Travelling well

Well I'm nearly a fortnight into my trip now, amazing.  When i first started planning this i remember reading someones blog where he described Russians as dour and obviously was reasonably pleased to get out of the country by the end of his travels.  it was always one of those things that stuck in the back of my mind and nagged at me - making me wonder would i regret planning so much time here.  Well I don't know what happened to him - but the Russians here in their far east are anything but dour.  A more hospitable people I have yet to meet - as you will see as iyour read on.

I'm now in Komsomolsk which is as far north as I can reasonably get and today will back-track slightly then start to head west. Komsolock was described in the guide book as a pretty town.  First impressions maybe were not so positive in this sense - the photos below are from a walk around the block from my hotel.

 

[caption id="attachment_148" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Komsomlosk- bus station"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_149" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Typical apartment housing"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_150" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="River Amur - beach front"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_151" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Ferry terminal - in summer a hydrofoil is main transport south and north"][/caption]

Then I went for a walk into the city proper and suddenly it all changed:

[caption id="attachment_152" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Typical main street building"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_153" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="and another"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_154" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Not everything is restored yet - but still beautiful"][/caption]

 

The town which was started from nothing in 1932 gives the impression it was well cared for in the past and then fell on hard times, possibly at the end of the Communist era, and now again is beginning to prosper.  lots of things that were decayed are now being repaired and there is an air of life about it.  A very pleasant aspect is the relative lack of cars - a bit like the UK in the 60-70's and trolley buses still rule the main street.

[caption id="attachment_155" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Trolley bus on main street"][/caption]

On my walk around town on my first night here I met a group of bike riders so I said hello (and little else given my Russian) and after a few photo's headed back to the hotel.  The next day out of the blue I then got a visit at the hotel from Kosta, his son Alexi and daughter Anna asking me to be their guest that night on a boat trip on the river.  Anna and Alexi both spoke good English having just spend a month studying in Sydney - its a small world. It turns out Kosta is a member of the local branch of the Iron Tigers group i met in Vladivostok.  I have to be out of this hotel room in 30 minutes so don't have time to give the full story of the evening but the pictures below give a flavour;

[caption id="attachment_156" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Kosta - and his boat in the foreground"][/caption]

 

 

 

[caption id="attachment_157" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Kosta and wife Galileya"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_159" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Anna and Alexi"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_160" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="Vera ( the family grandmum!) and Anna"][/caption]

The river scenery was beautiful - but my little camera didn't do it justice - so only people photo's.

After the run on the river I then went on a ride with half a dozen of the local Iron Tigers group to a local swimming hole.  absolutely beautiful and totally hidden away - I would never have found it by myself.

[caption id="attachment_161" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Ride group"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_162" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Swimming hole"][/caption]

Following that we went back to town and met up with more bikers - and other locals.

[caption id="attachment_163" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Komsomolsk Bikers - the friendliest group you can imagine."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_164" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="No caption needed!"][/caption]

So as I said the Russians (at least those in the far east) are turning out to be the friendliest people imaginable and absolutely marvellous hosts.  Thank you to them all.

 

Time has not permitted any proof reading of this post so I hope it is legible.  There probably will be no more updates for a few days since I'll be travelling - look after yourselves folks.