Trans-Siberia Part II

Usually sequels are never as good as the original, however this sequel has all the makings of a smash hit that could well eclipse the last one. At least that is what I am aiming for. Just to bring those of you who are new to my writings up to date, last year I spent six and a half weeks traveling across Russia on the Trans-Siberian railway from Vladivostok to Helsinki, Finland in what turned out to be an epic and amazing trip. Along the way I stopped off and did some amazing things, met some incredible people and only added to my unending need to explore more and more of Russia.

This year my travels take me a bit of a different path. Whereas last year I took the Trans-Siberian railway along Russia’s southern border with China and Mongolia, this year I’ve opted to take the lesser traveled northern branch known by the acronym BAM (Baikal Amur Mainline). The BAM line has been a work in progress since the end of the Soviet days only recently being completed in its entirety. It will eventually lead me to the large Siberian city of Kransnoyarsk, which could be considered the half way point of Russia. From there I’ll follow the original Trans-Siberian line all the way to Moscow.

But before I start my journey again across Russia, I have a few bonus places I will be visiting. Because I am using United Airlines mileage plus points to fly to Asia I chose to fly Air Canada to Shanghai, China from Vancouver, BC. When I arrive in Shanghai I will take advantage of the 144 hour visa rule that only recently went into effect. I am pretty excited to visit this legendary world city! I’ve heard and seen so much about it that it’s hard to believe that in only a few short days I will be walking along The Bund (a river walkway in Shanghai known for its presence of colonial era architecture) and standing in the shadow of The Pearl Tower (a tower resembling something you might expect to see out of a science fiction film).

Once I finish in Shanghai I will fly to Seoul for an overnight stay before I head to Vladivostok. Last year I was lucky enough to see a lot of Seoul and to even get to go to The DMZ and step over the line into North Korea for a few short moments. Due to time constraints I will not be heading back up to The DMZ. However, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’ve had an incessant desire to visit North Korea. Unfortunately due to the shenanigans of Kim Jung Un and the recent taking of an American tourist as a prisoner my dreams of a North Korea vacation will have to wait a bit L ! Oh well……always next year………..maybe……….ummmmmm……uh probably not. But I hold out hope that someday I can venture into The Hermit Kingdom. 

In Vladivostok I’ll have the chance to visit two of my friends’ classrooms. I always enjoy seeing how education works in other nations and this should be no exception. It should be a lot of fun to meet new people and see others I haven’t seen for nearly a year.

Russia is constantly changing so it’ll be interesting to see how and if it has changed. After what I’ve seen my past 9 times to Russia the only thing I can expect is the unexpected.