Blog - Page 2 of 2 - Michael Pruchnie

Return to Irkutsk

17th February 2022
This was a 5-hour journey back to Irkutsk (due to the traffic) and an afternoon and evening to rest ready for the very early trip to the station and back on train.

18th February 2022
Early morning it was back in the train to Ulan Ude along the southern shore of Lake Baikal and then towards the Mongolian border which was closed due to Covid restrictions.
The journey was relatively short but the scenery along the shore was wonderful. Luckily, I was on the perfect side of the train to sit quietly and just watch the progress of the train along the southern edge of the lake and then onto Ulan Ude.
It gave me a chance to see the size of the lake and the lack of industrialisation and civilisation along the lake shore. Apart from small settlements and the very occasional summer port the scenery was very barren and desolate with endless and flat snowfields with very occasional trees. This was very different to the start of the trip where the scenery was dominated by fir trees and later with Siberian silver birch trees.

Arrival in Ulan Ude
To see and experience Buddhist temples and Buryrat ceremonies
The Buryats are a Mongolian people numbering at 516,476 (at the last census) , comprising one of the two largest indigenous groups in Siberia, the other being the Yakuts but in Ulan Ude , Buryats are Buddhist rather than Shaman in culture as are their compatriots in Mongolia .
The impression of the city when I arrived was one of chaos and lack of traffic system and at first I felt as if I was in another country rather than Russia. Also, the air was very heavy and polluted which I later understood was because their power stations are all coal fired and due to the geography of the city the pollution was trapped under the cloud cover, so I was happy to leave the city and start with the tours the following morning.

19th February Tours
One of the main features of Ulan Ude is Soviet square with the world’s largest head of the Vladimir Lenin, standing 13.5 metres high and weighing 12 tonnes and made from Bronze. It had to be shipped in parts by rail and then installed in one go on a granite pedestal. The square was full of ice carvings and children were playing in the square, which was lovely. The square is surrounded by typical soviet architecture and buildings and we briefly visited the old Soviet hotel which is still favoured today by the political elite (it is also surrounded by security buildings). Next to the monument to Lenin, stands a People’s Khural building, the residence of the Buryatian President. While behind the enormous head of the leader, there is a building of the House of the Soviets with main ministries of the RB Government and city administration offices.
Most people do not realise that it was Stalin who reversed Soviet laws and allowed the continuation of Buddhist culture in Russia as practiced by the Buryats

From this centre visit (very fast) we drove to the countryside to experience two different typical cruise and cultural tours of the region. The first was the most interesting and culturally fascinating and the second was rather disappointing to say the least. However, I was determined to make the best of the visit and get maximum feeling for the people and the culture as well as the traditions.

The afternoon with the Buryat Buddhist family and typical experiences and traditions was a wonderful experience both from the point of view of learning and meeting wonderful people but also having a very different experience and just unwinding after the trip so far.
The traditions of the Buddhist Buryat community are really interesting and although I did not get the opportunity to sleep in a Ger, I had the opportunity to have tea in a typical Ger and then lunch and entertainment in a solid Ger built with all the traditional design and simple beauty from local timber.
This family group were in fact of Mongolian descent and very well educated. Svetlana (the leader of the family) was a professor of linguistics (most French) and also a well-known traditional writer, Vika was also a professor and spoke very good English and was the main cook and teacher and Albina was their main singer and assistant.
They told me that for the previous 2 years they had not seen any foreigners due to Covid (the story as with other places) and were really very thankful that I was the first. This struck me as very poignant and knowing the war had started, I knew that I might be one of the last they would see for a while.
The visit was broken into three parts, learning about the traditions and also how Ger’s are constructed, then typical food and ways of dressing and entertainment and finally typical sports. I decided to play my part in the process and entertainment and did my best to make everyone laugh and also enjoy the meeting. To be honest, given my innate shyness I really excelled myself.
I count myself lucky to experience the traditions and to learn more about an interesting culture but also to have the opportunity to meet such lovely and warm people with a genuine interest in showing off their roots and life’s
I know the photos of me in traditional dress are “interesting “but, in truth I really enjoyed the experience and interaction with such lovely people. Those who know me realise that this is not something I normally enjoy but for a few hours or pleasant company and in an effort to understand the traditions and culture, it was fun .

20th February tours:
The visit to the Rimpoche-Bagsha Datsan in Ulan Ude was really overshadowed by the visit afterwards to the Ivolginsky Datsan but was nerveless very impressive. perched on the top of a local mountain in Ulan Ude, the Datsan has commanding views of the countryside and if there would have been no pollution, I have no doubt that it would have been very impressive. However, its location and isolation is inspirational to Buddhists to visit it and certainly it made an impression on me. I found the fascination of marble pathways and pavements very challenging for walking on the layer of ice and I had trouble occasionally of maintaining my dignity and avoiding slipping, so slow walking was the order of the day.
The air was fresh and sharp with a strong wind chill and I was told it was minus 30°C, certainly my cheeks and face were testament to the low temperature and wind chill. Walking around was interesting and as per tradition I was given a prayer sheet to hang on the prayer tunnels outside the temple buildings. The choice of yellow was related to my Chinese birth date and apparently just by hanging it up the wind would take my prayers along without the need to say anything.
We went to the main hall where the prayers and chants we being undertaken and again I was told that I was lucky as there was a full amount of Lama’s present including the senior Lama (8 in all). I was fascinated by watching the faithful sitting quietly, occasionally prostrating themselves in front of the lama’s and also going and paying for specific prayers to be made for themselves. The chanting was really mesmerising and calming however I was conscious about being there and suggested we leave and go to the main Datsan and see other temples. What really struck me was the way the faithful sat, quietly and calmly and even children did not fidget and make noises. Everything was really calm and peaceful

Visit to the “Non-orthodox” Ukrainian Christian settlement north of Ulan Ude
The late afternoon/early evening with the regional non- orthodox Ukrainian Christians in traditional evening entertainment was a little disappointing for various reasons.
It was a different experience to the Buryrat one and although it covered living style and traditions as well as food and dancing, in all honesty I did not really get the most out of the experience. In some respects, I found that it gave me an insight into how previous generations lived in the Russian Empire which was actually interesting, I found the experience very tiring and a little boring to be honest. But I did my best to join in and show interest and attention.

Visit to the Ivolginsky Datsan:
The most fascinating Buddhist temple that we visited (of the two of the main ones in Ulan Use) was the Ivolginsky Datsan (Buddhist monastery). It is located at the foot of the Khambar-Daban mountain range 30 kilometres away from Ulan-Ude.
As a historical background note, the Ivolginsky Datsan opened in 1945. It’s the residence of Pandito Hambo Lama, the head of the Buddhists of Russia. The monastery’s main relic is the body of Pandito Hambo Lama the 12th, which is considered to be incorruptible and lies in a glass sarcophagus. The Buddhist monastery has a Buddhist University for the novices.
It was visited by Dmitry Medvedev when he was president in 2009 and then a few years later by Vladimir Putin and is regarded as the main Buddhist temple in Russia.
I was given a number of honours in the temple in that I was the first foreigner to visit it since Covid and allowed to eat in the Presidents Ger and the meal was catered by the head of the Datsan support committee herself. interestingly the meal was all hand made to her family recopies which she assured me were generations old. It was delicious to be honest. A Russian tour group tried to join us and were rather un ceremonially shown the ay to the canteen and were rather aggrieved to say the least.
The Datsan is a series of buildings, temples and accommodation with traditional prayer units which have to be rotated as you visit the Datsan. Each temple was different and in essence was interesting leaving me with a wish to understand more about Buddhism afterwards.
Lama Simeon
However, there was a very strange incident in one temple which had a profound effect on me which to this day still resonates in me. We were in one temple and there was a Lama tidying up some artifacts and cleaning when we walked in. His name was Simeon. Apparently, he was well known and unlike the other Lama’s was Russian not Buryat from Samara. I was told he was a very quiet man and normally does not interact with visitors unless there was a reason.
His smile was infectious and he asked my guide what my name was and where I came from and then walked away from us. He suddenly turned round and asked if he could bless me.
The Guide was surprised and said in all the years he had taken visitors round the Datsan no one was ever blessed.
It was an amazing feeling as he placed his hands on my head, my mind just moved very quickly and memories and inner- most emotions from the past came and went, it was like a whirlwind of emotions and seemed to last for a long time, rather than the few seconds of contact. I was shocked and really initially unsettled by the experience but quickly felt calm and rested very quickly. I have never experienced such a feeling and effect and rather than unsettling me , it was very reassuring and pleasant .
He smiled, wished me a safe trip and said perhaps in the future we will meet again as he was certain we will meet somewhere again.
The guide was in shock and for the rest of the day kept on talking about this event over and over and afterwards told me that he did not understand why the Lama acted that way and that he must have felt something or some reason he needed to do it. He kept on saying that I should feel very blessed and lucky.
Either way, I took it as a complement.

Train to Khabarovsk:

21st February 2022 I was used now to the procedure of getting on the train, finding my cabin and settling down and managed this quite quickly as it was minus 32°C and I needed to warm up and get my boots and warm clothes off. I felt secure in the routine and welcomed the chance to have some quiet time to reflect and consider everything that I had seen and experienced along the way. it was certainly the highlight of the trip so far and left a lasting impression on me. The journey was highlighted by the most interesting and spectacular cloud formations that I have ever seen and really was one of the highlights of the whole train journey across Russia. Maybe I had been travelling too long in isolation but I can see a formation that looks like Trump or a character from the Simpsons. Either way it was interesting and brightened up the endless rolling along the countryside which was becoming so familiar. The journey was uneventful and after a night’s sleep, I arrived in Khabarovsk.

Khabarovsk I was really happy to be off the train again and to have my feet well routed on the ground once more. This was a last-minute addition to the trip schedule as Covid restrictions eliminated a few side trips and Khabarovsk was subsequently added. This turned out to be a really memorable and interesting stop and I want to revisit it in the future to see more of the city and its surrounding region. Being met off the train as previously by a lady that I thought was my guide but in fact was a driver thankfully as she did not speak English, only Russian and Japanese. I did not want to communicate too much in Russian as I was tired and also the effect of my isolation on the train was making me reticent to talk in any language and on reflection must have appeared strange to people that I met in the first instance. I was really wondering how we would communicate the following day on the tour, but being too tired, I decided to leave it until the following day, I just wanted a bath and bite to eat, then early night. What I did see was a really lovely city, beautifully laid out with some wide boulevards and interesting mix of European style municipal buildings with typically soviet style blocks and then finally very modern buildings and apartments. I knew of Khabarovsk from its river (the Amur) as previously I had looked at a gas project in Amur province. I knew how impressive the Amur River is and remembered photos showing its beauty in the winter frozen solid. The following morning, I was delighted to have the opportunity to see Khabarovsk through the eyes and descriptions of Professor Tatiyana Khruscheva, who is a well-respected linguist and professor on the University of Pacific Eastern. Her relaxed style of communication, ease of describing facts and historical details as well as her fluent English made this a really interesting time. She spoke with great knowledge and used her communicating and emotional skills to great effect. It was really impressive and enjoyable. This area has a wealth of indigenous tribal history and exploders and settlers together with various treaties with China (which is very close to Khabarovsk). Fascinating history which led to the city becoming the capital of the region until a few years ago when Moscow decided to change the regional capital to Vladivostok.

Tour to Birobidzhan

25th February 2022
Due to a change in schedule at the last minute caused by some Covid restrictions being placed upon past of the original trip schedule, I decided to take a day to visit Birobidzhan from Khabarovsk.
A train journey going back on the Trans-Siberian train towards Ulan Ude (2.5 hours) to explore this area and its Jewish culture and history dating back to 1928 and the formation of the zone.
The Jewish Autonomous Oblast (JAO; is a federal subject of the Russia Federation in the Russian Far East, bordering Khabarovsk Krai and Amur Oblast in Russia and Heilongjiang province in China. Its administrative centre is the town of Birobidzhan.
Birobidzhan is named after two left tributaries of the Amur, the Biro and the Bidzhan.
The train journey took 2.5 hours in a very crowded carriage of tourist class, thankfully I had a lower bunk to sit on. Some people were eating meals from home and the smell of the food was very mixed and “interesting “. This was another occasion where I watched the people around me with some fascination. Just normal people travelling on the train.
I was fascinated by the upper bunks and could not work out how people would squeeze into the small area of the bunk. seasoned travellers would have no problems but I could not see how it was possible or comfortable.
Little did I know that I would be allocated one of these on the way back. “innocence is bliss”.

Upon arrival into Birobidzhan station I was met by two ladies who were to be my guides for the day. They were leading members of the community (both called Alla, or Albina) and Sergei the head of the community who was our driver. Their warm welcome and smiles were infectious and immediately I felt relaxed and amongst friends.
I wrote this short article for Bimah magazine which describes my time in Birobidzhan and some of the information that was passed to me.
“Arriving at the station in Birobidzhan (a warm minus 10°C) early in the morning was a break from worrying about the situation in Ukraine, sanctions, anti-foreigner sentiment and, more importantly how I would get home and when. I had been away in Russia from late January 2022 and this was now February 19th. It was a chance to put these worries aside and throw myself into Birobidzhan, its Jewish heritage and community. I was escaping reality for a day in a town which was established partially as a safe Jewish home land established in 1928 and initially settled in 1932 in the Russian Far East.
Reality could wait until tomorrow.
I was the first foreigner for 2 years since Covid lockdowns and was honoured that the Chairman of the community and two council members met me at the station and were to be my guides. Sadly, the Lubavitch Rabbi Riss was called to a meeting in Moscow and was unable to meet me as they planned.
Immediately it was like being with friends and family. We chatted about our communities and problems in English and Russian but at no time discussed anything regarding Ukraine or the issues we all knew were coming. We concentrated on common connections, roots and history as well as chatting about the history and community. On the road from the station to the community centre, the first thing that I noticed was that the Birobidzhan station sign was in Russian and Yiddish and on driving through the roads, I was really interested to note that most street signs and building signs were in both languages as well.
The history of the community reflects Soviet and Russian history well. Established as a concept in 1928, Jews were encouraged to settle in the swampy and mosquito ridden area as part of a Jewish homeland dream (Yidishe Autonome Gegnt). Reality and the dream were not the same as many settlers found out. The death rate was very high initially. It was also part of a plan to develop a network of settlements along the Chinese border and Amur River.
Settlers came from all over Eastern Europe, Canada and also Palestine to experience the dream but most were oblivious to the harsh and challenging conditions they would be meeting. However, they established literary and cultural groups, theatres, schools and universities as the community developed. Yiddish was the common thread between the communities and was the cornerstone of the region itself (most of these were destroyed in the late Stalin times) but schools continued to study Yiddish but lessons were in Russian.
At one time the Jewish population was over 25% with over 30 thousand people registered. However, the Stalin pogroms of the late 1930’s and post WW2 periods, plus the hard and extreme isolated climate led to a flow of families to other parts of Russia and notably to Israel in the late 1960’s and 1970’s. Today there are officially 1,000 families but I was told that it is more like 4,000 Jewish families in the region with synagogue membership less than 150, however the kindergarten and schools are thriving.
We first visited the Synagogue and community centre (which was built in 2004 and notably the Aron Kodesh was donated by the sister Chinese city of Henang under supervision of the previous chief Rabbi Kolpak), had tea and relaxed. I had travelled from Khabarovsk nearly 3 hours away by train and enjoyed just chatting and relaxing with such warm and friendly people and my tiredness just melted away.
After a tour of the synagogue (which was built partially by government funds as well as donations) we visited the museum detailing the importance of the Jewish community to the region and its cultural heritage which was part of a school curriculum and also open to other interested groups.
We then went to their Kosher style restaurant where the food and cooking was very familiar and traditional. All the time we were taking the opportunity to talk, exchange experiences and compare communities. It was a really fascinating time and experience.
Driving around after lunch, tradition and heritage is apparently important. We toured other parts of the town and also the centre to see the Sholem Aleichem statue but all too soon I had to leave on the train back to Khabarovsk and to reality.
It was wonderful to meet such warm and friendly members of the Jewish community, understand their history and also their issues being so isolated from the rest of the world. I am really fortunate to have experienced and met these lovely people and seen how they are developing and rebuilding their heritage slowly under very challenging circumstances with the involvement and wonderful support of the Lubavitch community.”

They still have weekly newspapers and a Yiddish paper which is monthly (mostly read by the older community members). It did strike me how isolated the community is from most of Russia and also from the rest of the world. Flights from Khabarovsk airport (3 hours away by train would either go to Moscow (11-13 hours) or to Novosibirsk (5 hours) and the from there to Israel or Europe / Turkey.
It’s a fact that closer to them is China (across the river) with a significant influence on the city and trade but the border was closed during Covid times.

General views of Birobidzhan

Return to Khabarovsk

The discussions were so interesting that we lost an idea of time and had to rush to catch the train and in fact I had to jump on the stairs of the carriage as the train was departing the platform. My agility surprised me as well as the carriage conductor who was shaking his head and laughed.
After catching my breath I presented my passport (as required) , the carriage manager suddenly said ah English.”. Manchester United and Liverpool “with a bug grin and smile. He took me to the place where my upper bunk was and left me to work out how I would climb into the bunk for the journey to Khabarovsk. I came to the conclusion that even though I had lost weight on the trip (5 kilos when I returned home) there was no way that I would manoeuvre myself into the bunk and stat there for almost 3 hours. I decided the only way forward was to stand in the carriage isle and just move when people wanted to pass me.
The carriage was full of secondary school children on their way to Vladivostok for a school trip and their teachers were actually in the bottom bunks below mine. It was chaos and very noisy. With my Michael’s sad face I looked at the teachers and hoped that one of them would offer to change places with me. Luckily, two teachers were sitting on top of the bed (fully dressed) and one took pity on me and made the bed into a seat and offered me a seat next to them for the return journey to Khabarovsk.
No conversation, just the occasional smile. Typically, Russian but I was on my way back and that was all that I was concerned about.
I was met and driven to the hotel, showered and then went for a bite to eat.
I was in the restaurant in the hotel and Melinda called to discuss the deteriorating situation and the need to get me back safe and sound. It was great to hear her voice after 4 weeks but I understood just how things had developed and understood the need to refocus on routes out of Russia.
She was looking at alternatives to flying back via Moscow as by then the flights she booked had all been cancelled and options were reducing very fast to a short list of a few options, Flights via Istanbul, Dubai, Qatar, Astana, Tashkent and Israel were still options as well as a train to Helsinki and then fly home from there.
When the call finished, I started to think about the choices she had told me about and realised that I had to leave the research and options up to her for me to consider. I was not (am not) used to being reliant on others but in this case and situation Mel was best placed to look at various routs and exits as also she was more aware of the situation as reported by the BBC and other news outlets and also her internet connections were more secure. I was also getting more advice from other various sources as well as a Russian friend in Moscow who was tracking me as well as my business partner Jerry who was also focussing on exits via Dubai and Oman. Interestingly, because of Covid restrictions, flights to Toko and Seoul were only via Moscow and their entry requirements were so strict that I would not have been allowed to enter the countries anyway. So limited choices and options.
I am experienced enough to know that I could not impact on the situation in Ukraine as well as the exit routes, so there was no need to worry about things (as much as I could) and that it was important to get a good night’s sleep for the day ahead and also for the train trip to Vladivostok.
The issues regarding the return could wait until I arrived in Vladivostok.
One more day (a rest day as far as plans were concerned) in Khabarovsk and then it was the final leg of the trip to Vladivostok overnight.
The following day was broken into two sections, first part of the day was a little rest and exploring day, walking on the embankment and round some of the beautiful squares and boulevards and the second part of the day (up to the train departure to Vladivostok), was participating with an English class of some of Tatiyana’s students so that they could practice their English and get used to a real English accent. This was going to be really interesting and ofcouse I would be on best behaviour. But make them laugh a little as well.
It was really impressive to have two different groups of students give up part of their Sundays to attend the meeting, some university students and some school students. All their abilities were clear to see, fluent English and comprehension from all the participants and when we practiced translating presentations it was very clear how advanced and precise their English teaching was. It was enjoyable and I managed to break the Russian stoic approach to meetings and lectures, made the students relax and managed to get them to openly participate and contribute. Nice way to finish the visit to Khabarovsk and hopefully leave a positive impression
All too soon the time came to leave Khabarovsk and take the night train to Vladivostok to finish the train journey and then find a way home rather than the planned return to Moscow and then home from there. Speed was becoming important for the return.
I was used to the train now and with the final journey to Vladivostok things were coming to an end. Khabarovsk was really interesting and a place that one day I would like to revisit, but the final leg was ahead of me.
Same carriage number 8 and cabin ¾ I was settled quite quickly and then ahead of me was a night journey dur to arrive at 6 am. I was a seasoned train traveller now, so quickly unpacked the night stuff, had a tea and they delivered a salad and small salmon steak and then off to sleep.

Arrival into Vladivostok.

27th February 2022
What I was not prepared for was the hotel in Vladivostok which was really a shock. Close to the station, it had a super position overlooking the harbour and the bridge but it was in a run-down office block on the 5th floor with similar hotels on the lower and upper floors.
It was really awful but on the positive note, I was given a corner suit with a kitchen, shower, lounge and bedroom packed into the smallest possible space. There was no hotel phone and receptionist had to use their own phones where outside lines went straight into their personal numbers, The reason why I was booked into this hotel was that apparently in Vladivostok there was a strict Covid policy and without a Russian QR code with a Russian vaccine I could not stay in a reasonable hotel.
This was the story but who knows?
There were two redeeming feature of the hotel was the magnificent view which was just super as below with wonderful sunrises and sunsets and also the attitude of the staff who were surprised that a foreigner was staying in the hotel. They really were exceptional in trying to make certain that I was looked after, bearing in mind their limited resources.

Exploring the surroundings was a priority to get some fresh air and also some exercise but given the war situation in Ukraine and the advice from the government and embassy to leave as soon as possible, my mind was not clear and I needed to reflect and think of options.
One thing that was clear was that leaving as fast as possible was now important as every extra day increased the chances of major problems leaving the country (and also the options were reducing quickly).
Having gone this far, at least I made the trip but I would miss the tours that I had booked. On reflection I decided that as our sages say, you should always leave something undone and maybe this was now my destiny and one day I would like to return to visit the Russian Far East one day, revisit Kharkov and Vladivostok and then go up to Sakhalin Island in the future.
Who knows that the future will hold?
The one thing I decided that with Mel making the reservations for me, I would take the opportunity to go into one of the main sea side areas, walk around and have a good meal prior to departure and wait for the call with the options. I still have my flight booked for Moscow if required, so that was my fallback and if necessary, I knew that it would be an easy option for me. The hotel had advised me that the train option to Helsinki would be the best and were ready to assist me and also, I had three invitations to stay with close friends if required. That meant so much to me and was a sign of close valued friendships.
Anyway, Mel was going through the options and the timeliest connections and it is something which I really value and appreciate. It was very stressful for her and the boys under the circumstances.
The weather was +1°C, so no warm clothes required and having identified and booked a recommended Georgian restaurant, I took a taxi to closer into the sea front. People were walking around, wearing lighter clothes than I had seen in the past weeks and evening walking on the partially frozen sea close to the shore. It was overcast and calm, but enjoyable for a few hours at least. One thing was certain , I was one of the very few foreigners in the area . I spent time people watching and taking in the whole atmosphere whilst I was waiting for the table in the restaurant to be free.

Returning to the hotel, I was feeling uneasy because of the lack of control over the situation I found myself in but had full faith in Mel and the boys research and advice. I was given a range of alternative options to get home but in reality, I had to rely on the family and that is something that I was uncomfortable with myself. If it had been a better hotel (such as the Marriot) hotel, I could have managed with their concierge service, but family were the only realistic choice.
Mel gave great options via Expedia assisted by Ben and Dan (who came up with the best option of all, train to North Korea which made me giggle) Jerry also found a combination of flights via Qatar and the UAE. I knew the family were really trying to get me home in one piece and after a discussion of choices, we decided that the most reliable alternative and relatively shortest choice was a three-flight option
Vladivostok to Novosibirsk (S7), Novosibirsk to Tashkent, Tashkent to Heathrow both on Uzbek airlines over three days which was going to be a small challenge and test all my experience gained over the years. Initially I planned to wait in the airports for the connections but reflecting on this I decided that at least in Novosibirsk I would stay at the airport hotel and then in Tashkent stay in the transfer lounge.
Vladivostok Airport:
Checking in for the flight to Novosibirsk early morning should have been a challenge but the staff and process was really pressured and I decided that I was going to have to revert to my Russian character to sort out issues that were thrown up to me, rejecting the ticket was the catalyst and by the time I finished I was upgraded and also had an apology from the manager.

Security was very strict and I had a few issues which I put down to my passport and continuous anti-European sentiment on the TV, but I resolved it and then boarded the flight for 7 hours.
We flew eastwards over a number of cities that I had visited and stayed in previously, such as Kemerovo and the Altai Mountain range. The views were really spectacular and the scenery really impressive. I had the chance to sit quietly, reflect on the challenges ahead and just day dream. I rested as much as I could as I knew that arriving in Novosibirsk would present other challenges, but at least I had a hotel reservation at the airport hotel.

Novosibirsk

28th February 2022
Arriving back into minus 15°C and a blizzard was a dose of reality and getting my bags and walking across to the hotel (15 minutes) on ice and in driving snow was not pleasant to say the least. Check-in was smooth and the room was a welcome change as well as a hot shower. It was a basic hotel but safe and quiet, although my room was facing the military runway with a selection of fighters in front of the view. I decided to draw the curtains and resist the temptation to take photos. This was not the time for stupidity. The hotel had a lot of soldiers staying in the hotel, so keeping a very low profile was imperative.Eating in the restaurant was an experience, sitting in the middle of soldiers, keeping quiet and trying to avoid bringing attention to myself. All was well until I had a SMS from Simon wishing me a safe trip and without thinking I said (thankfully not loudly) ah that’s sweet. Suddenly I was the centre of attention with a number of them turning around to look at me. No option but to smile and quietly get the bill and return to the room as calmly as possible.
The flight to Tashkent was early in the morning, so I was at the check-in desk in plenty of time and thankfully again I managed to sort out issues with the airline. Tickets not registered and acceptable and I was not on the flight manifest. It took about half an hour to solve this by pushing the manager to phone Tashkent to resolve the matter. All resolved in a timely manner I had to then go through passport control and customs. This time everything went relatively smoothy without issues. The plane was almost empty, only 40 people on it, so there was plenty of room to stretch out and relax.

The arrival at Tashkent airport was easy and the atmosphere was more relaxed than in Russia, I was feeling easier and calmer. I was met by a man to take me to the transfer lounge and as we were walking, he said to me why are you not staying in a hotel, our transfer lounge is being refurbished and it is not suitable for you. He took my passport, sorted out the passport people and Covid certificates and then took me to an arrival desk in the baggage hall and within 10 minutes I was on the way to a local hotel for a few hours’ sleep. It was wonderful, the room was perfect, shower powerful and bed very comfortable. Prior to return to the airport, I had breakfast on the roof of the hotel, it was 10°C and very comfortable, just perfect and I was left with a feeling of relaxation and calmness. Only I had to recheck in and get on the flight, which proved to be another challenge as I had further issues with the ticket and then the system went down leaving me very late for the flight. The ground team took my bag straight to the flight and I was rushed through security onto the plane. They had saved the seat next to me to give me more room and for the next 7 and a half hours I dosed as we flew closer to home and to the family, safe and sound thanks to Mel and her research and planning.

Was this the end of the trip?

Not quite as I had left my main suitcase in Moscow waiting for my return to the hotel, how to get it home to me? First stage was to get it out of the hotel and my dear friend Roman took charge of it and kept it at home with him whilst we tried to find a way for it to be returned. As I am writing this, I hope that it is finally on the way back to me …will write more when it is home safe and sound.
Finally, what were the things that I can take from the trip?

I saw some spectacular scenery and had some wonderful unforgettable experiences along the way. Much more than I was expecting and was something that will last with me for many years. The trip was a dream but the reality was much more.
I had the privilege to meet some fascinating and wonderful people, some of whom have kept in touch and our friendship has been cemented.
I learnt a lot about other cultures and belief systems and how these are embedded in Russia and their historical part in the development of the country and region in addition to the connection to other independent countries connected to Russia.
Understanding myself, my inner soul and emotions was a surprise to me, mostly as an effect of isolation during the trip and realising that I am very comfortable in my own company. I also easily coped with the stresses and pressures of taking such a trip , the extreme weather and also the energy required to visit all the scheduled places even when I was physically and mentally tired.
I also understood that sometimes you have to rely on others to make decisions for you in specific circumstances. Mel did a wonderful job of getting me home and making important decisions with love and caring.
The strength of my friendships with my long-standing Russian friends was reinforced and the caring nature of those true friends is something that I treasure.
The trip strengthened my keenness to travel when it is possible back to the Russian Far East, revisiting Khabarovsk and Vladivostok and then travel up the Pacific coast to finally visit Kamchatka
My very short time in Tashkent has heightened my interest in visiting Uzbekistan and possibly other Caspian countries as well (on my original bucket list).

Keyboard or Pen Which is better?

There was a time when every notebook I used to buy I filled it up with words. Nothing but words. There were stories, information about sports I was interested in (at the time) and a whole lot of other idiotic stuff. Whole pages and pages were drowned in words, and I used to love my notebooks.

A year or two later however, we got a new computer. I improved my typing skills (and learned touch typing). I also learned to use programs like Microsoft Word for writing. Henceforth I was using this almost exclusively for my writing. My notebooks, which were once so full that there wasn’t even space to copy down a phone number, now were empty. What happened?

The thing that happened was that I had changed my writing medium from pen and paper to the computer.

But of them is better for your writing? Which is better – pen and paper or the computer keyboard?

Pen and paper

Of course, once upon a time this was the only option for anyone wanting to write (the computer is new, after all). But now it has its rival, a competitive rival. Has it lost its respect?

Not at all. A lot of people still write using pen and paper. They say it’s faster, and that could be for you if you don’t know how to type fast. And writing with the hand is easier as well. If you don’t know how to type properly, the fingers will first find it painful, whereas writing using the pen is conventional and doesn’t add stress. This is a point to keep in mind.

One good rule of thumb is to write shorter pieces (short stories, poems, essays etc) using pen and paper and longer pieces (novels, autobiographies, courses) on the computer.

Fact: Many poets still write on paper. The older generation still writes on paper. Paper is not a thing to be ridiculed as a medium of writing. Do your fingers get tired by typing too much? Try pen and paper instead.

The computer

The computer was preceded by the typewriter, I know. But as so few people use typewriters these days I have to chosen to compare pen and paper with computer. Let’s see its benefits and disadvantages.

It certainly has some benefits:

It’s faster for those who are comfortable typing (e.g. when writing a novel)
The finished work looks more professional due to formatting (when you use pen and paper you have to make sure that your handwriting is excellent and legible)
It becomes possible to share documents on the internet and collaborate
It becomes possible to publish it (on the Internet).

But as usual, a thing which has advantages will also have disadvantages. In this case, they are:

Long hours of typing is bad for our body’s health: the fingers as well as the eyes get tired
For those who can’t type comfortably writing on the computer is like swimming in an ocean
The document loses the “personal touch.” For example when you have to prepare a project for your school then printing it out of the computer is not good because it loses your credibility (one can wonder, did he really write this?) Using pen and paper on the other hand, one doesn’t face this problem.

So as you can see there are some strong points both for and against the computer and pen and paper. Which should you use? There’s no right answer to this question. Someone may feel comfortable typing for hours and someone may shudder at the thought of it. Someone will be happy with using pen and paper and someone will be discontent. Someone likes this and someone likes that.

But you have to make your own decision for yourself. Which do you feel comfortable using? Which is better for your situation? Which is appropriate for your writing? Answer these questions and you will discover which writing medium you should use.

A side note: Which do I use? Both. For longer pieces, the computer. For academic writing and shorter pieces, the good old pen and paper. These days I might use computer more, but I like both equally. Just my opinion.

Over to you

I really wish I could setup a poll so you could vote, but it doesn’t matter; just tell what you use in the comments. Do you like the computer more? Why? Is it because of increased efficiency or is it just because of necessity? Which is more comfortable according to you? When you use one over the other, what reasons are there behind that? And the biggest: which do you use more?