Previous Next Facebook Instagram GeorgiaGeorgia, a country at the intersection of Europe and Asia, is a former Soviet republic that’s home to Caucasus Mountain villages and Black Sea beaches. It’s famous for Vardzia, a sprawling cave monastery dating to the 12th century, and the ancient wine-growing region Kakheti. The capital, Tbilisi, is known for the diverse architecture and maze-like, cobblestone streets of its old…
Previous Next Facebook Instagram I make it to the border and its one of the easier ones, no pictures and blow me I cant remember much about this one, and that is unusual for a border, still in the Asia customs union so Irene sails through, nothing to check and I am clear in under an hour, one thing I do remember the border…
Facebook Instagram KazakhstanThis is one huge country, with an area of 2,700,000 square kilometers (1,000,000 sq mi) – is equivalent in size to Western Europe – Kazakhstan is the ninth-largest country and largest landlocked country in the world. The varied landscape stretches from the mountainous, heavily populated regions of the east to the sparsely populated, energy-rich lowlands in the west, and from the industrialised north,…
Facebook Instagram Russian Altai The Altai Republic is situated within the Russian part of the Altai Mountains system, which covers a large part of the Republic and continues into neighbouring Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China.More than 20,000 tributaries sprawl throughout the mountainous Republic, making for a total of more than 60,000 kilometres (37,000 mi) worth of waterways. The republic's largest rivers are the Katun and the Biya, both of which originate in the mountains and flow northwards.…
Facebook Instagram Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia. Its area is roughly equivalent with the historical territory of Outer Mongolia, and that term is sometimes used to refer to the current state. It is sandwiched between China to the south and Russia to the north. Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, although only 37 kilometres (23 mi) separates them.At 1,564,116 square kilometres (603,909 sq mi), Mongolia is the 18th-largest and the most sparsely…
Facebook Instagram Brief History Magadan was founded in 1930 in the Magadan river valley, during the Stalin era, Magadan was a major transit centre for prisoners sent to labour camps. From 1932 to 1953, it was the administrative centre of the Dalstroy organization—a vast and brutal forced labour gold-mining operation and forced-labour camp system. The town later served as a port for exporting gold…
Facebook Instagram The Road of Bones The Kolyman Highway is also known as the Road of Bones, because the skeletons of the forced labourers who died during its construction were used in many of its foundations. The Dalstroy construction directorate built the Kolyma Highway during the USSRs Stalinist era. Inmates of Sevvostlag labour camp started the first stretch in 1932, and construction continued with the use…
Facebook Instagram We leave Vladivostok, I was dreading this leap into the unknown, especially after the drama leaving Seoul. As it turns out its not too bad, Gary’s MapsME navigation works OK, and the further away from the city we go the less traffic there is.....nice! We stop early as its the big England game on tonight, after we lock the bikes up we…
Facebook Instagram We have breakfast on the ship before we arrive at the port, its very exciting as ropes are thrown ashore and the ship docks.........we leave, my first time in Russia, it feels so very different even to South Korea, more western trappings stripped away..the text on buildings at the docks now totally incomprehensible and alien to my eyes.........all of our Import and…
Facebook Instagram We arrive at Incheon Airport in SeoulIncheon Airport is a stunning introduction to this hi-tech country, all curves, stainless steel and glass....the transit system into Seoul is slick..The trains are spotless.... we travelled all day, over 100Km for around $10! South Korea appartments South Korea has a population of over 51 million people, so its no suprise I guess that appartment blocks…