I have a couple of layovers on the way home, but the trip is pretty much over.

CHINA I only had a few days there and I have a few on the way home. I dont like the east coast as much as the south. It was OK but I didnt think it was anything special.

MONGOLIA was expensive and so not worth the money. It could have been but in my case I thought it was way overpriced. Having said that I would do the tour again cos it is the only way to get to the places I wanted to go. I also think I was a bit too early in the season so there were no other people to join me. The money and the language was the hardest I have ever encountered. Usually I pick up at least a few words but Mongolian was for me the hardest ever. They dont line up for anything, getting a train ticket is like a rugby scrum.

RUSSIA was the whole purpoes of this trip. The rest has been getting here. I wanted to see Moscow. Thr whole trip was all about Moscow. St Basil's stopped me in my tracks. I have seen some amazing buildings around the world, Tigers Nest, Registran, Taj Mahal even Machu Pichu but none was soo impressive. I think it has something to do with growing up in the cold war era and watching the goose stepping parades and the tanks and ICBM's roll up through Red Sq that made is so sureal. The Guest house in Moscow (Godzillas) nearly spoilt all that, it was one of the worst places I have ever stayed.
The stops on the way, Irkutsk was a good stop with plenty to see. Krasnoyarsk was a good stop for me but nothing to see. Kazan great Kremlin but not much else. Suzdal was asleepy little town with lots to se and just relax. Moscow was not as expensive as I expected and it is everything it is sopposed to be. St Petersburg just blew me away. There is sooo much to see here. Most is reproduced after WW II and not much older than 300years but it is amazing.

Food, I did some self catering, bought **** from the supermarket, and some eating at 'local' places and some fast food. The local places were sometimes hard to find cos they are inside and I cant read the signs. I had to find places with picture menues or order Shaslik. Most of the time I had no idea what I was eating even when I was eating it

Language, was a barrier but I mostly got around it and often someone, usually young, would step in and translate. The only ones that were a problem were middle aged ladies in some of the shops, they would say "nyet" and walk away. Those *****es you could tell didnt want to be there so I used to give them a hard time trying to get them to serve me. Im on holiday so I have nowhere to go so I can stay here all day. They soon changed their attitude.

Transport, the Trans Siberian is a route not a train so I was able to get on and off as I liked. I was early in the season so tickets were no problem. I find the trains boreing and tedious. I really dont know how people can do the whole 5 or 6 days in one go. I think I would go mental.

Expensive, I dont think so. I have read all over the net that Russia is not a cheap destination and Moscow is very expensive. Well I didnt think so. I am sure I could not have travelled as far and for as long in Australia as I have in Russia for the same price. It is certainly not cheap, like SE Asia but also not horrendously expensive either. It could be if you go to a lot of museums. They know how to charge for the museums and there are more here in St Petersburg than Moscow. Did I tell you they charged me 700 rubles for the Armoury in Moscow the other day, that is over $25. Daylight robbery!

I have 3 stops on the way home, Shanghai for 1 night, Hangzhou for 2 nights and transit in KL.