Moscow

Moscow, Alec, and Yaroslav

Early morning airport arrivals can be a bit of a hassle. My flight from London reached Moscow (DME) at a crisp 4:20 am. The initial concern a traveler has at this time is that any of the airport goodies you were hoping for, even if there, are now closed. No SIM cards. No information desk. Not even some guy trying to sell me a hotel. Just a few cabbies knowing they’re about to hit their payday. Oh well.

I’ve mentioned it before, but the journey from airport into town is one the biggest hurdles you’ve got to get across. I had two plans for DME- get a hold of my hostel, and they would arrange a fixed-price taxi for me, and let me know his number and car lot (this was agreed upon previously with hostel manager Yaroslav). Back up plan was public transport. I’d take the train into town, then the metro the rest of the way, and walk the final bit.

Well…DME wifi is a tease. It connects, but all servers down. It’s no-go. That’s pretty annoying. Well, so usually I get ahold of a SIM card (or even ask somebody to borrow their phone!) and call ahead. Cue the immense lack of humans in this airport at 4:30 am. It appears the pre-arranged taxi option was fading. So time for the train, right?

Not quite. The train is, for reasons unknown to everybody (even the couple NON taxi people) not working right now. It should be up and going “sometime today”. Hmm…ok. I guess it’s time for the taxi. Naturally everybody is quoting me fairly high prices to get into town (granted, it is pretty early, and that costs more everywhere, but at least I had a reference price. After much arguing with random taxi guys, in comes Alec the cabbie. He tells me that he’ll do my price of 1000. I confirm, he agrees. I confirm again “da, da”. Alrighty, let’s give this a whirl.

Alec is a short, thin, white haired guy, who speaks pretty good english. I had the chance to practice Russian with him a little bit, and my accent was just enough to get me into trouble making him think I speak Russian (Pimsleur tapes are really, really good, but more on that later). He was pleasant enough and we got along fine. The drive is smooth highway driving for most of it, then in Moscow proper we hit a random swath of traffic. Out of nowhere, Alec, this short, nice man, becomes irate and is quite literally shouting into his windshield. “7-8, is OK, but 5 and 30 o’clock, %*$*@!”. In one surpsrinigly quick sequence of arm movements, Alec slams the wheel and reaches for his phone. I’m expecting him to call his taxi company, or something, but within half a second….

He plays clash of clans. I don’t know why, but this entire last 10 seconds struck me as hilarious. It was so fast and deliberate, as if done daily. The traffic clears up and reveals the source: a road maintenance vehicle somehow had it’s drivers side tire almost bent in half, with no other vehicles damaged in sight- I literally have no clue how that could happen. Alec tells him off as we pass, and off we go. Here comes the fun part.

On arrival near my hostel, Alec explains that 1000 rubles was the cost to get into his cab, and now I have to pay for the trip. Hmm, well, I was half expecting this, but that’s a new one to me. I was pretty annoyed, and we commenced arguing over prices. 5000…1000…4500…1000…yelling in russian at me…ok 1200…40000…Niet…4000 or else…?... There was an exchange of angry hand motions that concerned me slightly and I started to understand I wasn’t getting out of here without giving him a decent price. We eventually settled on 2500…which is about $36 USD, which for about an hour long cab ride, isn’t too bad. Looking back, based on the interaction as a whole, I actually don’t view Alec as twisting anything- I think it was an actual mixup about how his cab worked. I left the cab frustrated, and feeling a little sorry for what ended up seeming like a genuine miscommunication between the two of us.

It’s funny how your first moments in a country will start to affect your outlook. There was a moment where I thought “God I hate Russia”, and I haven’t even been here 2 hours, or seen anything this beautiful city had to offer. But we all do it. We draw conclusions, we get angry and start thinking irrationally. Cue Yaroslav, the Faso Hostel manager.

A breath of fresh air. Even at 6 am, this hostel was so welcoming to me, said it was no problem to go ahead to my dorm room and crash. This doesn’t always happen. Imagine getting there this early, having to store your stuff, and leave (here’s looking at you Barcelona). Understandably, a part of hostel policy, and it’s before check in, I get it, I get it. But it’s really nice to have somebody bend the rules for you, even when undeserved. Already, I’m prone to that experience-based judgment, and starting to enjoy Russia more. So fickle.

After I crashed for a while…OK a long while…I showered and cleaned up. Then I hit up Red Square (5 minute walk). The pictures in my album will do a better job showing all that part off (it was so beautiful- going back tomorrow fro Kremlin tours), but I wanted to bring the attention to how quickly we can make judgments on places. Even after traveling all over the world, my experiences can still so easily be dictated by difficult situations. Truth is- taxis are always pricey, airports are always far away, and 4:20am is always, always a terrible time to get in.

In every destination, there will be guys like Alec- who have a job to do, and are trying to make money, whether dishonestly, or honestly but there’s miscommunication. And in every destination, there are guys like Yaroslav- a genuine, nice guy who’s pretty excited to be running a brand new hostel (I’ve already obtained the job of advice-giver/new ideas guy). The issue is our perspective. This place has so much to offer, and my perspective needs to maintain an even keel. If you travel mentally prepared for these situations, it won’t surprise you, and hey, they’re just travel stories. If you don’t let negative experience taint your perspective, you are guaranteed to have a better time than letting it get you down. There’s probably some sub-profound application to everyday not-traveling, and I’ll go ahead and say “yes, I agree”. So with that- I’m off to bed, and going to have a great time at the Kremlin tomorrow! Will keep everybody posted, and check out the pictures in the album!!

-BK

London

Layover in London

I’ve written about layovers before. Sometimes they are just a passing existence inside an airline terminal, staring at over-priced suitcases and deciding if you want another starbucks coffee or buy that really cool pen at the countless random-shops. Sometimes we get really lucky though! I had a big fat layover in London (that I actually completely forgot that I had). I landed about 9am, and my outbound flight doesn’t leave until 10:30pm. Yikes! I say it’s time to explore!

The first annoying thing was that the powers that be had decided that my layover was “just too long” to keep my luggage in the bowels of Heathrow. Hence, I started my layover at the baggage claim getting that North Face bag I’m so proud of (I’m being dramatic, it was only about a 15 minute wait). I was a little concerned about dragging it around the city until I noticed, immediately after leaving customs, a convenient and cheap luggage-storage service! WHY DON’T WE HAVE MORE OF THESE! Charged by large-time chunks (1-2hours, 2-24hrs, 24-48 hours), and cost me about $10US. That’s nothing to be rid of my bag for the day!

Real quickly I decided to use an ATM to get some cash money into my hands. My general rule is that if the option to use plastic is available- take it. Once I get into this trip a bit, that ability will fade and I’ll need every bit of cash I brought along (or get along the way). It ended up working out, since I changed my remaining pounds into rubles for the next leg.

Then it was the all-important get-into-the-city problem. This issue exists in every single trip. It is probably the most overlooked large-scale problem to be solved by most travelers. Thanks to Peter Edmonds (whose fanciest pants brought him to oxford for a while) giving me the deets on it, I was able to hop right on the underground and go into the city. It’s remarkably easy: tube station is at the airport (Piccadilly line), and that line goes right into town. Takes almost an hour, but no transfers and not too expensive. I got off at Piccadilly Circus and started walking around pretty easily- thanks to the many tourist map posts around.

Confession: I saw one of those hop-on-hop-off buses, and I thought “Ya, I want that”. And so I did. It was actually a great deal and made the whole day very, very easy. I walked for a while (Trafalgar Square, The Horse Guards, Buckingham Palace) then hopped onto one of these guys and sat back and listened to the knowledgable, hilarious tour guide as we cruised around. I hopped off at London Tower and did a tour there. It was fantastic, and I got to check out the crown jewels to boot. Hopped back on and back off at Parliament..where I walked back towards Piccadilly Circus.

And back to the airport I went! Sounds simple enough- and it was! I by no means consider myself to have “conquered London”. I just took the time I had and got the most out of it, and it turns out that the main sights in London are pretty easy to access. What a great way to start the trip out! Well- I’m off to catch my flight to Moscow- so until we meet again, a big British toodaloo!!

Central Asia Day: Packing

Surprisingly, my packing list has never quite been solidified. Each trip has something slightly unique about it, and my traveling habits evolve with each trip. I’ve done everything from multi-month circumnavigations with an 18L bag, to bringing 2 (yes...2) suitcases along (OK, that also involved working..so I’ll justify it a little bit). So I figure I’d share my packing list for this current trip!

Where: Central Asia mostly, including Russia and western China.

Concerns: Variable weather: The Pamir mountains are no joke, especially during the month of April. On the other hand, the Kyzylkum Desert of Uzbekistan is as “desert” as it gets. I need to bring light clothing that can keep me warm. The key will be layering. An additional thing to keep in mind is souvenirs (I’m going ham this time), and electronics. I’ve decided to bring my laptop and camera, which adds another bag to the picture, for both security and practicality.

The List

Bags: North Face Terra 60- this is the main bag that’s holding my clothes, toiletries, accessories, and will be the home of the souvenirs I pick up (who needs a nice area rug?). Also, a Swiss Gear Synergy laptop bag. I liked this bag cause it will hold my laptop as well as my camera with easy access to both. I’m also a huge fan of pockets for other electronics/food/randoms...and this has plenty. This will be a major gear test on the trip.

Clothes:

• 3 EMS teckwick T shirts. My go to shirts- can wash one in the sinks each night and it’s dry and ready by morning
• 2 EMS long sleeve teckwick shirts. This can save on sunblock when exposed, and works as a good base layer. I probably only needed one, but I splurged
• Exofficio Travel Jacket: anything labeled “travel” usually deters me due to it being a little too much. This jacket is new to me (gear test), and so far I like it a lot. It’s not terribly warm, but is pretty comfy, and has a very smart pocket system for storing just about anything/everything (I said I liked pockets didn’t I?). Big bonus was airport security- everything went into theses comets, off came the jacket, one move, done.
• EMS 800-fill down jacket. Super warm. Water resistant. And folds up into it’s own pocket (fits into the Swiss Gear bag) and serves as a pillow to boot
• EMS Rain shield. Featherweight rain jacket to put over top anything above. No thrills, stuffs into an old MSR bag the size of my palm.
• Pants: Wrangler cargo pants. Go ahead, laugh. I find the hiking pants are a little stuffy; these are comfy, look fine, and let me act like an old man.
• Underwear/socks: enough, but not too much ;)
• Gym shorts- this is a creature comfort. I can’t sleep NOT in gym shorts. Unless naked. OK TMI.
• Swim shorts: Old Army issue PT shorts double as my swim wear. Very small. Good for me. Bad for everyone else.
• Well that’s what I have on me. Take a look at my photo album ent paris, just keep buying them). Can take a decent hike, are sturdy, waterproof, and look OK.
• Teva sandals: it’s nice to kick back and relax in something toehr than hiking shoes from tie to time. These are comfy and durable.

Electronics: This is easily the part that everybody forgets to appreciate takes A LOT of space. We’re evolving into a tech-gear traveling generation, and it’s not a bad thing. Just account for it, and organize your chargers!

• 15’ MacBook pro. This is a workhorse machine and is pretty tough. I’ve brought my laptop on many trips, and as long as you keep it by your side or locked up (with your own lock), you should be OK. Just don’t get stupid. Theres insurance (in case of theft) out there for your Mac, too.
• Canon 6D camera with 24-105 lens. Great full frame camera for nice pictures. Find one lens, get good at it. When I get hired by NatGeo, maybe I’ll start bringing more than one.
• GoPro Hero 4. Thanks mom and dad!!
• iPhone 5s. Honestly, this is so useful to have. Great for pictures, video, maps, booking hotels, etc. Even if you don’t get a local SIM card (recommended), wifi still works, and I’ve become a master of the “screen-shot-a-map” technique.
• Philips wireless speaker: Wanna be the hero at the hostel or bus ride? This is how. This is small, tough, waterproof and easy to use. Charge lasts a while too.
• DeLoreme satnav thing. Thanks to my friend Eric Siu. This will let me map out where I’m going so people can follow along!
• Chargers for all of the above. Most are USB on one end, hence, I also bring a multi port USB- this lets me charge multiple things at once (sure, reduces current, but still works). All of said chargers go into one little zip-up baggy I got from a United flight forever ago, then stores into the backpack. Easy peesy- wires controlled.

Miscellaneous: As in important to not forget.

• Passport...
• Passport photos. Go to CVS and get a sheet of 16 of these. Comes in handy for embassies and visas.
• Small note book. Jot down notes, spending, ideas, etc. Also store the passport photos in here.
• Wallet with Credit card (Sapphire preferred has no foreign fees), Debit card (ATMs for cash), AAA card (ya idk why), student ID (can save money sometimes), and a picture of the President. Just kidding.
• Cash money. Bring crisp, larger denomination bills. Split it up so it’s not in one place, and don’t be dumb about guarding it. Many of these countries operate cash-only, and if cash is stolen, it’s simply gone. Ouch.
• Paperclip. SIM cards, weapon.
• Headlamp
• Pens (2)
• SOG tactical knife
• 550 cord (clothesline, shoelace, etc).
• Watch
• First Aid Kit_ shout out to zofran and cipro
• Duct tape (fixes all things)
• Journal
• Books (travel guide, leisure)
• Headphones
• Earplugs. Keep the ones they give you on the airplane if you have to, but these are SO nice to have. Thank snoring hostel roommates to loud diesel engines when you get the wrong seat on the bus (or slow boat Ryan Buck).

Well that’s what I have on me. Take a look at my photo album and follow along. Looking forward to comments and thoughts. Have any items you never leave for a trip without? Until next time. -BK