Sol and Pete on the TransSib

Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright...

So, tonight is my final night in B-town. Had a great day hanging with another one of Ben Brink's friends, "Chrystal". Not her porn name, but her self-selected American-ized name. Guess you can do that here.

We toured her campus, Peking University, which was stunningly beautiful. And they have this great "Unnamed Lake" which we walked around as we chatted. Had "all-you-can-eat" sushi for 48 Y($6!) at a student dive. Though when we tried to leave with some fish left on our plate, the Nazi waitress ordered us to finish it before she would pass along our bill. (We hid the fish in the cabbage salad bowl.)

Whenever I mentioned Peter, Chrystal would get upset, thinking she was missing something by him not being here. I assured her she was better of with me Sol-o. ;-)

Unfortunately, I haven't heard from Mr. Brink. I wrote down his hotel on a scratch of paper, which was tossed by the cleaning folks @ the hotel. Neither Chrystal nor Li has heard from him either. Li wasn't able to join me and Chrystal for drinks tonight, which was also a bummer (jealous/upset boyfriend). She and Chrystal were great, friendly, engaging contacts here in Beijing! Here's to new friends!

Now it's time to finish this can of Tsingtao Beer (with those nasty, sharp pull-tabs circa 1978) and sign off from the neighboring corner market Peter and I visited each night, which has everything! Oreos, Nestea, Snickers, bicycle rentals and Internet access. Go figure.

Perhaps a wrap up from Portland. And definitely pictures forthcoming...

Ciao for now,
Sol

PS Pete, how was Moscow???!!!

So, Pete is gone. Fucker left me last night to go party with some Russian chicks in Moscow. Seeing Peter go signals the ending of this trip.

I'm leaving on Tuesday morning for home. Hope to catch up on my sleep and hammer out my story on Sabonis before that. Speaking of The O, they're hiring for a staff photog, the first such opening in 4 years. So, I'll have some work to do on my portfolio when I return. Hopefully, there are a couple gems from this trip for consideration.

Yesterday, Peter and I walked around town and gathered with the masses to watch the Chinese flag come down at Tienemen Square in an official military May Day ceremony. But once down, that was it. Pretty boring. Within 5 minutes, the streets were no longer packed. What they do for excitement here in China!

Ben Brink, a colleague from The Oregonian, is arriving today from Portland for his holidays. Hope to hook up for dinner on Monday before I return home.

Well, that's about that for now. Peter, have fun with the ladies (but not too much fun). And let me know about your layover in Kazakstan...

c-u,
sol

Pete and I started Friday by visiting The Wall. We were warned by pretty much EVERYONE (in English and Chinese) that starting today, Monday May 1, Beijing (and it's nearby walls) would be over-taken by zillions of vacationing Chinese, since today is the beginning of their week-long (?) holiday.

Before we got to the bus area, we were side-swiped by another "tour agency" chick who swept us away to another locale. Another scam? We didn't spot any playing cards. Yes, she said the main stop of our "new" bus trip was The Wall, though she communicated by speaking in slower and slower Chinese that I was laughing pretty hard. Oh, the bus tickets with the stops were in Chinese, too, which she of course re-read to us several times in Manderin.

Anyway, we got to The Wall, and took this cart ride up, up, UP! to a wall enterance that OSHA would have a field day with! Insanely hazardous, though the old folks seemed to manage well. (The slide down was also nuts!) A gorgeous and hot day, the spot made for great pix. Especially of the really steep parts that took everyone's breath away... literally. Of course, there were vendors hawking "I climbed The Great Wall" t-shirts and hot dogs (??!!). Added a new sense of charm, Capitalism hits The Wall.

The rest of our mysterious bus trip involved random stops to buy shit (gems and dried fruit). We also made a stop at this "preserved" Old Town amusement (i.e. amusing) park. Buy your cheap souvenirs, shoot arrows or bb guns at targets and have your photo taken with Mao! (or his twin).

Did I mention that this bus was packed with Chinese tourists? So, we got the authenic Chinese tour. Though both Pete and me agreed that there was a reason why we never (seldom) join tour groups.

On the way back from our 9 hour tour, we realized that Peter was leaving a day earlier than we thought. Yes, they have calendars here, but we lost track of everything, especially after 3 weeks together. So, instead of him leaving Sunday at midnight, he leaves tonight. And I fly out on Tuesday, not Wednesday. I almost wish I hadn't brought that up, because it will be odd without having Peter here. But I'm also ready to get home and have some coffee, so it feels good that that's sooner than later.

We joined Li and her boyfriend last night at this trendy college bar, Propaganda. Tons of gringos, mixed with locals and Koreans (who knew?). The place was packed! On the train ride, I exposed Peter to Outkast. So when they placed "Hey Ya!", Peter went berzerk and attacked the dance floor.

We decided to split for a quieter environ and they took us to this Tawainese fast food chain, where we had pot stickers and some nasty, egg-tasting milk drink. The logo for the place is a total ripoff of Col. Sanders, though with distinctly Asian features. Funny.

So, that brings things to speed. We need to both pack. I'll be moving to a dorm room here at the hotel for the next few nights. And Peter and I need to figure out what we're doing on his last day here. The city should be crazy. And so will we!

Happy May Day!
Sol

Pete and I are renting bikes today in a sub-conscious attempt at suicide. Not that this place is like Saigon, but I'm more worried about all the other cut-throat cyclists. Those old ladies on two-wheels look nasty...

Yesterday was a GREAT day, hanging with Ben Brink's friend, Li. She's a media student at Peking U. A sharp wit, Peter and I have started calling her "The Boss." We had a stellar lunch at the mall (go figure), then a walk through one of the "smaller" royal gardens. A stroll around town... time for tea. And Laura Jones on the hi-fi. Then... time for supper. The Boss did a great job of ordering for us (she'd tell you that herself, of course). We have plans for a night out on the town Friday night...

Beijing is stunningly beautiful. Aside from perhaps Vancouver, B.C., I can't think of a more beautiful place than here. Calm (with 100 kazillion people living here???) and very scenic. Perhaps Pete and I have been overly influenced by our last pit-stop in the Gobi Desert, but we both love this place.

Which leads me to this: On the trainride here, I re-read "China Wakes" by 2 NYTimes reporters, one a former News-Register reporter while attending high school in Yamhill!! They were here in Beijing for several years, and won the Pulitzer for their coverage of the student demonstrations @ Tienemen Square.

(I still have to re-read their bios, for it seems too surreal. I met the reporter, Nick Kristoff, and his wife and colleague, Sheryl, while they were visiting Linfield and asked him if his experience @ the N-R later helped him win the Pulitizer. He laughed!)

Together they were able to crack the facade of China and Beijing. In 1988, while Beijing was trying to land the '96 Olympics, they cleaned up the city. And not just street sweepers. They built facades to cover up the run-down areas of town. One story they reported about was of this mentally-retarded man who was taken away by the police for fears his appearance may spook the Olympic selection committee, since his parent's home, where he lived, was "near" the route that the committee was to take. The cops beat him to death. A neighborhood governor, an "ordinary" old lady was the one who turned him in to the higher authorities.

So while this place seems so enchanting and spectacular, the events detailed in "China Wakes" are a sober reminder of the tragic and horrific backstories that have created this environment.

And on a tangent, I can post this blog, but can't read it once posted: the site is censored here in China.

One last note: I really wanted to share "China Wakes" with Li, since she's studying media and plans a career in the field. But we both agreed over dinner that the material would be "too dangerous" for her to have in her possession.

Really weird stuff here.

Alright, time for the Tour de Beijing...

Sol

Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration. Hell, it's a flat out LIE! But me and Pete just got a sweet-ass massage (on our ass) at this parlor here in Beijing, and in the background on the sound system was Mr. G. Very relaxing and just the ticket following our adventures on the TransSib. The massage girls were giggling a lot. Would have paid a couple yuan to know what they were saying. Thought about calling Angie for help. Maybe I'll bring along a tape recorder next time...

So, yes. We're done with the trains. This 2-day leg was pretty pain free. And I've got to say that the Chinese restaurant car was a major step up above the Mongolian one. Peter and I were "forced" to buy 1st class tickets ($140 each) because that's all they had left. The other option was to take a train to the Chinese border and then find a bus. But fortune favored the foolish and we got our tickets at the last second when apparently something freed up.

When we arrived in Beijing, it was somewhat anti-climatic. No marching band, no cheering fans. Where the hell were you guys?? We just walked away from the train and into this stellar city. Wow, this place is cool. Much more inviting than the banks and shopping malls known collectively as Hong Kong. Trees, businesses, crazy cyclists and drivers (though nothing compares with Saigon!). Peter and I were greeted by a traffic cop who wanted to know if I knew who Yao Ming was. And then he wished us in English, "Have a great visit."

We took a chance and landed a hotel not far from the Forbidden City. A sweet courtyard, HOT water and 26 varieties of Chinese TV (CCTV). AND, ESPN. Watched some of the T'wolves-Nuggets Game 3 (dubbed in Chinese) as Pete shaved his beard and showered. Don't worry folks, he still has that silly growth on his chin. I shaved myself... it took some effort. We hadn't shaved since Moscow, after some stupid, "manly" pact. Later, while pounding the pavement, I swung by a (ladies??) barbershop and got a haircut. A young child there was captivated by our appearance (that sounds odd, huh?). All the pampering today felt good. Hell, it feels GREAT.

After weeks of E. European food, it ROCKS to eat Chinese food again. And it's not like you have to go far to find a stellar place. (thank God for picture book menus) This place is a bit evil because everywhere you turn, there's a Chinese restaurant that smells GREAT. Can't wait for breakfast.

Tomorrow, the plan is to rent bicycles and tour the city. I have also contacted two friends of Ben Brink's while in Mongolia and we hope to hook up for tea and/or a meal.

OK, they just turned out the lights here at this Internet cafe. Time to split.

More later from B-town!
Sol

Evening from Ulaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatar, Mongolia. Just a few minutes before me and Pete proudly shut down this Internet Juke Joint!

After a peaceful 2 night trip from Irkutsk to "UB", we arrived at the crack of dawn this morning at the train station to a chorus of taxi drivers singing for our lovings (and tagrog=money). We huffed it for over an hour looking for "our" chosen hotel (selected from Lonely Planet). Well, it no longer exists. That explains all the walking in circles...

After dumping our stuff at a "western hotel", we walked to the Buddhist Temple at the top of the hill. Spectacular! Serene, very soothing. We hung out for awhile and I made a couple interesting photos. Both Petey and I were stunned by this HUGE ASSED 25-meter-high gold (?) statue in one temple. Kind of scary. Created some serious vertigo.

I took a "nappy nap" while Peter walked around a bit. He returned to Hotel GenEx and crashed himself for a couple hours, or more. A bit gone, we decided to choose this simple restuarant near our hotel, which was packed with folks. Turns out, it was packed with RUSSIANS! And when you get more than 2 together, than there is tons of drunk dancing. Yep, they did "the train" around the banquet dinner table. Made for a fun(ny) photo. One Russian guy was fascinated by our English speaking abilities and wanted me and the Brad Pitt look-alike to join the fun(?). We navigated that scene pretty smoothly, escaping quickly after dessert.

A short walk around UB and we decided to call it a night. One more night to explore UB before leaving for Beijing on Sunday.

Will need help in China with this blog (TJ, I'll be in touch), because this site is censored in Red China. And you know how nasty it gets when you mix an American with a German...

All for now!
Sol

Strange how average days while traveling in bizarre places usually turn into something spectacular, or at least unusual.

So, after a quick walk around Irkustsk yesterday afternoon, and then a bite at a cheesy pizzeria, we decided to call it a night. Me, Peter and this woman, Jo, from Edinburgh we bumped into, were all still fried from the train ride. We all felt a little light-headed (more than normal) and spacey.

But while buying some water, pivo/beer and snacks on the way back to the hotel, we were approached by a local girl who wanted to speak English with us. Her name starts with an "N" - it was something pretty, too. But I'm horrible with names, let alone foreign ones.

N is 19, Eurasian, is taking French, English and German, and desperately wants to move to America. She's going to Moscow next week for a work visa, wants to work for 4 months in McDonalds in Virginia for $5.75. Her English was pretty solid, especially for here.

She and her guy friend took us to a local dive bar, where we had some drinks and gained a 2nd wind. Guys there, though, were calling her a whore for hanging out with us. See a pattern??

Anyway, we then took a cab to Titantik Klub, the main disco open after hours. The security there had us check in our cameras and bags. Turns out there was a stripper there that night, no photos. Sorry Boyd. Wasn't much of a show, a single song performance. Funny though watching the guys lined up drooling in the dim light of the tiny disco.

Peter and Jo had a few drinks, combination of beer and vodka, of course. I decided to split a little early (2 a.m.) for the hotel. Tired, but also a little wary of N's program, which was getting clingy and dramatic. She wanted us to hang out tonight, but Peter and I are taking the 8:30 p.m. train to Ulan Bataar today.

So, Irkustsk is an interesting, little town. Lots of wooded buildings with sweet windows and doors. A bit run down (and dirty), though. Of course, there's a healthy combination of Russian Ladas and German SUV's. (Russian mafiaso??)

This town was were many intellectual revolutionaries were sent off in exile in the mid 1800's. They created schools, theatre, arts, etc. So while we may not necessarily see it during our 36 hours here, this is considered a cultural center, the Paris of Siberia. Tres bien.

Am having a problem mentally preparing for this train ride. After 5 days of ramen and instant potatoes, it's hard to look at that again. And we've read that Mongolia has a lot of mystery meat and fat and dairy products with various levels of sour tastes. Nummy.

Bon appetit! And more from Mongolia.

Cheers!
Sol

Ok, Peter just agreed that I'm going to tell the tale about our train ride. Still feeling a little punchy after being on the train for 5 days. Took a shower this afternoon, changed the anti-bacterial underwear and feel like a million rubles here in Irkutsk, Russia/Siberia.

Two of the ladies we hung out with in Moscow were named Elena and Marina. Our two provodnistas/cabin ladies were named Elena and Marina. Freaked us out a little bit, especially since Peter has a thing about women with the same name, Beate #1 and #2, etc. We referred to them, of course, as Elena #1 for our Moscow friend and Elena #2 for our provodnista and the same for Marina.

These women have POWER! (Think Soup Nazi with a smile) They provide food and water (at a modest price) at the mini kiosk. Plus, they are in charge of shovelling coal into the furnace. It easily got to 85 degrees in the cabin. We tried to slow them down, but to no avail. During our brief stops along the way, I'd walk in my OSU FB tee and shorts and Tevas onto the platform to cool down, a definite scene stopper in Siberia.

Our trip started on Friday afternoon. Saturday morning at about 8 or 9 a.m., we met this friendly guy who wanted to speak English, smoke cigarettes and discuss what kind of cars we had. (His wife has a Honda Civic, so he approved of me, but was easily more impressed by Peter's new work vehicle, a BMW.

We passed on the cigs (and beer), but ended up playing poker in the restaurant car over instant coffee. (the beer was looking tempting after tasting the kafe) Kind of boring, but the guy was friendly and he brought in a couple guys into the action. They looked like novice card players and our guy was explaining the game. Out of nowhere, money started being thrown down in this game with 2 cards we hadn't played before and didn't quite understand. 5 rubles, then 100 ($4). I had a couple aces, but I didn't like the tone of the game and wasn't into the betting, so I folded. And our guy shook my hand, was impressed I guess. Whatever. On Peter's next turn, he had to ante $20 and does. Turns out he has 2 aces, too. Hm. Next thing you know, the ante is $100. Peter is confident because of his hand. I'm skeptical because the game didn't quite make sense and we went from almost playing "go fish" to high stakes poker.

I lent him $40 to cover his end, but then we noticed that this first guy we met was holding the money in his hand. Peter and another guy were the only 2 left. The other guy throws down $200 US cash. WHAT??? But then he confides that he only has 2 tens. So, if Peter matches the ante, the pot is his.

We're trying to figure out the rules at the wrong point in this game. The guys went from friendly and outgoing to serious pricks. I went back to our cabin to talk with Marina #2 and Nina, a girl who spoke decent enough English.

"Say goodbye to your money," she said. "And I'd check your cabin to see if anything was missing. I'm sure there is."

Turns out, this group of guys boarded the train looking for us. These "new guys" in the restaurant car were his buds. What's weird is how easily we walked into this con game.

Thankfully, provodnista Elena #2 had locked our cabin behind us. She knew what was up. Too bad nobody told us until afterwards. Whatever. Everything was safe, cameras, iPod, etc. I went back to the restaurant car to tell Peter to walk away from the game, to stop trying to get our money back. It was useless.

Within a couple minutes, our train stopped at the next stop and we saw the guys hop off together. I gave them the American Bird, but they were happy enough with their little score to care. We (PETER) came across as gullible tourists, but it easily broke the ice in the train car for the rest of our long-assed trip.

It was a weird way to start the train trek, but it turned out alright. We quickly laughed about it. Things could have been so much worse and Peter plans to use that experience in his "decision-making seminar" when he returns. Judy, is gambling a tax write-off?

The train trip itself was an interesting experience, a day or two longer than I expected. Our compartment was to ourselves, so more privacy with the farting, etc. Don't want to commit some Russian faux-pas. The food options turned into tea, instant mashed potatoes and ramen. Sometimes, we'd get some bread, cheese and fruit along the way. There were many women selling food at most stops. Smoked herring anyone?

At first, the scenery was pretty drab and depressing. Many of the villages outside of Moscow were completely deserted. Others looked that they should have been. The final day here to Irkurtsk was pretty and the sun was out. The wooden buildings were more colorful and kept up well.

Somewhat like the banja/sauna experience in Moscow, this train trip helped clear the mind and soul. Not much to do on the train, especially since we avoided the beer most of the time. And playing cards didn't seem like that much fun. Peter and I talked a bunch, of course, and tried to keep each other sane. The provodnistas provided some entertainment. Felt weird to say goodbye to everyone this morning.

Now in Irkurtsk, Peter and I are trying to figure out the rest of our time here in Russia. Will likely split for Ulaan Batar, Mongolia either tomorrow or the next day. That should be a really odd scene. Can't wait!


That's it for now. Signing off from Siberia,
I'm S.O.L.

PS I won't to go on the record: Peter is a FAB dancer. Our last night in M-town, he was a star and made many friends with his energy, style and "grace." Where the fuck was a video camera???

Alright, after a full day of doing pretty much nothing (esp. beer and cigs), Peter and I are at full-strength heading into our final evening in Moscow. We're going soon to the local "banja" or bathhouse. Two hours of soaking. Then a message. All for $20, and that's considered high here. Our Russian "mama" at the b&b is stunned we'd be willing to pay such a high price.

Tonight, we're hooking up, so to speaking, with our lady friends from Tues. night. I imagine there might be a piwa (beer) or 2 in our future.

Tomorrow afternoon, we leave for Lake Baikal. That's 4 days on the train. We'll be stopping along the way for local food, etc. I really can't wait!

So, this might be it for a few days, unless we splurge at this Internet cafe before leaving. Hope to have some funny stories to share soon.

Sol

I guess I'll pick up where Peter left off before we got cut out of this Internet Cafe...

After taking pix at the Kremlin and Red Square, we toured the surreal shopping mall there. Felt like Milan or Paris. Lenin is no doubt rolling over in his grave across the square...

We split that scene and wound up at a sports bar. A few (too many) drinks and smokes later, this chick, Helena, sat down next to us and started flirting with me, and Peter some. But it was obvious she preferred Americans, "so strong and powerful." When I asked her what she did for a living, she smiled and said "You know, you understand." Yep. Momma didn't raise no fools. Peter split for the WC ... in the wrong direction. And he joined the table of ladies behind us, who were dying with laughter over our predicament. After getting bored with Helena, I told her I did not pay for sex. Women pay ME! (laugh all you want, dear friends...) Turns out Helena was also trying to get us to pay for her food and drinks because her credit card failed. She wandered from table to table looking for other "friends" without luck. In the end, I felt sorry for her.

We ended up staying for another few hours with our new friends. Peter and I easily had 10 beers each last night. Plus I had 3 shots of vodka with a drunk police officer who was trying to show who the boss was.

We're joining the ladies again tonight, but by looking in the mirror and at Peter's face, I can't imagine drinking any more beer...

Running out of time, more later from Russia.

Lovins,
Sol

Turns out I was in Moscow making travel plans with an illegal alien. Peter, somehow despite all the crazy paperwork, permission slips from parents, visas, etc., never got his passport stamped when he entered Moscow by plane. Completely unheard of here. Our host "daddy" was stunned, and worried. But, Peter went yesterday to get his stamp without incident and was not sent off early to Siberia.

Weird way to start a day that nearly ended with a hooker. But I'm getting ahead of myself. We went to the Red Square and made some pictures during incredible light as the sun was setting. We toured the shopping mall at the Kremlin, fucking bizarre like Italy or Paris. We ditched that scene and wound up in a sports bar with Russian hockey jerseys posted everywhere. Sat down, had a few beers (and smokes). Then this chick squeezed in next to me and started flirting with me and Peter. "Oh, how I LOVE America, people are so powerful and strong." She made it pretty clear what her line of "business" is and said it was worth it. Peter made a smart call and excused himself to the bathroom ... in the wrong direction. Sat next to a few women that were laughing at our scenario. When "Helena" left for the bathroom, I joined Peter and the ladies. When the hooker returned, I explained that I don't pay for sex. Women pay me! (ok, laugh all you want...) Had a weird run in with a drunken police officer that was threatening us with troubles, but his buddy just smiled and said "No problems." I joined them for 3 hits of vodka, which may explain why I feel so nasty right now...

We are going to join those ladies this evening, but I can't imagine consuming another drink. Peter is worse off than me and today we're wandering around some more, looking at the scenes and avoiding the hookers... (thanks, Finch, for your advice)

Sol

Alright, sitting with Peter here at some swanky cafe after a FUN first day in Moscow, he's having a fun(ny) conversation with the folks here about his mystery order. Picked Peter up @ the airport this morning after an adventurous trip on the Metro. Thank God for English speaking Russians. Spaceba!

After finding our b & b room (in a sweaty stooper) we went back to downtown, Red Square and proceded to... get drunk. Just like pretty much everyone else here. And yes, we're still drunk. EVERYONE is walking the streets with open beer bottles, women, men, children, dogs. Got some fun pix of a drunk chick being pushed in a shopping cart by a fellow drunk. Let's just say if the Russian police were on top of it, they'd have issued them DUII's.

Found the BEST kebab EVER, in my opinion. Great w/ 6 percent alcoholic beer x2. Walked the tourist/Vegas-esque strip (we spotted strip clubs, Boyd) and Peter bought a black Russian "fur" hat for $10 USD. No doubt a staple in upcoming photos.

There is so much to wonder about and stare at here. Feel like a pre-schooler again, trying to learn a new ALPHABET. Pretty fucked up, but we gain major satisfaction when we figure out that some Scrabbled Alphabet Sign says BEER or CAFE. The "XXX" speaks for itself...

Alright, time for Petey.

Sol

I forgot to post this link, pretty funny and odd experience on my 2nd day in Lithuania:

http://www.sportsshooter.com/funpix_view.html?id=999


Bumped into one of Sabonis' teammates just now here at the Internet Cafe checking the message boards on European basketball. We're hooking up for lunch in a few minutes after I post this.

More from Moscow.
Sol

Ok, so the fun really began Tuesday night after I bought a round of drinks for a couple 18 year old ladies. Or maybe they were 17. That's what their friend was saying. 17, 18, 19. No matter. Because here in Lithuanian, EVERYONE is allowed to drink and have fun, assuming there are enough Litas in the pocket. No, nothing happened with the teenagers (seriously), but it did open up several conversations with their friends, and then friends of their friends. Left the Orleans night club @ 2 a.m. with easily the best night and experience in Kaunas (so far). Traveling alone is fine, but making friends is much better. And some of them were really old (20).

Just a couple more nights for me here in Kaunas before I take a kamakaze autobus from K-town to Moscow on Easter Sunday. Just $30 for 14 hours of fun in a bus. I'm assuming the "fun" part is included. How can it not be, huh? Should ("should") arrive around 7h30 Monday morn. Will then hook up w/ Peter at the airport @ 11 ish. Hope we're both on time.

Things overall have been really good here in Kaunas. As I predicted, things go slowly here. Sabonis hasn't played in every practice - or even every game. So a hit here, a miss there. Interviewed him on Tuesday night before he left for a game in Israel. Saturday night is their final regular season Lithuanian League game against rival Vilnius. But it's 50-50 that he will play because his team has already captured the leage title and nothing is on the line but some bragging rights. Am glad I was here to photograph the last home Euroleague game on 1 April, because that may well be the only "game pix" I get.

Alright, off to work on this story over coffee and food, both of which have been stellar here. Wonder what Russia will be like...

Ciao,
Sol

Alright, Senor Shissekopf,

I've confirmed my flight info: arriving on 31 March in Vilnius, and then I'll catch a bus or train to "nearby" Kaunas the next day. And I'll be leaving Beijing on May 4, which will give me a couple days to hang with fellow Oregonian photog Ben Brink.

So, aside from those wonderful images of your bro's wedding..., I'm still waiting to get a photo or URL link with the exact model of your digital camera storage card. I could bring extras, if they are Compact Flash cards. OR, I can bring a small card reader to download your images on my iPod, so you can erase your card and take more pix. Maybe it would be easier to know the exact model of your camera. But we don't want to make it too easy, do we??

Aside from my iPod, I'll be packing a Sony transister radio, so we can practice our Mongolian on the train.

What else? I bought a couple more pairs of anti-bacterial underwear! Not only sexy, but clean! Hell, you could eat your supper off it if you need to. And when I say "you" I mean YOU, not me... ;-)

Also heard it might be good to pack our own chop sticks. Apparently, grubby sticks in our packs might still be cleaner than chop sticks provided @ Chinese restaurants. And when you're eating supper off my underwear, don't you really want to know that your chop sticks are clean?!

Well, that's about it for now. I'm sitting on my rear today, daydreaming about our trip.

I'm ready to go CAMPING! YOU?

Sol

Hey

So, my flights are reserved, just waiting for a cheaper flight to happen with my flight from Beijing - I've been told I could save $100 if I wait. Think of all the piwo I can buy with that!

I've been on the fence, but I'm now leaning towards shooting film on this trip. Might be simpler, easier to avoid technical problems. So, be sure to leave some space in your pack for my shit, willya? You're a sweetie.

Oh, what kind of storage card do you use for your digital camera? There seem to be so many different sizes. I do have a card reader for my iPod, so I can bring that along for your use if it's compatible.

How was the wedding? Thanks for sending the photos in a timely fashion! ;-)

Alright, find a map: I'm in Klamath Falls, Ore., birthplace of Tara Lynn Fields. That's about the best thing about this ranch town.

Time for some zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz,
Sol

Hey buddy

Yeah, the Russian visa is a headache. We need to decide where we are staying in Moscow right away. And then get an agency to invite us. I've been going over the book - and online. It's confusing. What we need is the business visa (which allows for more flexibility). But we'll be ok.

And I'm not worried about getting train tickets. Long lines? Part of the experience. Hey, we'll get to spend that quality time together. Like I said, the train tickets are on me. Just got a random check in today's mail for $600 from AP. If that's not an omen, what is?

OK, I'm going back to the evening research. More soon.

Remember the sage Bosnians: "Polako, polako.."

Sol

So, me and Pete seem to have decided on dates: 11 April- 3 May. It's so close! But now I have to get off my ass and figure out the 2 dozen visas we'll need in order to avoid the Gulag.

I'm so excited, I don't know what more to type...

A bientot!
Sol