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The train from Moscow to Byisk takes 63 hours and costs $40.My friend Vladislav D. and I prefer hard sleeper without separate rooms (platskartnii vagon). Our closest neighbor, a 16 year old girl fed us with food carefully supplied for her journey by her parents and told us a bunch of stories about her tough life. From Byisk we took a bus to a remote corner of Altay, village Yst-Koksa. The bus ride was 10 hours long and cost $8. After initial fight for seats the atmosphere in the bus became peaceful and friendly. Especially touching was the care which the entire bus took care of a straw hat of a young lady from the old believer village Mylta.

Travel to St. Petersburg and Mongolia (part II)

Alex Mumzhiu
2006-03-22 18:19:28

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we had a veryyyyyyyyyyy good time. In order to have a real friendly and warm relationships with locals, the traveler to these Russian influenced parts of the world has to drink vodka. Nothing you can do about it... Next day we drove back to Ulegey. Our trip was 7 day long, covered 600km and cost $180. ($0,30 per Kilometer)

Somebody asked me why I always show prices. I do it on purposely for these of you who wanted to travel but think that they cannot afford it.

Our sleeping bags were not so warm for very cold night here so we stay overnight in urts. First thing incoming person is offered here, is salted tea with milk and some snakes, consisting from 2-3 sorts of "cheeses" and little buns. Taste range from OK to awful. Hygiene mostly was very bad. We afraid to offend hosts by refuse and on second day Vladia developed stomach problem. This problem last until our return to Ylegey, where local doctor prescribed Vladia antibiotic, which quires problem at once.

PS:
My Brompton bike did not survive the heavy abuse and its frame broke. Bikes purchased in England Or US have lifetime warranty on frame, but my bike unfortunately was purchased in Japan.

This circumstance result in radically changes my plans. Vladia returned to St. Petersburg. I am in city of Novosibirsk now, and in 1 hour I will go by train to Vladivostok and from there to Kamchatka peninsula. Train to Vladivostok will take 4 days I will arrive in Vladivostok Aug 18 in the evening dont expect E-Mails before

Novosibirsk Russia
Aug 14 2003
5:30pm
Alex Mumzhiu

My dear readers,

I apologize for not answering your letters in the past. On the border of Russia and Mongolia Internet was extremely difficult and I sent only Travel Notes It is amazing that Internet was available there at all. Last pictures I was able to sent to you only because somebody bring his own scanner to Internet cafe and I begged him to ...