Russia Entries Towards the Edge G Friday, September 3rd, 2010 Our breath hangs in the air like clouds this morning as we emerge from our tent and notice the white horse still quietly sharing our camp, munching away on grass now laced with frost. There is somet... Number One G Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 We've seen some truly incredible landscapes on this adventure. Over the last year and some months, Mother Nature has served up wonders like the Amalfi Coast, the fjords of Norway, the Swiss Alps, th... Back on Track G Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 With a reluctant squeeze, we left our little puppy friend to frolic in the flowers and sleep in the shade. We packed our LRC, and headed back the way we'd come, driving past the same scenery for the... Working at Lake Teletskoye G Tuesday, August 31st, 2010 We started our day looking for information about Uchar Waterfall. Our investigation turned up some interesting news: the falls are very young, just a few hundred years old, and they were only discov... To the Cabin G Monday, August 30th, 2010 Back when we were planning our trip, Russia was this mammoth lumbering place I wasn't excited about visiting. Tyler always wanted to go, but I saw the vast landmass as something to "get through" in ... Backtracking G Sunday, August 29th, 2010 This morning, we continued our drive through the Altay Mountains, enjoying the scenery of Chuisky Trakt for a second time. After passing the spot where we turned around yesterday, we felt a bit bett... Camping on the Katun G Saturday, August 28th, 2010 This morning, our car caught the fallen evidence of changing seasons – it is getting more autumny here in Russia by the day! Amidst orange leaves drifting softly to the ground, we left our farm fi... The Way to Mongolia G Friday, August 27th, 2010 As Tyler journaled this morning, I began doing some research about the next phase of our road trip: the Altay region of Siberia. As I did so, I noticed that Chuisky Trakt, billed as one of the most ... Stuck in the Woods G Thursday, August 26th, 2010 Tyler: We'll, it was bound to happen eventually. Off-roading through the forests and fields of Russia in a tiny hatchback isn't exactly the most prudent plan (but it sure is fun). While piloting ou... Morning Chai G Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 It is a chilly grey morning. Heavy clouds hang overhead, threatening rain. Even so, we pack our camp at a leisurely pace, paying no mind to the potential deluge. Once everything is in order, I dir... Off the Beaten Path PG Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 Our last adventure in the Siberian countryside left us feeling like it might be a good idea to stick to the highway for at least a few days. Though off-roading in our LRC is exciting, we want to be ... In Search of Rest G Saturday, August 21st, 2010 Tyler: Our goal this morning is simple: get to Omsk and check into a hotel. We've had enough excitement in the last 24 hours to last a month (okay, not a month, but at least a few days!). It has be... Fire on the Border G Friday, August 20th, 2010 I messed up when publishing our previous entry, Racing Through Russia's Heartland. It is fixed now! Tyler: While making our way back to the highway leading into Omsk, we spot a grey plume of smok... Racing Through Russia's Heartland G Friday, August 20th, 2010 It is a sleepy day in Siberia. A recent series of several time-zone crossings have disoriented me a bit, and I find myself battling odd patterns of sleep and wakefulness. This, combined with a quie... Are We There Yet? G Thursday, August 19th, 2010 Last night, another pesky cop pulled us over. During the time we'd normally spend searching for a safe place to sleep, we were patiently doling out our paperwork, tapping our feet surreptitiously, a... Yekaterinburg G Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 We're on a major road in the outskirts of Yekaterinburg. The main highway has morphed into speeding city traffic – Tara is navigating as we make our way to the city center. "Okay," she instructs,... We're In ASIA! G Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 I'm driving to Yekaterinburg while Tara sits in the passenger's seat, reading to me about the busy city from our Trans-Siberian Railway guide. Even though we aren't on the train, we're inordinately ... Home in the Woods G Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 Yesterday, we left the Kungur Ice Cave and headed eastwards, driving until dusk. When we spied what looked like a tractor's path snaking into the hills nearby, we pulled off the main road with high ... Kungur Ice Cave G Monday, August 16th, 2010 Destination: Kungur Ice Cave. With an epic-sounding name, and the mystique of being located in what one would think is the middle of nowhere, we spent the morning entertaining fantasies of arriving ... Distractions G Sunday, August 15th, 2010 Tyler: I possess a strange affinity for taking unassuming vehicles to places where they might not belong. For reasons I can't really articulate, I was ecstatic about driving off-road in our trusty l... Friendly Russia G Saturday, August 14th, 2010 It seems that anyone who has traveled far and wide eventually comes to the conclusion that no matter where you roam, people are very much the same. Having heard variations of this idea my entire lif... VIGILANCE! G Friday, August 13th, 2010 We milked our expensive hotel stay for all it was worth, working in the lobby on their wireless internet connection for most of the morning. After we published a few entries, we struck up conversati... A Brief Walk in Kazan G Friday, August 13th, 2010 We woke early today, and headed into the city for some sight-seeing. Off to the Kremlin we walked, along a canal and past several churches. Tyler was excited when we saw an onion dome which was onl... Into Kazan G Wednesday, August 11th, 2010 More and more, Russia is reminding me of Romania. In both countries, back-aching manual labor in the fields is the norm, and yet old and young alike seem to spend much of their days quietly resting ... Down for the Count G Tuesday, August 10th, 2010 When I am writing, I sometimes imagine that we are talking to our families, to our friends, or maybe even to ourselves in twenty years. Occasionally, I like to pretend that our future offspring will... Russia's Golden Ring: Suzdal G Monday, August 9th, 2010 The tiny town of Suzdal is purportedly the home of more than one hundred architectural monuments (and fifteen monasteries too). We're still a little unclear on what actually constitutes a monument, ... To the Swimming Hole G Sunday, August 8th, 2010 We start our morning by returning to Hundertwasser: Coffee & Blah Blah Blah to enjoy a few more cappuccinos. Not exactly eager leave our climate controlled surroundings, we procrastinate, putting of... Russia's Beautiful Homes G Saturday, August 7th, 2010 Before coming to Russia, I really had no idea what to expect outside of some vague notions of Soviet apartment buildings, lots of blocky concrete structures and the endless steppe of Siberia. I was ... Russia's Golden Ring: Yaroslavl G Friday, August 6th, 2010 We leave the Kremlin of Rostov, and hop in our LRC for some more driving. The next stop in our Golden Ring tour, turns out to be too big a city for our tastes. To do it justice, we'll have to spend... Russia's Golden Ring: Rostov PG Friday, August 6th, 2010 The cities on our Golden Ring tour are teeming with ancient architecture, including loads of Russia's iconic onion domes. Leaving Petroslavl-Zalessky, Tara read from a website I'd saved about our ne... Russia's Golden Ring: Pereslavl-Zalessky G Friday, August 6th, 2010 In spite of the difficulty, getting out of Moscow last night was an excellent plan. We're told the smoke, smog and heat (caused by the forest fires covering Western Russia) escalated to new levels o... Absurd G Thursday, August 5th, 2010 We dismiss Evgeniy's wise warning about traffic, and our own rule about not rushing, and leave Moscow at precisely the wrong time. We've stayed in the city until five o'clock, and are now running ar... This is Elizabeth G Wednesday, August 4th, 2010 When Tyler and Tara pulled up in their red Corolla, I was glad to see them, and impressed that they'd navigated their way through crazy Moscow traffic to my husband and my apartment. I didn't know T... A Day in Moscow G Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010 This morning, Elizabeth taught me how to make syrniki, or sweet cheese fritters, for breakfast. She learned the recipe from her Russian in-laws, and as a fellow cooking lover, she was excited to sha... Americans in Russia G Monday, August 2nd, 2010 Tyler's cousin, an ex-pat working as a journalist and English teacher in Moscow, lives less than a kilometer from Evgeniy. They haven't seen each other since they were twelve, and we're all going to... Objectification 101 G Monday, August 2nd, 2010 This morning, while Tyler showers, our host Evgeniy begins earnestly instructing me on the merits of various breast shapes and sizes. As he scrolls through an online forum where Russian women regula... TGI Friday's on Sunday G Sunday, August 1st, 2010 This morning, Evgeniy came up with a brilliant idea. He suggested we buy a fishing pole to take advantage of all the lakes and rivers in Siberia! He and his wife Svetlana were planning on going sho... Special Day G Saturday, July 31st, 2010 Here we are, in Red Square, in Moscow. We can hardly believe it! The first thing we notice is not the giant statue of Lenin or the colorful oniony domes of St. Basil's Cathedral, however, but some ... Driving With Evgeniy R Saturday, July 31st, 2010 We're in the back seat of Evgeniy's car; he is giving us a ride to Moscow's Red Square, a straight shot, ten kilometers from his apartment. His wife, or as Evgeniy prefers, "pussycat", Svetlana, is ... Crazy Russians R Friday, July 30th, 2010 Traffic into Moscow is a non-event this afternoon. So is finding the home of our Russian contact, Evgeniy. What a relief! We've just pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex; Tara is s... Wild West: Moscow Bound, Part Three G Thursday, July 29th, 2010 We're on the M10, the only major thoroughfare between St. Petersburg and Moscow. Night is slowly descending. We've decided to cover another hundred kilometers or so before stopping to find our firs... Breaking the Law: Moscow Bound, Part Two G Thursday, July 29th, 2010 Back at the car, a crushing front of heat pours from either side when we open its doors. Cringing a bit, we roll down the driver and passenger windows, crank open the moon roof, and crack the rear w... Palaces and Kremlins: Moscow Bound, Part One G Thursday, July 29th, 2010 It is another sunny, smoggy day in Russia. We pack up and leave Aleksandr's apartment in the morning as he's heading out for work. We shake hands and thank him for having us, and he wishes us all t... Morbid Curiosity R Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 Just a few days ago while staying with our friend Mia in Finland, she mentioned that someone she knew had seen a gruesome collection of dead babies in jars while on a trip to St. Petersburg. This se... Photos from St. Petersburg G Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 Tara and I are both grappling with a bit of Russian culture shock at the moment. Figuring out the most healthy manner in which to approach the shockingly overt misogyny and racism we've encountered ... Heat Wave G Monday, July 26th, 2010 St. Petersburg is currently setting all-time records for heat. We're not enthusiastic about going out this morning, but we need to get our visas registered. Though we have three business days to co... Into Saint Petersburg PG Sunday, July 25th, 2010 Tyler: We've just crossed the Russian border, and are now driving towards St Petersburg. As we cruise through the familiar scenery of birch and pine forests, I flip on the radio. A crackly voice co... Russian Border Crossing G Sunday, July 25th, 2010 I had butterflies in my stomach as we left our free-camp this morning. As Tyler drove, I made doubly sure that we had every thing in order. Passports, drivers licenses (international and US), car r... Russian Logistics G Wednesday, May 5th, 2010 A few months ago, Tara's brother Lian jokingly mentioned we should drive across Russia. His idea was in response to a logistical problem we've known about for some time: we don't have the six months...