The below is not finished yet. It's a work in progress, I've MANY more notes to integrate!

2006.06.10 09:26

Standing in October Square in Minsk. It's been a long time coming here. Belarus a country that is very different, or so I've heard. The last dictatorship in Europe. Like Soviet Russia. My first impression is that it is a nice place. It quite reminds me of Ukraine. Minsk is similar to Kiev. Although it is less crowded and quite a bit cleaner. This is another impression I get from Minsk, it is clean. The metro is quite nice, of course I always like a metro. And absolutely no one speaks English. I suppose that on this point I should prepare myself for Russia, for there the situation will probably be similar. In Minsk I have planned something new. After my disappointment in April with feeling lost I've been trying to find a way to better know the place before arrival. On my travels last year this wasn't so much of a problem since I was in such a hurry anyway. However in Kiev and Chisinau I had hoped to see more. But ended up spending far too much of my time only looking for things. Recently, about a week and a half ago I came across a site for networking people who want to show people around/give them the place to crash. This seems wonderfully ideal, and I'm waiting for my first experience into this.

2006.06.12 16:46

Not an hour ago I passed through Kemi. This is a place I never made it to in Finland but it seems there is one in Russia as well. It is exciting to know that in less than 12 hours I will finally be in Murmansk. Now the countryside quite reminds me of Alaska. The trees are similar and like Alaska the settlements are few and far between. Unlike the parts of northern Scandinavia where I've traveled. In less than eight hours I'll be passing through Apatity, where Tania is from. I was hoping to say hello but unfortunately I haven't heard back from her.

Anna made my experience of Minsk excellent. I'm definitely sold on the idea of finding locals who enjoys showing people around. Instead of lost wondering I saw the squares, a nice museum and got to talk about the country and its politics. Perhaps one of the largest disappointments I took away from the experience in Belarus is how normal it was. With the descriptions I've heard about the last dictatorship in Europe and all was expecting more drama. Or perhaps not expecting it, since much of what one hears about a country is hype or so my experiences have taught me. So what do I feel having seen Minsk and spent the day with the Belorussian? I think Belarus is a dictatorship, but a benign one. I think for managed country is managed remarkably well. For the average wage of $200 a month the people look to have excellent quality of life. I feel that the standard of living isn't at the bottom of Europe. Yes I think it would be nicer if there was more political freedom. One interesting annoyance was that service people sometimes seemed angry in a way that reminds me of stories about the USSR. I think the West should be more friendly to Belarus. It may be a country that doesn't follow all rules that the West puts out, but isn't an evil police state. For many years I found it funny and sad way the standards that are used between countries for their relations. Perhaps I should say double standards. Sometimes it feels the countries that are most like are treated the most harshly. Some horrible régimes in Africa, Asia & the Middle East are labeled democracies and their corrupt leaders are given huge amounts of aid. While the pariah states are often ones that are not at all the worst even in their parts the world. So the old South Africa was EVIL. Zaire, Zimbabwe well there might be quiet complaints, but nothing to get in the way things. Belarus is EVIL, Azerbaijan & Turkmenistan they are all right. Azerbaijan becoming an absolute monarchy with military expansionist tendencies? Fine so long as the oil flows.

2006.06.13 06:20

Murmansk oh what a fine city so far. Very Russian, with sea gulls. I wonder if Odessa is similar. I'm quite amazed that I am so far north, this trees, and a real city. Oh what a plague on our civilization should the Gulf Current ever turn off! I came into Murmansk a quarter to five in the morning and now I have about half an hour more until I meet Anastasia & Svetlana who will be my guides here. As I always seem to feel on arrival in a strange city I was momentarily bewildered. I said goodbye to Ilya, my companion on the train up from St. Petersburg and wandered around the station. I have to say that I'm beginning to rethink my negative stance towards police in general. On this trip they haven't once hit me up for bribes and have been very helpful. In Belarus one let me uses phone to call Anna, at the time I didn't know how to use pay phones in this part of the world I'm embarrassed to say. In St. Petersburg one showed me the direction to an internet café, and just now in Murmansk Sergei was very helpful. He didn't know about any internet café but showed me where the left luggage was, and asked a customs officer about registering my visa. I thought I had to register within three days of entering Russia, but it seems it is only if I am in any particular city for more than three days. So hopefully this is the case and I won't get into trouble when I leave from Vladivostok.

Iceland, how strange was leave it, my home. In January I was looking at flats, then in April it was so wonderful to take a break I really started to think I wouldn't stay. The deciding factor was my visa. I was counting on my employers assistance, my manager was very nice, but the boss said no. He said the company wasn't doing so well, and what if I became a heroin addict in the next few months, he would be responsible. So with that gratitude after eight months of working my ass off, my mind was made up. Yes Iceland is a worker's market, it would have been easy to find something else, but it was time to move on.

2006.06.16 16:40

Sitting in the ruins of a bell tower, in the runs of the church, in a village on the Volga.

2006.06.17 15:23

My first impression of Moscow isn't such a positive one.

2006.06.22 14:18

The day before I left Iceland I went to the pool with my friend Helena. The pools in Iceland are very nice and it was a good refreshment before my departure. Then I bought it last Icelandic milkshake, licorice. Since then I've had some good ice cream, but no milkshakes worth writing about. It is quite surprising how difficult it is to find quality milkshakes in so many parts of the world.

The morning I left it was raining. I walked half an hour to catch the bus to the airport. It was melancholic, too much luggage, cold rain, no sleep.

2006.06.29 06:59

The trip to Poland was arduous. Five trains from the Berlin airport to Lódz. With that cursed luggage. I was to leave it in Poland, only to realize I really don't know if I will return to Europe. So I can't leave it in perpetuity. Karolina readily offered this but it would be too much of a burden I thought. So I got rid of more. It was good to visit Karolina for a little while and see Agata for a few minutes as well.

From Minsk to St. Petersburg I decided to clean, shit and shave all at one go but spent too long in the toilet and the train attendant was annoyed. So I learned to do one at a time in the trains, and well after all I'm not with any lack of time.

St. Petersburg was like all cities on arrival, bewildering. It seems now I always feel a bit overwhelmed coming to city these days, after some hours the feeling has left and I feel comfortable and as if I know at least roughly the way around. This time I was looking for another station to leave my bag and pick up the ticket for Murmansk. The excellent metro of Petersburg made this simple, yet I still didn't know the metro. I asked a babushka if I was on the right track and she kindly went out of her way to set me on the right track, so Natasha helped to make my first experience of the city a positive one.

The Petersburg metro uses tokens, real metal tokens. This is to me quite romantic. My first experience of the New York metro was with tokens, although now it has cards, Boston had tokens last time I was using the metro, but San Francisco, Montréal, London, Paris and Moscow use cards. Oh and the U-Bahn in Germany. Moscow I learned on arrival used to use tokens, and in the end I got some. When Moscow got rid of tokens the ones left over went to Sverdlovsk. Sverdlovsk used to have plastic tokens, as Kiev and Minsk do now, but now they use metal tokens that say Moscow.

Also in St. Petersburg was my first experience with the difficulty of using a rail pass in Russia. Perhaps in the end I may have saved a small amount of money, but each time the process of buying my ticket has been a long and annoying one. It would have been worth it if I hadn't bought so many days, in Poland I bought 18 days on the rails of Russia, so far I've used 14 days, yet I've only been marked down for 3 days of use!

2006.07.02 17:27

Watching pigeons in a park in Vladivostok.

2006.07.05 09:36

I do wish there were more passenger ship lines in the world. I think it is perhaps my favorite way to travel. The slow place and roll of the waves, this short jaunt from Vladivostok. to Fushiki convinces me I must find some trans-oceanic routes.

2006.07.27 13:25

Japan is strange. There is a man in a rage going and opening doors then slamming them, everywhere he goes to sit people flee in quiet terror. Another man drinks his beer and laughs, seeming friendly and creepy. At most stations I go to my next train without asking questions I think Ofun must be especially confusing, in coming and going from Yokohama I did ask for directions, I think from the same guy, and both times answer was behind me on a display.

2006.07.29 08:24

Busan, the ferry waited overnight for customs to open. Another ferry where I am almost the only foreigner. From Vladivostok I heard there was another from the United States, I only met him at the Fushiki station though. He was retired military, with the military accent, that accent I wonder where it comes from. It sounds a bit southern, this beyond all else makes me interested in joining I think. How can this group be so trained that they get a new lifelong accident? He had also come overland through Russia from Germany. On the ferry to Busan there is a Swede, at least he has a Swedish flag on his bag. On the Russian vote all were Russians, on this boat it is a mix of Japanese and Koreans.

2006.08.03 17:36

I have to change my writing style if I am to catch up and start recording all these things. I arrived in Japan from Russia almost a month ago. I went to Hamamatsu by train, it was expensive. Didn't research the trip enough, rode Shinkansen though. Japan is nice but stressful. Good to relax with Raina. Help out, clean and cook. Had to replan many times. North Korea trip shifted many times. First trip cut short, then cancelled. Shorter trip, moved up to catch train, then flooding and no more Mass Games. Went to Japanese temples, small ones on the street, bigger ones around, some beautiful, some not so interesting. Interesting mix of Shinto and Bhuddist. Sewing up pants and safety belt. Ju-Hatchi Kippu. Train south. Kyoto, temples, very peaceful, first no people. Walking around in the rain. Golden Temple pretty but too crowded. Meeting Katy, always interesting to meet people after years. Going to Kobe, book shop. Before Kobe Akashi and tako at the fish market. Hanging out with Sean, going to dinner in Kobe with Katy's friends, strange Arabian Nights theme, very silly. Almost go home, instead take train to Osaka and stay out all night dancing and sitting around. Home at seven something, up two hours later for going away thing for Katy, she finishes two years in Japan. Up early, train north, take early but slow train, almost miss stopping for a moment to see Raina. Get back on track, Miho in Yokohama. To her play group with little kids hanging off me, twins. Next day to Tokyo. Amazing city but feels past it's peak, Imperial Gardens shabby. Meiji shrine and surrounding park, find necklace for Alice. Yokozuna shrine. Why shouldn't honor war dead as everyone else does? Akihabara, is this technology capital of the world? Can't be, maybe in the distant past. Back to Miho, forgotten her married name, phone doesn't work. Security guard comes up with me. All ok. Next day riding bike with Miho. Temple, then to harbour area park. Wonderful sitting in park. Home to watch film in Japanese, aneme. Next morning, can only have a proper hug with my friend before station. No public affection in Japan. Train south. Meet Raina and Joe one last time before exit of Japan. More south. Night train from Shin-Osaka. Fukuoka and walk to ferry terminal 45min. Ferry doesn't have schedual on internet and is closed anyway. Walk back. Train to Shimonoseki. Buy ticket and wander endlessly. In the sun, hot sun. Can't find internet cafe. Keep asking. Finally. More just waiting for time to pass. Ferry out. Oh also to add. Trouble with ferry to Taiwan. Can't order from company, only travel agent. Can't get from agent, closed, then they must ring company, closed. Then it is booked, no there might be tyfoon. I don't care, but I don't have flight out so they won't let me buy ticket.

2006.08.03 23:28

Seoul...I don't much care for it so far. I suppose it is the waiting. It's annoying. It is such a city. Maybe too much for me. Also it is much more expensive than Busan. Sitting outside a closed Starbucks, also seems to attract an unwelcome sort of attention. This part of the city appears to be mostly foreigners. It's bazare. I was in the middle of Asia and suddenly I am surrounded by mostly...well mostly everyone...the whole world is in Seoul. Maybe parts of Tokyo are the same but not any part that I saw. Of course I didn't go there at night. Well ok of the people passing by the most common type is American. I wonder what they all do, why are they here? Are they all military? This is close to the military part of town so it could be. Also why do people keep asking me for directions? As if I could possibly know, I am supposed to be happy right? It means I don't look like a tourist. Now I am suffering from lack of sleep, last night less than five hours because I had to get up for that DMZ tour. Too litte, just too little. I hope I get to sleep tonight! Damnit! Noisy people make me nervous. Especially when I feel naked sitting here writing, trying to make the time pass, and I am stuck here until Tuesday! Fuck! Writing but what for? This is wasting pages. Neon lights and noise, just writing to stay awake.

2006.08.10 09:12

Korea, Busan. Ferry was ok. Walking into tatami room. In shoes, family horrified, I jump back. Sitting outside Busan, beautiful rock with a lighthouse. Terminal with PC bang, talk with Peter, realize I am couchsurfing missionary. East, meet Marie, Nick. Bi bim bop. Soju. Wandering Busan, tower, baseball game, rather interesting start, gets really boring, leave at 10th inning. Busan/Incheon. I have no idea who won. Day of city, looking for bookstore, nice sculptures sometimes nowhere near museum. Walking by canal. Trying to get check for Marie, adventure, ride in car with GPS, meet bank man. Temple in Busan. Meet Soh-Hyun for dinner. See Japanese RVs. One with Northern Territory plate in front! Only see it barely, no picture, buy backpack. Next morning me and Nick take bus to Silla Empire capital. Very comfortable bus. Nice temple, carry bag all day through bus to Seoul. Trying to find Backpackers A. Ryan not answer. Then he's there but metro is closed. Easier to use hostel. Going to DMZ. Overbooked, lucky last one on bus. Propaganda in South, wonder how compares to North. Mountains bare in North. Big flagpost. ROK troops, look far more American than Americans. DPRK look Soviet. Soldiers talking about secret stuff he can't talk about. Silly to mention it if secret. Talks about why would anyone want life where not being shot at or some such, other soldier about non-soldier not understanding or something. Seem a bit stupid. Waste rest of day until meet Ryan. Carry back big mirror. Go to buy ticket, can only get Tuesday to Qingdao, before wasting day. Try Burma embassy, no luck must do in China, give up on Vietnam for now as well. Too hot. See area near Anguk, have nice Italian, meet nice Spanish class. Talk with Olivia, Dennis, good at music, obsessed with feet. Meet Spanish class more. Wandered Seoul more. Ryan needed time alone. Walked up to mountain, found abandoned stairs, sat for an hour or two wish I brought hammock, just for times like this! Then go a little further. Find abandoned shed with comfortable chair inside! Sleep there, in early morning realize little rustlings were cicadas. Now surrounded. Try outside momentarily, but mosquitos eat me up and old people are on mountain. Go back down. Check out Diamond Mountain tour. Try to get in Palace but no opening it seems. Cute octopusses. Next day hours to find Incheon. Where is ferry terminal, no maps. No one knows, few who speak English give different directions. Finally take five min taxi ride. Terminal pathetic. No real shop, no internet! In Korea! No internet! Ferry not so bad, bed with curtain, sea beautiful. Many foreigners. Canadians, one from Lithuania. Clint, Heather, Tammy. Nice Korean maybe meet in Beijing. First impression of China not good. Dirty, unfriendly. People not understand vegitarian!

Bus to Ruili arrived five hours earlier than expected. This wouldn't have been a bad thing except it meant I got here at 3am. So now I sit and wait in the only little food place that is open. Had tea, but can't have anything else. China has been in my experience the most difficult place to be a vegitarian. Even if I have an English speaker with me they simply don't understand. If I can't see exactly what is in something I have to get a list of everything in it. Every time. Saying no meat doesn't work. A major annoyance in China is people will very often say what they think you want to hear rather than the truth. About meat they will tell you it is good and you should eat it. People spit everywhere, throw garbage everywhere, smoke everywhere. Regardless of any rules against it. In places marked no smoking people will smoke constantly, if you ask people not to they will walk a couple meters away. Only to come back some minutes or hours later to smoke in the same spot.

Night of the 9th playing pool, fight nearby, stupidly try to stop it when one grabs dinner knife. 10th shopping with Fay. 11th coffee with Sirena, Teky, Fay. Beach. 11th no seat for train, slow train to Tianjin. After short time standing attendant finds me one. Tianjin 12th, dirty city above, clean futuristic, but unused metro below. Meet Patrick, go to Jinke electronics for ebook reader. Surreal experience. Get the V2, perhaps mistake. Screen wonderful but battery life very bad. Meet Meeshell and her friends for tea, strange night show, high point children flipping around. Interesting political conversation with Patrick 13th. No much, relaxed day. 14th some market with Meeshell, train to Beijing. Finding a place to stay. No one from CS, Leo's Hostel. Wander old streets, meet Korean. 15th Forbidden City with Meeshell. 16th Great Wall with Brits, Chargil, Kavina. Rebuilt part of it. Hours just marching up & down, dinner with Jeff. 17th rush, get ticket for Qingdao must hurry back for bags then train. 18th taxi with funny meter. Relaxing day. 19th Brad taken home by police. 20th spend night in strange bathouse place. 21st most of day just getting train ticket, watch movie sleep. 22nd sleep all morning. Train, meet nice uni students Ah-Fay, Yuan etc, they make space for me on 40 hour trip as I have no seat. 23rd train, so many corn fields. Much more than rice it seems. Everywhere dirty air. 24th Chendu, meet Corinde and Lara, meet Chinese for tea. Tibettan quarter, begging and tourist crap. 25th Pandas then lunch at veggie restaurant with Baiyu. Relax rest of day. 26th really uncomfortable van ride to Giant Buddha. Not worth hours on freeway with dirty, really dirty air. 27th train for Kunming. The train for Kunming a long one. At least I had a seat, and the countryside was quite beautiful, and the air grew cleaner into Yunnan. 28th Kunming. I only spent one day in Kunming but from that I can say it is one of my favourite cities in China. The feel.

2006.09.27

Sleeper bus to Burma. Early morning arrival. Waiting hours at nice cafe of muslims. Didn't charge me for tea in the end. In Ruili wandering around looking for the cheapest route into Burma. In the end looks to be a monopoly. Paid 1400 kwai to pass through the restricted area to Lashio. My "guide" said during the low season when I went there are about 10 per month entering the country overland, and 20 per month in the high season. At the border there was also an older Australian just wanting to enter and look around. Of course he couldn't do so cheaply.

Appendix I: Travel Timetable

Iceland-Reykjavik-Keflavik
Tuesday June 6th 05:30-06:30 (01:00, 1100ISK) K, 07:00-12:20 (03:20, S 22C 158EUR) (FHE131) B.

Germany-Berlin (Schoenefeld SXF)-Berlin (Ostbahnhof)-Frankfurt(Oder)
13:59-15:04 (01:05, B-K 36.20EUR) (RE 38017) F, 15:27-18:12 (2:45) (RB 5883) P.

Poland-Poznan (Glówny)-Lódz (Kaliska)-Lódz (Fabryczna)-Warszawa (Centralna)-Lódz (Fabryczna)-Warszawa (Centralna) 18:35-20:05 (01:30) (IC 6101) K, 20:34-22:00 (01:26, 7.20EUR) (D 51112) L.
Thursday June 8th 07:23-09:30 (02:07, 28.38PLN) (33505) W, 18:20-20:28 (02:08, 34:38PLN) (D 22113) L.
Friday June 9th 17:23-19:30 (02:07, 28.38PLN) (D 33515) W, 20:35-07:52 (10:17, 96.63PLN + $11 for bed + bedding) (D 104) M.

Belarus-Minsk
Saturday June 10th 18:48-09:40 (13:52, 06.11, Cl 2, W 10, S 15, 87360BRB) (D 50BJ) S.

Russia-St Petersburg (Vitebskii)-St Petersburg (Ladogskii)-Murmansk-Tver-Staritsa-Moskva (Schyolkovsky)-Moskva (Oktiabrskaia)-St Petersburg (Moskva)-Swerdlowsk (Pass)-Irkutsk (Passajirskij)-Ulan Ude-Vladivostok
Monday June 12th 00:10-04:40(28:30 06.13, Cl 2, W 05, S 15, ~900RUB) (D 22CH) M.
Tuesday June 13th 23:36-09:05(33:29 06.15, Cl 3, W 01, S 12, ~250RUB) (D 239AJ) T.
Thursday June 15th 10:20-~12:00(01:30 06.15, bus 76.40RUB) S.
Saturday June 17th 10:00-~14:00(04:00 06.17, bus 212RUB) M.
Monday June 19th 18:28-23:15 (04:47, Cl 2, W 04, S 60, 102.40RUB) (168CH) S.
Wednesday June 21st 17:06-06:14 (37:08, 06.23, Cl 2, W 02, S 10, ~1100RUB) (D 72 EJ) S.
Friday June 25th 01:52-04:13 (50:21, 06.27, Cl 2, W 02, S 10, ~1500RUB) I.
Wednesday June 28th 16:00-01:40 (09:40, 06.29, Cl 2, ~680RUB) U.
Thursday June 29th 12:15-05:48 (65:33 07.02, Cl 3, W 08, S 05, ~600RUB) (D 208) V.
Monday July 3rd 18:00-09:00(05) ($280 22, Cabin 4549) F.
Train prices in Russia reduced due to a train pass purchased in Poland for 240EUR for 18 days of travel, times in Russia are all Moscow time.

Japan-Fushiki-Toyama-Nagoya-Hamamatsu
Wednesday July 5th 12:23-12:37 (Fare F-H 10180JPY) T, 14:01-17:16 N, 17:33-18:23 H.

Berlin public transit 2.10EUR
Lodz public transit 2.40PLN
Warsawa public transit 2.40PLN
Murmansk public transit 9RUB
Moscow public transit 15RUB
Irkutsk-Listvanka 60RUB bus, 190RUB boat.

Japan-Hamamatsu-Toyohashi-Ogaki-Maibara-Kyoto-Osaka-Akashi-Kobe-Osaka-Akashi-Maibara-Ogaki-Hamamatsu-Shizuoka-Atami-Ofuna-Negishi-Tokyo-Negishi-Ofuna-Atami-Hamamatsu-Toyohashi-Ogaki-Maibara-Himeji-Hakata-Shimonoseki
Thursday July 20th 06:35-07:11 T, 07:15-08:39 O, 08:43-09:16 M, 09:28-10:28 K, ~17:29~17:58 O, ~18:00~18:37 A.
Friday July 21st some travels near Akashi, Kobe, Osaka
Saturday July 22nd Osaka to Akashi
Sunday July 23rd 08:02~11:05 M, 11:12-11:50 O, ~11:55~13:40 H, 14:16-15:29 S, 15:30-16:46 A, 16:51-17:48 O, ~18:00~18:16 N.
Tuesday July 25th Yokohama(Negishi) to Tokyo and back.
Thursday July 27th 12:37-12:56 O, 13:03-14:07 A, 14:14-16:44 H, 17:09-17:48 T, 17:54-19:18 O, 19:39-20:14 M, 20:36-23:02 H, 23:19-07:26 H.
Friday July 28th 19:00-08:30 (13:30 9000JPY(75.90USD) B.

South Korea-Busan-Gyeongju-Seoul-DMZ
Wednesday August 2nd 13:50~15:00 (~01:10, S 19, 4000KRW(4.17USD)) G, 18:00~22:30 (~04:30, S 11, 24200KRW(25.23USD)) S.

North Korea

South Korea-DMZ-Seoul-Incheon
Tuesday August 8th 17:00-09:00 (14:00, S 303/45, 117000KRW(121.97USD)) Q.

China-Qingdao-Tianjin-Beijing-Qingdao-Chengdu-Kunming-Ruili
Friday August 11th 19:00~08:45 (~13:45 08.12, Cl HS, 78CNY(9.87USD)) (L106) T.
Monday August 14th 13:00-14:25 (01:25, Cl HS, W 04, S 65, 25CNY(3.16USD)) (T544) B.
Thursday August 17th 12:04~04:04 (~16:00 08.18, Cl HS, W 07, S 64, 88CNY(11.13USD)) (L105) Q.
Tuesday August 22nd 16:01-08:10 (40:09 08.24, Cl HS, 281CNY(35.55USD)) (K208) C.
Sunday August 27th 13:00-07:10 (18:10 08.28, Cl HS, 140CNY(17.72USD)) (K113) K.
Monday August 29th 12:30~03:00 (~14:30 08:30, ~180CNY(22.79USD) R.

Burma-Lashio-Mandalay-Rangoon
Wednesday August 30th ~10:00~15:00 (~5:00) L, ~18:00~08:30 (~14:30 08.31, 3500MMK(2.66USD) M.
Thursday August 31st ~17:00~10:00 (~17:00 09.01, 6500MMK(4.94USD) (New Mandalar Htun Express) R.
Monday September 4th 08:35-10:20 (2:15, 50USD) (Air Asia FD3771) B.

Thailand-Bangkok
Friday September 8th 07:05-10:25 (2:20, 2049THB(54.99USD)) (Air Asia FD3501) S.

Singapore
Friday September 8th 17:00~22:30 (~5:30, 25.05SGD(15.92USD)) (Transnational) K.

Malaysia-Kuala Lumpur
Sunday September 10th ~22:00~08:00 (~10:00 09.11) H.

Thailand-Hat Yai-Bangkok-Aranyaprathet
Monday September 11th 09:00~07:00 (~10:00 820THB(22.00USD)) (Davis Tour & Travel) B.
Wednesday September 13th ~07:00~10:00 (~03:00 200THB(5.37USD)) A.

Cambodia-Poipet-Sisophon-Siem Reap-Phnom Penh
Wednesday September 13th ~11:30~12:30 (~1:00 100THB(2.68USD)) (Taxi) S, ~12:45~15:00 (~2:15 133THB(3.57USD)) S.
Friday September 15th 07:00~14:00 (~7:00 5USD) (Capitol Tour) P.
Monday September 18th 07:00~14:30 (~7:30 5USD) (Happy Tour) S.

Vietnam-Saigon-Hoi An-Hue-Hanoi
Wednesday September 20th ~07:00~07:00 (~24:00 09.21, 15USD(To Hanoi)) (Hoan Hao Tourist Company) H.
Friday September 22nd ~07:30~12:00 (~4:30) H, ~18:00~07:00 (~13:00 09.23) H.
Sunday September 24th ~19:00~16:00 (~21:00) V.

Laos-Vientiane-Luang Prabang
Tuesday September 26th 18:00~05:00 (~11:00 09.27, 90000LAK(9USD)) L.
Wednesday September 27th ~23:00~08:00 (~33:00 09.29, 50USD) K.

China-Kunming-Guangzhou-Shenzen
Friday September 29th 21:23-21:09 (23:46 09:30, Cl HS, 180CNY(22.79USD)) (K232) G.
Saturday September 30th 22:10~23:20 (~01:10, Cl HS, 80CNY(10.13USD)) (T879) S.

Hong Kong
Tuesday October 3rd 10:10~11:10 (~00:60, 13D, 138HKD(17.73USD)) (TurboJet) M.

Macau
Tuesday October 3rd 17:00~18:00 (~00:60, 25P, 142HKD(18.24USD)) (Turbojet) H.

Hong Kong
Thursday October 5th 20:25-21:55 (01:30, S 48K 1487HKD(191.00USD)) (Thai Air TG630) T.

Taiwan-Taipei-Kaohsiung-Taipei-Keelung
Saturday October 7th 08:30~14:00 (05:30, S 11, 500TWD(15.06USD)) K.
Monday October 9th ~10:40~16:30 (05:50, 500TWD(15.06USD)) T.
Tuesday October 10th 15:32-16:10 (00:38, W 02, S 20, 51.00TWD(1.54USD)) K, 22:00~17:00 (~42:00 10.12, S 164, 3200TWD(96.40USD)) (Arimura Sangyo) N.

Japan-Naha-Nagoya-Toyohashi-Hamamatsu-Shin Osaka-Shin Shimonoseki-Shimonoseki
Thursday October 12th 21:00~08:00 (~35:00 10.14, S 164, 22500JPY(189.50USD)) (Arimura Sangyo) N.
Saturday October 14th 09:35-10:23 (01:48 to Hamamatsu 1890JPY(15.93USD)) T, 10:29-11:03 (00:34) H.
Saturday November 18th 06:32-08:16 (01:44) (Kodama 595) S, 08:46-11:05 (02:19) (Hikari 451) S, ~10 min S, ~17:00-

China-Qingdao
Friday November 24th

Korea-Seoul

2006.07.20/23/25/27/28 Seishun Juhachi JR Youth Rail Pass 11500JPY(97.19USD)
2006.07.20 Ryogen-In Zen Temple
2006.07.20 The Golden Pavilion Rokuon-Ji Temple
2006.07.25 Tokyo metro 160JPY(1.35USD)
2006.07.28 Shimonoseki port tax 600JPY(5.06USD)
2006.07.30 Busan Lotte Giants baseball game 4000KRW(4.17USD)
2006.08.02 Bulguksa Temple 4000KRW(4.17USD)
2006.08.02 A Motel 12000KRW(12.51USD)
2006.08.14-16 Leo Hostel 45CNY(5.70USD)/night room 206/5
2006.08.15 The Palace Museum 60CNY(7.59USD) + 10CNY(1.26USD)
2006.08.16 Yong He Gong Lama Temple 25CNY(3.16USD)
2006.08.16 Beijing Taxi 17 min 19CNY(2.40USD)
2006.08.24-26 Mix Hostel 15CNY(1.90USD)/night
2006.08.25 Wenshu Monastary 5CNY(0.63USD)
2006.08.26 Leshan Grand Buddha 35CNY(4.43USD)
2006.08.28 Burma visa one day processing 235CNY(29.75USD)
2006.08.30 Burma border area 1400CNY(177.23USD)
2006.08.31 Japan Cyber Cafe 2500MMK(1.90USD) 5 hours.
2006.09.01 White House Hotel 5USD/night
2006.09.02/03 Daddie's Home 4USD/night
2006.09.02 Shwedagon Pagoda
2006.09.02 Circle Yangon Train 3hr 1USD
2006.09.04 Yangon Airport tax 10USD
2006.09.06 Bangkok Palace
2006.09.06 Watpho Buddha 50THB(1.34USD)
2006.09.08 Bangkok airport tax 500THB(13.42USD)
2006.09.13/14 ?? Guesthouse ?4USD/night
2006.09.14 Angor Wat complex 20USD
2006.09.15-17 Narin 1 Guesthouse 3USD/night
2006.09.16 Choeung Ek Genocidal Center 2USD
2006.09.16 Tuol Sleng 2USD
2006.09.18 Health Quarantine certificate 1000KHR(0.24USD)
2006.09.18/19 Hotel 265 ?3USD
2006.09.18 HCMC City Museum 15000VND(0.93USD)
2006.09.19 Cuchi/Cao Dai day tour 5USD + 80000VND(4.98USD)
2006.09.21 Nhi Nhi Hotel 3USD
2006.09.21 Son Ca 2 pair pants 16USD
2006.09.21 Son Trang Couture suit/winter coat 64USD
2006.09.23 Prince 591 Hotel 2USD
2006.09.23 Vietnam History Museum 8000VND(0.50USD)
2006.09.23 Thang Long Puppet Theatre 40000VND(2.49USD)
2006.09.27 Kwang Xi Waterfall, Luang Prabang 15000LAK(1.50USD)
2006.10.05/06/09 Taipei Hostel 300TWD(9.04USD)/night
2006.10.05 Bus from Airport to Taipei 110TWD(3.31USD)
2006.10.06 National Palace Museum 100TWD(3.01USD)
2006.10.10 Keelung port dues 40TWD(1.21USD)
2006.10.10 Keelung passenger service charge 200TWD(6.02USD)
2006.10.14 Nagoya metro 290JPY(2.44USD)

Appendix II: Exchange Rates (2006.08.01)
Code USD/1 Unit Units/1 USD Currency
BYR 0.00047 2151.50000 Belarusian Ruble
CNY 0.12560 7.98000 Chinese Yuan Renminbi
EUR 1.27620 0.78370 Euro
GBP 1.86520 0.53620 British Pound
HKD 0.12870 7.77140 Hong Kong Dollar
ISK 0.01379 72.80070 Iceland Krona
JPY 0.00873 114.51600 Japanese Yen
KHR 0.00025 4248.68000 Cambodian Riel
KRW 0.00106 965.81000 South-Korean Won
LAK 0.00010 10455.60000 Lao Kip
MMK 0.16330 6.67380 Myanmar Kyat (Official exchange rate)
MMK 0.00083 1200.00000 Myanmar Kyat (Real exchange rate)
MOP 0.13040 8.29390 Macau Pataca
MYR 0.27360 3.65840 Malaysian Ringgit
PLN 0.32430 3.08970 Polish Zloty
RUB 0.03731 26.81420 Russian Rouble
SGD 0.63370 1.57860 Singapore Dollar
THB 0.02643 37.88500 Thai Baht
TWD 0.03054 32.76740 Taiwan Dollar
VND 0.00006 16364.90000 Vietnamese Dong

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All material copyright 2004-2010 by Loren Everly.