You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Sep 28, 2005 02:00 PM Unexpected winter in Tien-Shan Mountains...
Mr Valentin - the friendly owner of Yak Tours will help you to arrange your hiking to the Altyn Arashan Valley. He has little hut there where you can spend nights (only 100 som per night - like 2.50 USD) and the meals are provided if you require... To get there take local version of landrover - GAZ car for 800 som pp or local transport to Ak -Suu village. Then it is 4 to 5 hours climbing up the valley. Views are stunning...
When I reached Altyn Arashan Valley enjoying the landscape in 30 minutes heavy clouds covered the sky and it started snowing. Brrrr... In the evening there were below zero! They provided US army sleeping bags but anyway the night was very cold...
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Sep 27, 2005 02:00 PM First day in Kyrgystan....
Karakol is the tiny township in the eastern Kyrgystan. It is good base for the hiking to the TienShan Mountains. I stay in the family-run Yak Tours Hostel. They charge 150 som per night and 100 som for the meal of your choice. In the central bazar area you can easy change money - 1 USD=40.3 som. Kyrgyztan is inexpensive - for just 50 som you can have two-courses meal in "Stolovaya". An hour of slow internet in the telecom center costs 30 som and a bottle of basic vodka cost 30 som (less then a dollar). No, I do not drink - but the locals drink a lot and this is horrible!
Old orthodox russian church is worth to see (it was converted to the club in sovet times) so is the only old mosque built without nails. Tomorrow I plan to go to the snowy mountains, which are visible from any place in Karakol... Hope the weather will be as nice as today!
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Sep 26, 2005 02:00 PM What a Canyon in Kazakhstan! Welcome to Kyrgystan!
200 km east of Almaty in the emptiness of the steppe and bare, dry mountains I found Charyn Canyon - called the Grand Canyon of Central Asia. To get there you must have your own rented transport - it is 12 km off the main road. The canyon is very picturesque. They charge 200 tenge entry fee pp and 200 per car. The easiest part to explore is called The Valley of the Castles - yes, it is very nice spot. I had nice weather and I hope that the pictures will be impressive. The paths down to the canyon are not well maintaned so take good trekking boots going there and plan to spend at least 3 hours. It is worth!
From Charyn I continued by car to the border crossing in te Karkara Valley. The Valley - wide with the long chain of the snowy mountains is beautiful. Herds of cows guarded by brave horsemen... Poor gravel road. Immigration posts are in the middle of nowhere. Bored officers were nice to me. No search, no problems - I crossed the border to Kyrgystan. Then 100 km of very bumpy road to the nearest township - Karakol - I found here hospitality at Yak Tours hostel. Welcome to Kyrgystan! - new fascinating country... New Adventure!
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Sep 25, 2005 02:00 PM To the mountain lakes near Almaty...
Yesterday in the afternoon I visited Medeu - famous skate ring located in the mountains above Almaty at 1700 above sea level. Do not waste money for the taxi - public bus 204 from Kazakhstan Hotel goes there. It is in the nice mountain valley.
Once at the ring park you have a chance to stretch your legs - 900 steps will take you uphill for the nice view of the ring and the area. Then you can continue up by road (hitching is possible) to the ski resort Shymbulak - unfortunately there were cloudy when I reached chir lift station.
Today I was lucky - I took a bus to the GES-2 power station
and the walk uphill to the extremely picturesque Bolshoye Almatynskoye Lake. Emerald waters are surrounded by the snowy mountains.... Fantastic! An I was the only tourist there!
If you will be forced to make the choice between Medeu and BA Lake go to the lake - It takes full day and few hours climbing but it is worth the effort!
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Sep 24, 2005 02:00 PM Almaty - Kazakhstan
I landed in Almaty in the middle of the night. Brand new airport terminay is very impressive. No public bus to the city. Do not try to take a taxi. They will cheat you. I have an offer for 12000 tenge (like 85 USD) for 12 km ride. I layed down in the waiting room (nobody touched me) till morning. Then I went to the bus stop - only 100 m from airport gate. They took me just for 30 teng (1 USD =134 tenge) to the city. It is hard to find inexpensive acommodation in Almaty. I went to the Zheitisu Hotel - they have few rooms with comunal shower and i got one for 3500 tenge.
Almaty is very wide with plenty of casinos in he center, nice shops, post-soviet monuments. But it is very difficult to find internet. "Internet clubs" are places mostly for games only. In the afternoon. I found service center of Kazakh Telecom. They charge 300 tenge per hour of internet. They have 4 computers, 2 of them out of order, other two are so old, slow and outdated sofware that I had not any chance to log in to the three different servers. Good luck!
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Sep 23, 2005 02:00 PM Lovely St Petersburg - but the end was poor...
Flight from Kaliningrad to St Petesburg was OK. They put me on the free transfer bus from Pulkowo I (domestic) and new Pulkowo II terminal. But in the brand new international terminal there in no single locker!!! I had 6 hours till my next flight and I wanted to go to the city.
Don't take expensive taxi - there are cheap minibuses no 213 going to the closest Maskovskaya subway station - just 17 roubles. Thn I took a subway to Ploszchad Vosstanya station. There is Railway Station and they have lockers an regular cloak room. I left my backpack for just 40 roubles and enjoyed long walk around the historical center of St Pet. I have been there more then 30 years ago! St Per still have a charm... Boat excursion through the channels an Neva river cost 250 rou.
Back at the station I was stopped by the OMON - special police. They took everything off from my backpack. It took about 40 minutes. Found nothing... -You have too much medicines in your kit!-he said. Stupid, primitive people! I almost missed my flight! Just stay away from them if you are goin there!
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Sep 22, 2005 02:00 PM Why Kaliningrad?
There is no much to see in Kaliningrad: Amber Museum located n the old fort and former cathedral with city museum inside... But this is the place to buy cheap tickets to Russia and distant former Soviet republics in Asia. Also one- ways. My ticket to Almaty cost about 200 USD.
To get to Kaliningrad use the daily bus from Gdansk-Poland at 7 am - it cost only 28 zlotys.
In Kaliningrad there is public bus (35 roubels) to the airport from the main railway station. There is also inexpensive accommodation at the station building (kamera otdyha)...
I enjoyed afternoon walk around he town and down the Pregola river - tomorrow I will fly to Kazakhstan!
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Sep 21, 2005 02:00 PM Go East... Wild East!
Uff!... It is 9 pm and my old backpack is ready... New adventure starts tomorrow... Bus through the border to Russia, then cheap flight to the Kazakhstan. I never been there... I rode different reports... Some of them are very strange. During the Soviet Union time it was peaceful there and people (including people in charge) were friendly and helpful. Now there are independent countries. There are changes, there are new leaders and new law... It is not easy to get the visas unless you pay high price and are ready to be escorted by your guide... Well, I'll see... Just please - keep your fingers crossed!
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Sep 10, 2005 02:00 PM Back in New York...
We safely escaped the triangle. End of the cruise to Bermuda. I disembarked at 9 am... I have my flight back to Europe in the evening. Lovely weather - enough time to take a pleasant walk around Manhattan. But what can I do with my pack? No lockers or cloak room in the cruise terminal! I found the solution: I went back to well known Manhattan Inn Hostel (303 West 30th Street). Just opposite to the reception desk they have automatic lockers - I paid 3 USD for 24 hours (keep your new one dollar bills ready!) and spend whole day visiting well known and new places in NY...
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Sep 07, 2005 02:00 PM Escape from Bermuda...
The third place to visit on Bermuda in King's Wharf - the former base of Royal Navy. It is not a town - it the complex of old historical buildings from the time whem they called Bermuda "Gibraltar of the America". They established there Maritime Museum and most of the buildings are converted to the shopping malls, restaurants and art workshops. It is worth to see - just 2-3 hours visit.
The authorities of Bermuda do not want us in the harbour during the hurricane so we are escaping Bermuda heading back to New York. No compensation... We will spend one more day at sea... Bye bye Bermuda! I hope we will escape safely The Bermuda Triangle!
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