, for MANY reasons! Enjoyed the post!! Love, Patti
Sorry you were NOT able to leave a comment. The ‘leave comment button’ on the dashboard was NOT turned on. The train we are on is a first class premium train. Limited stops, air conditioned, the works. Yes indeed! David is a real blessing. Happy you liked the Post (or endured it). It turned out to be long. Love. Cap
Nice to see the pictures of Deegi, Saina, Changer and David, as well as the train station and the Blue Sky Tower … made me feel like I was “almost” right there again!! Smiles, Patti
Your very first look at David I think. Or do you recognize having seen him when you were here before? You ARE almost right-here again! Love. Cap
Wow! You put it all together with “a little help from my friends.” Good for you. I LOVED our train ride in Mongolia, in case you didn’t notice. We were both glued to our cameras, as I recall. I also recall that you have yet to post some photos from that trip and I know you got some good ones.
Say hi to Deegi and Saina and Changer for me.
I sure will say hello to them for you Gullible. OH YES we had a great auto-ride up (and we lived to tell the tale thereof) and (a less dramatic) train ride back down. Oh yes I have a lot of photos yet unpublished. Smiles and Thanks. Cap
Thursday, July 27, 2017 – noon
Hi Cap,
Super nifty! It’s great you have all the details set for your next great trip! It’s very nice you have friends to assist you on your journey! I guess you will learn some Russian with David! It would be nice to know the “effort” (manhours) that you put into making the trip to Russia – reading between the lines you surely devoted a lot of time along with the time/effort spent by your friends!
One favor if you have the time, I would appreciate if you could get me a beer label or two (you certainly don’t have to drink the beer, maybe a treat for David, I will buy)??!!
Please watch out for “potholes” and not to rush, no tripping, etc, etc!
Bon vogage!
zilla
Oh Yes ‘Zilla! Even I am not able to imagine the time and the effort, going all the way back two years to July 2015, that I put into being able to visit Russia. All I did was to do what was put in front of me to do.
In Anchorage, Alaska, last late summer 2016 my friend and Ally Tandy, after hearing my tale-of-woe about getting a visa said, “Cap do you? Or don’t you? Want a visit to visit Russia? I arrange visas as part of my business!”
Then when David said, “Oh I know Sergey and have for many years and I was just in Irkutsk a few weeks ago.” I jumped on it.
Beer Bottle Labels (photos or actual labels?) will be NO PROBLEMO My Friend. They litter the streets.
I nearly fell over in my own kitchen the other day. Just standing there motionless. Age 80 issues.
Smiles .. Cap
Friday, Jul 28, 2017 -11:30 am
Hi Cap,
Naturally, just bring me two beers from Russia which I will enjoy and I can remove the labels!! Ha, just kidding!! Yes, if you can save me a couple labels off the bottles that would be just fine, and many, many thanks!!
Please be careful on your trip, it just started! I know you will have a great time – and so very nice you have a lot of friends assisting you! So very nice!!
Zilla
So, Zilla. Any special labels from Alaska that you might want? I pick them up all the time.
Cap,
Seeing it all come together for you leaves me grinning ear to ear.
I just arrived back to the Bay Area from South Dakota in time for Amy’s music concert in La Honda at the YMCA Camp.
Keep on having fun!
I was in the USSR in 1984, but not Siberia. Looks like beautiful weather.
I love traveling by train!
Fondly,
Kitty
It is always, in all ways, nice to hear from you Kitty. I have four options to explore as to travel. Flying. Automobile with someone else driving. Bus travel. Train travel.
So far within Mongolia (I have no real other option but to fly to Hong Kong) I have used trains and ridden with others in their automobiles. NO bus NO flying (yet).
Without a doubt in my mind, the safest is by train. I too love it and have also traveled extensively in India by train.
Highway travel is, to some extent, risky. The condition of the roads varies all-over-the-place. Heavy trucks running between Moscow and Beijing are a danger. Other drivers are also a great unknown.
Smiles, Cap