RTW

[strimstrum]

Hi Thomas

We are staying at what was called Vladivostok Hotel - It used to be on the fourth floor of a building shared by another hotel - the Azimut. However, it has all merged into one hotel and is now called the Azimut |Hotel (but the locals still know nwhere you want to go if you say Hotel Vladivostok). The website is www.azimuthotels.ru - we actually booked it and paid in advance via Hotels.com at around £52 a night for a twin bed room with en suite shower& toilet plus TV. Watch out though Thomas - 2012 Vladivostok is hosting some kind of Pan Asian conference and rooms will be like rocking horse Sh*t and probably more expensive. Don't know exact dates - try and find out a bit more on Google if you can. We met Yuri Melnikov today, our customs clearing agent. He is a nice guy. He says that customs will take around a week or so to get our bikes. There is limited parking at the hotel and there is a barrier entry system with a man on guard (don't know if he is there overnight but I'm sure we will find out soon enough). We nhave just got back from the big shop nearby - we needed sopas/shampoo/washing detergent etc etc that we couldn't bring with us on plane.

Love to Pia

Regards

Martin

PS Will post a pic of the car park in next hour or so

[strimstrum]

Thomas

Car park as taken from our 11th floor room so turn your head sideways

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The white round building is where the entrance is and that's where the guard sits.

Some more pics taken today

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Just the usual things you find as you stroll around the park

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Entrance to Hotel Vladivostok

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Typical street scene town centre

[T.REX63]

Thanx Martin, that's great info Looking forward to more pics & tale from the road...

[Alun]

I've just bought a few weeks worth of popcorn for the trans Russia vids. Could we also have a Vodka report please.

[strimstrum]

I've just bought a few weeks worth of popcorn for the trans Russia vids. Could we also have a Vodka report please.

Believe it or not Alun we haven't seen much in the way of vodka drinking. The guy in the bar next to us last night was drinking Tequila (admittedly straight - no fancy cocktails) but the drink of choice seems to be a beer. All very civilised - we even have wifi in our room.

Biggest surprise so far is just how busy the traffic is here in the city but it is all even tempered stuff.

Here are a couple more pics

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Small submarine parked up amongst the trees - as you do...

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Don't ask - I haven't got a clue either

Martin

[Redmurty]

I've just bought a few weeks worth of popcorn for the trans Russia vids. Could we also have a Vodka report please.

Believe it or not Alun we haven't seen much in the way of vodka drinking. The guy in the bar next to us last night was drinking Tequila (admittedly straight - no fancy cocktails) but the drink of choice seems to be a beer. All very civilised - we even have wifi in our room.

Biggest surprise so far is just how busy the traffic is here in the city but it is all even tempered stuff.

Here are a couple more pics

Pics 37 010.jpg

Small submarine parked up amongst the trees - as you do...

Pics 37 005.jpg

Don't ask - I haven't got a clue either

Martin

I would strongly suspect the red and white things are/were mines look an odd shape to be a bouy ? give a real hard smack with a sledge and see if it goes bang cheers Spud

[Bushman_uk]

One major issue that Martin has omitted , i thought Tatu in Estonia had the highest percent of beautifull ladies well this place beats every place in the world , each little temptress must come from the central clone factory , these men living here just don't know how lucky they are to have this. I shall grab a few pics tomorrow camera battery was dead today !!

[Barcelona Pat]

One major issue that Martin has omitted , i thought Tatu in Estonia had the highest percent of beautifull ladies well this place beats every place in the world , each little temptress must come from the central clone factory , these men living here just don't know how lucky they are to have this. I shall grab a few pics tomorrow camera battery was dead today !!

can't wait - cheers guys

[strimstrum]

We have lots of pics of Vladivostock but noe with our bikes as yet - a few days to go before they even get here let alone the 5 days or so it takes to get them out of customs. We are meeting with our fixer, Yuri, again tonight to thrash out some details of the process of clearing the bikes and also deal with a big issue for us - the registration of our visas. As a foriegn national we must register if we stay in any city for longer than 3 days failure to do it is not an option and could cause us problems getting accommodation along the route if our paperwork is squiffy. In the meantime - some holiday snaps....

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Me stood at Vladivostok station - the end of the line for 5,750 mile 8 day train journey from Moscow

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View of the station looking the other way

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Fog burning off and leaving lovely sunny day

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Bay View

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Market day in the square

[Bushman_uk]

there's one

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there's another one

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