Well, last nights accommodation was….basic. No, it was crap, but at least the shower water was hot. The washing machine wouldn’t work properly. This meant we had loads of washing hanging up, dripping wet and with little drying time.
3 out of 10.
Outside it’s belting down. Jen has been busy online looking for another place to stay for tonight. The agent was supposed to call at midday to pick up the key. He didn’t, so by 12.30pm we decided, we were out of there.
The new accommodation, a boutique hotel, was the complete opposite. Small but newly appointed. Quirky and cosy. You wouldn’t believe the things they have crammed into such a small space. Only problem is, it’s booked up for the rest of the week, so again the search for a place to stay goes on.
Great news. Yuri, the shipping agent here in Vlad, who we have been communicating with for a couple of years, visited us and we believe that we have a 40′ container to load the Landie in, on Thursday. This is after it has been steam cleaned and decommissioned. Fuel drained, batteries disconnected and all food items removed. The crossing will be approx 30 days via Pusan, Korea and it looks like it will take 10 days to clear it from the wharf in Vancouver. That means around the second week in October we will need to be in Vancouver to uplift and get it to a Land Rover repair garage and arrange storage till, we return in April/May next year. Bill & Joan, we are closer to giving you some specific dates. Save us space at your table..:)
So, where do we go next? Oh dear, the possibilities.
Jen would like to head back to the UK and I can understand that, to see her Mum and family. The original idea was to take a ferry to Japan and enjoy a relaxing time there. However, looking at accommodation prices alone, for a month, has changed our views. Deciding to return to the UK, the next decision is, how to get back? We are just about to hit the “Buy” button for a 23 hour flight via Novosibirsk and Moscow and I said to Jen, “what about the Trans Siberian train”? The upshot is that we leave Vladivostok at 1.20am on Friday the 7th and arrive in Moscow on the 14th, at 11.20am, by train. Booked and paid for. Imagine that! Going back over much of the same journey we had driven. The great thing is, someone else will be doing the driving..:) After spending two or three days in Moscow, we’ll fly back to Gatwick. Whew, it’s exhausting thinking about it!!!
Was it a Bear or wasn’t it? …:)
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That’s a better plan! Take the train, let someone else worry about the driving and have time to admire the scenery.
Morning John, I am sure the train will be fun but it will have it’s own challenges..:) We have booked ‘Superior Second Class’. 🙂
You will be so relieved that the map is now an accurate reflection of our journey..:)
Thanks for your support and comments.
Doing a Joanna Lumley then eh. Let the train take the strain. Definitely a bear I say, makes the story so much better. See you both soon then XB
Hey Bridget, Look forward to catching up. I am sure the bear story will evolve..:)
Hey guys, well done! Have really enjoyed reading your posts. It was so interesting, I will miss the daily updates. Enjoy the trans-Siberian, – a well-deserved rest! NB: I have amended the map route, so it’s a bit more accurate and includes Lake Baikal, just for the record.
Oh, and it might have been a baby bear 🙂
Hey Cathy….laughing our heads off here…:)
Thanks for the map update. John will be able to relax now…:)
See you in a couple of months. Time to prepare for the next Stage.
Us
That’s good that you will see Moscow 🙂 Enjoy the train ride!
Hi! Anton, we’ll have a Vodka and toast you when there…:)
Well done Batman and Robyn. I am convinced it was bear, black (or brown), very big and hairy, possibly even a slightly (like youselves) lost polar bear. I am reminded of the case of ‘Lindy Chamberlain, a dingo got my baby’. This could have been ‘a bear got my lady’. A train!!!! All the way to Moscow. Frantically packing a bag and booking flight. Wait for meeee
laughing…bring Jen with you, and hurrrry…
I think there is mirth at my expense going on here..:) Lost, I always now where I am, when someone tells me..:)