The Altai Region of Russia is a tourist mecca for those living in Novosibirsk, Banual and Bisck the three large cities in the region. And it was summer so everyone was looking for fun in the sun. It is a mountainous area that has the Katun River running right through the middle. There are guest houses, cafe's and hotels on every bend in the river. And there are plenty of attractions if you can appreciate the Russian style entertainment. I preferred to stay away f...

After an uneventful trip back to the Altai Region of some 500 kms, I found a campsite on a tributary of the Katun River. At this point the Katun spreads out onto flatter terrain and not the steaming monster that flows through the Altai valleys. A brief stop for some bread at a shop had turned into a very social occassion attracting a group of locals. They were a friendly lot and we laughed and chuckled about some of the differences between Australians and Russian...

Omsk to Novosibirsk (Take two)After the rather depressing news that the Kazakh Consulate could not change my visa for an early entry date to Kazakhstan from the 15/7 to 1/7/09 I resolved to the fact that I would have to remain and make the best of the 16 days in Russia. It is one of the side affects of travelling in parts of the world where entry and departure from any country is dictated by visas. My visa application for Kazakhstan was a genuine mistake as it wa...

This is just a short note at this stage to advise ya all that due to the Kazakh Consultate refusal to issue me with a second (earlier) visa, I will be spending the next 16 days in Russia. My plans at this stage are to return to the Altai Region ( a mere 1500km jaunt) and doo a spot of sightseeing. Then I might sleep for 5 days. Anyhow watch this space as I will try to update with some GOOD NEWS when it comes to light.

What more can I say about Mongolia. It is beautiful beyond belief because of the scale. The mountains are big. The Gobi Desert is big. The treeless rolling hills and plains are so big they look like they stretch forever and the people are just the most down to earth sincere race on the planet. I will never forget their smiles, inquisitive nature and their sheer tenacity in making such a simple life so meaningful. We spent the last days in Mongolia camping beside ...