For those of you that still check this blog looking for the final chapters of our journey, our apologies for how belated this post is. I realized that we might have left some of you wondering just where the hell Jake and Otter actually are. Due to some technical difficulties, we were unable to continue writing on the blog, but our journey continued. With all of the minor problems one encounters on the road (forging visa documents, Vietnamese ERs, motorcycle crashes), we made our way through Mongolia, China, Vietnam, and Thailand. We ha many more amazing adventures and met a ton of wonderful people, and we have all of those stories written in journals, in book margins, and on the back of napkins. Eventually we will type up those stories and put them on the blog for all of you to enjoy, but for now I'll share this video we made (which I'm sure many of you have seen), so you can see some of the great times we had. Thanks for being a part of our journey around the world!
Rook Show on the Road - A journey around the world
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Ulan-Ude, Russia
With our irregular sleeping habits I had very little faith we could wake up and catch our 7 am train. I spent the entirety of the night catching up on Facebook and reading one of the many books crammed into our packs.
With a short walk to the other end of the city, we arrived at the train station eager to purchase our ticket. Ticket counter to ticket counter we were rejected as the train we planned on boarding did not seem to exist. With one helpful security officer we managed to find the lady who could help us. She however felt that her 20 minute break was something that could not wait. Anxious to make our train we waited until finally, tickets in hand, we were once again aboard the trans Siberian railway.
For the short 8 hour journey we were blessed with the best seats we had all trip, typical to our luck, thinking back to our terrible seats on the 87 hour ride, and quickly made friends with our bunk mates. They were very curious about us, where we were from, how much my car cost, what my parents do, and other seemingly odd yet simply curious questions. In the US we could have had this conversation in about 15 minutes however, with the heavy language barrier this lasted hours on end. The train ride was beautiful with mountains and rivers occasionally popping up. The best part was the train stayed on the shores of the bottom half of lake Baikal where we had spend our last week.
In Ulan-Ude we said our good byes to the newly made friends and began the search for the hostel in a new city. Our hostel was found with out fail (a rare occurrence) and we checked in. For dinner we found a cafeteria style diner making ordering simple as you only had to point at what you want and hold up fingers to show how many you want. Rest assured we managed to screw it up making a big scene with far to many people than necessary trying to help us order our food. With belly's filled we explored around our hostel before returning for the night, excited to see in more depth in the morning.
-living the dream!
With a short walk to the other end of the city, we arrived at the train station eager to purchase our ticket. Ticket counter to ticket counter we were rejected as the train we planned on boarding did not seem to exist. With one helpful security officer we managed to find the lady who could help us. She however felt that her 20 minute break was something that could not wait. Anxious to make our train we waited until finally, tickets in hand, we were once again aboard the trans Siberian railway.
For the short 8 hour journey we were blessed with the best seats we had all trip, typical to our luck, thinking back to our terrible seats on the 87 hour ride, and quickly made friends with our bunk mates. They were very curious about us, where we were from, how much my car cost, what my parents do, and other seemingly odd yet simply curious questions. In the US we could have had this conversation in about 15 minutes however, with the heavy language barrier this lasted hours on end. The train ride was beautiful with mountains and rivers occasionally popping up. The best part was the train stayed on the shores of the bottom half of lake Baikal where we had spend our last week.
In Ulan-Ude we said our good byes to the newly made friends and began the search for the hostel in a new city. Our hostel was found with out fail (a rare occurrence) and we checked in. For dinner we found a cafeteria style diner making ordering simple as you only had to point at what you want and hold up fingers to show how many you want. Rest assured we managed to screw it up making a big scene with far to many people than necessary trying to help us order our food. With belly's filled we explored around our hostel before returning for the night, excited to see in more depth in the morning.
-living the dream!
Irkutsk, Russia
Tired from the hike the day before, we enjoyed some sleeping in a bit. I woke some time before otter, so I made some breakfast and a cup of tea and relaxed around the hostel. Once otter was up as well, we packed up out gear, taking our time. Eventually we checked out and headed into town to enjoy our last views of the lake. We couldn't leave without frustrating the grocery store lady one last time, so we grabbed a snack before climbing into the minibus bound for Irkutsk. Once back in the town, in the middle of the bustling market, we decided we should find somewhere to spend the night. Shouldering out packs, we made our way across town. Along the way, we happened to run into an American guy who was living in Irkutsk. It was nice to be able to speak to someone in English again. Eventually we found a hostel for the night, a cozy little apartment a few flights up. They helped me write out how to buy train tickets in crylic, which would save us the next day. We then strolled though the city, picking up a bite of pizza and some food for the train. Back at the hostel, we met a couple Canadian girls who we chatted with for some time, and were able to trade some books. This was a relieve as we had both read through all our books multiple times.
- living the dream!
- living the dream!
Great Baikal Trail, Russia
We had decided the night before that we should wake early to hit the trail, as we had 20km to cover before dark. Waking at 8, we discovered that it was still dark, and bitter cold. Not wanting to crawl out of our sleeping bags into the cold, we decided to sleep just 5 more minutes. Five minutes later, it was noon and we found ourselves scrambling to pack up and hit the trail. Despite the cold, we could tell the clouds would break soon, a perfect day to hike. The trail was quite amazing, a frost covered single track winding through the forest, dipping up and down along the shoreline.
The trail cut through many dense stands of birch and aspen, as well as many stands of pine. Most were of a variety similar to home, but there were also narrower, smaller pines with vivid yellow needles.
Along the way, we passed many amazing overlooks, some with crude benches set on the shoreline. It took all our willpower not to stop and admire each one for longer than a few minutes. Eventually, though, it was time to eat, so we stopped at one of the best overlooks and had a modest meal of bread, bananas, and salami.
As we got back onto the trail, the sun finally broke the clouds, and for the first time in Russia, it was quite warm. The trail continued along the shoreline, sometimes winding through cliffs, and other times meandered through open meadows.
After some time, the trail turned inland, following a narrow stream up a deep valley. It then began to switchback, steeply, up one hillside. A foot of snow on the trail added to the difficulty. When we reached the ridgeline, we were rather tired, having covered about 18km so far. Talk of food and drink quickened our pace, and we found ourselves coming into town. Right before town, we saw what very much resembled a wolf up in the woods, but we can't be sure as we only caught a fleeting glimpse.
We stepped back onto the shoreline right as the sun was setting, casting a bright orange glow on the water, a great end to the hike.
Deciding to add to the already amazing day, we dipped into a local restaurant, feasting as we hadn't in some time. Content with our full bellies and weary feet, we made the mile walk back to the hostel and enjoyed the sleep of the just, the just plain tired.
- living the dream!
The trail cut through many dense stands of birch and aspen, as well as many stands of pine. Most were of a variety similar to home, but there were also narrower, smaller pines with vivid yellow needles.
Along the way, we passed many amazing overlooks, some with crude benches set on the shoreline. It took all our willpower not to stop and admire each one for longer than a few minutes. Eventually, though, it was time to eat, so we stopped at one of the best overlooks and had a modest meal of bread, bananas, and salami.
As we got back onto the trail, the sun finally broke the clouds, and for the first time in Russia, it was quite warm. The trail continued along the shoreline, sometimes winding through cliffs, and other times meandered through open meadows.
After some time, the trail turned inland, following a narrow stream up a deep valley. It then began to switchback, steeply, up one hillside. A foot of snow on the trail added to the difficulty. When we reached the ridgeline, we were rather tired, having covered about 18km so far. Talk of food and drink quickened our pace, and we found ourselves coming into town. Right before town, we saw what very much resembled a wolf up in the woods, but we can't be sure as we only caught a fleeting glimpse.
We stepped back onto the shoreline right as the sun was setting, casting a bright orange glow on the water, a great end to the hike.
Deciding to add to the already amazing day, we dipped into a local restaurant, feasting as we hadn't in some time. Content with our full bellies and weary feet, we made the mile walk back to the hostel and enjoyed the sleep of the just, the just plain tired.
- living the dream!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Listvyanka, Russia day 2
Again woke to find the sky overcast, with a light, consistent snowfall. We whipped up a quick breakfast off eggs. I must have bought some bad eggs, because immediately got sick. I felt much better afterward, but decided we should lay low for a bit just in case.
After relaxing, we made our way down in to town to catch the boat that would take us up the lake to the next village. We stopped at our usual store, receiving the usual glare from the lady working; she didn't enjoy our mime routine. Since there weren't any boats at the time, we relaxed around town for a while. Eventually a boat arrived at the dock that the Irish had told us to go to, and it in no way resembled a boat that would carry passengers. We still decided to give it a try, and showed the captain a piece of paper with the name in crylic. He told us to get on board, and we immediately left. It turned out that the boat had been dropping some lumber off, and was making the trip home, so they were nice enough to give us a ride, for a small fee of course.
After an hour on the boat, we arrived in Bolshiye Koty. Walking to the cabin we were staying in, we didn't see another person in the whole town, and wouldn't for our entire stay.
We got to the cabin, turned on the heat, and decided to go explore. It was a quaint little town, and we really enjoyed walking around. It didn't last long, however, because it was the coldest it had been all trip. We were sure the mercury dropped well below zero after the sun went down.
We spent the night eating, playing cards, and making jokes, eventually deciding that we should go to bed so we would be well rested for the Great Baikal Trail the next day.
- living the dream!
After relaxing, we made our way down in to town to catch the boat that would take us up the lake to the next village. We stopped at our usual store, receiving the usual glare from the lady working; she didn't enjoy our mime routine. Since there weren't any boats at the time, we relaxed around town for a while. Eventually a boat arrived at the dock that the Irish had told us to go to, and it in no way resembled a boat that would carry passengers. We still decided to give it a try, and showed the captain a piece of paper with the name in crylic. He told us to get on board, and we immediately left. It turned out that the boat had been dropping some lumber off, and was making the trip home, so they were nice enough to give us a ride, for a small fee of course.
After an hour on the boat, we arrived in Bolshiye Koty. Walking to the cabin we were staying in, we didn't see another person in the whole town, and wouldn't for our entire stay.
We got to the cabin, turned on the heat, and decided to go explore. It was a quaint little town, and we really enjoyed walking around. It didn't last long, however, because it was the coldest it had been all trip. We were sure the mercury dropped well below zero after the sun went down.
We spent the night eating, playing cards, and making jokes, eventually deciding that we should go to bed so we would be well rested for the Great Baikal Trail the next day.
- living the dream!
Listvyanka, Russia
After catching up on sleep, we awoke to find that there had been a significant change in the weather; overcast, windy, and on the verge of snow. We decided that this would be a perfect day to make our way to the Lake Baikal museum. Being too cheap to pay for the bus (a whopping 75 cents) we decided to walk to the museum. It turned out to be a bit longer walk than we thought, somewhere in the range a 3 miles each way. Despite the biting cold it was quite pleasant.
It had started to snow by the time we reached the museum, so we were glad to get into the warmth of the museum. It was a very well done museum, or at least it looked that way, we still have not learned the art of reading crylic. We enjoyed the pictures, then made our way to aquarium side, which had many variety of fish from the lake, and even had a Nerpa seal. From there we went upstairs to an area you can look at macro-invertebrates under the microscope. This was both of our favorite part indoors, and we stayed for a while. We made our way through the underwater photography exhibit, then headed outside.
The museum had an outdoor exhibit that contained many native trees and plants, including some that were endangered. It was most enjoyable wandering around reading about the plants and comparing the trees to the ones back home. There was also a fantastic overlook of the lake, and the fog gave it an eerie, surreal look.
We made the return trip to the hostel through the snow, the temperature dropping the entire way. It was awesome! We stopped by the store, doing our usual blank stare pointing routine we had developed during the always exciting task of buying groceries. Hoping to make some burgers, we bought what looked like a tube of ground beef. This in fact turned out to be a gigantic hot dog, so we instead fried it up with egg and pasta. Not what we had planned, but delicious non the less. After talking with the group of people staying there for quite some time, we decided we should get some sleep, another big day tomorrow!
- living the dream!
It had started to snow by the time we reached the museum, so we were glad to get into the warmth of the museum. It was a very well done museum, or at least it looked that way, we still have not learned the art of reading crylic. We enjoyed the pictures, then made our way to aquarium side, which had many variety of fish from the lake, and even had a Nerpa seal. From there we went upstairs to an area you can look at macro-invertebrates under the microscope. This was both of our favorite part indoors, and we stayed for a while. We made our way through the underwater photography exhibit, then headed outside.
The museum had an outdoor exhibit that contained many native trees and plants, including some that were endangered. It was most enjoyable wandering around reading about the plants and comparing the trees to the ones back home. There was also a fantastic overlook of the lake, and the fog gave it an eerie, surreal look.
We made the return trip to the hostel through the snow, the temperature dropping the entire way. It was awesome! We stopped by the store, doing our usual blank stare pointing routine we had developed during the always exciting task of buying groceries. Hoping to make some burgers, we bought what looked like a tube of ground beef. This in fact turned out to be a gigantic hot dog, so we instead fried it up with egg and pasta. Not what we had planned, but delicious non the less. After talking with the group of people staying there for quite some time, we decided we should get some sleep, another big day tomorrow!
- living the dream!
Irkutsk, Russia
After 87 hours, 5 time zones, and half of Russia, we finally arrived in Irkutsk. Our English speaking comrades were immediately picked up by their tour group and whisked away, we, on the other hand, were on our own. We took our time walking across the city, admiring the change of culture since we had crossed into the Asian side of Russia. We eventually found ourselves at the tourist information center which, to our dismay, was closed down for the winter. Instead, we found map and located the bus station we needed to get there. Before heading that direction, we borrowed some wifi from a cafe to let the folks know we were safely off the train. From there we made our way to the bus station, which was in the midst of a bustling market, selling anything you could possibly need, including a stand selling puppies by the boxful. We eventually found our bus after deciphering the crylic sign in the window. When I say bus I am not referring to the city busses you see in downtown Denver, for example. No, these busses are essentially minivans that have a bunch of extra seating packed in. Traveling like the locals is always more fun, so we were excited for the prospect of this bus. We were not disappointed, as the driver weaved in and out of traffic getting us to the lake much faster than it should have taken.
We stepped off the bus and were greeted with our first view of lake Baikal. It was a truly stunning, gigantic lake. For reference, it holds more water than all five of the Great Lakes, combined. It also was remarkably clear, and so clean you can drink right out of the lake. We also were lucky to arrive on a sunny day, so the mountains were visible across the lake.
Since or hostel was a mile inland up one of the valleys, we decided to hoof it up there to check in and drop off our bags. We definitely picked the right place, two log cabins set back in the woods, and on top of that, it was extremely environmentally friendly.
After relaxing for a little while, we made our way back into town, first walking up the shoreline to the point, which granted up more stunning views. Eventually we decided it was time for dinner, so we picked up some groceries, then headed back to the hostel for a big meal, where we met a nice Irish couple who would become invaluable for planning our stay at the lake, as they had done most of what we were thinking of doing. Eventually decided to call it a night, grateful to sleep in a real bed.
- living the dream!
We stepped off the bus and were greeted with our first view of lake Baikal. It was a truly stunning, gigantic lake. For reference, it holds more water than all five of the Great Lakes, combined. It also was remarkably clear, and so clean you can drink right out of the lake. We also were lucky to arrive on a sunny day, so the mountains were visible across the lake.
Since or hostel was a mile inland up one of the valleys, we decided to hoof it up there to check in and drop off our bags. We definitely picked the right place, two log cabins set back in the woods, and on top of that, it was extremely environmentally friendly.
After relaxing for a little while, we made our way back into town, first walking up the shoreline to the point, which granted up more stunning views. Eventually we decided it was time for dinner, so we picked up some groceries, then headed back to the hostel for a big meal, where we met a nice Irish couple who would become invaluable for planning our stay at the lake, as they had done most of what we were thinking of doing. Eventually decided to call it a night, grateful to sleep in a real bed.
- living the dream!
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