Floating down the Desna River on Trash

by Justin Glow on

In parts of Russia on the Desna River, where pollution is a major problem, some quick-thinking environmentalists/travelers/campers have devised a way to kill two birds with one stone: clean the banks of the river while building a raft to float it.

EnglishRussia — one of my favorite blogs — has a photo gallery showing a group of kids stuffing rubbish into trash bags and attaching them to the bottom of a large, flat, wooden boat-like contraption. The bags filled with trash give the wood enough buoyancy to support the weight of five people and a tent. This makes me feel all warm inside.

Check out EnglishRussia for the full gallery.

Virtual Tour aboard the Trans-Siberian

by Neil Woodburn on

The trans-Siberian is one of the world’s epic journeys.

This six-day jaunt from Moscow to Vladivostok covers eight time zones and nearly a quarter of the globe’s surface. Riding it the entire distance is something which every one should do once in their life.

As a motivation to do so, Russian Railways has put together a rather cool interactive journey on their website.

The flash display begins at the train station in Moscow where visitors can look up and down the tracks before stepping into the first or second class carriage. Virtual passengers can then check out the cabins, the dining car, and various features throughout the train–such the TV in first class. The toilet, which is shared for a week with other passengers, can only be partially glimpsed through an open door. This is probably a good thing. As you might imagine, this nasty room was the low point of my journey a number of years ago.

The site is very cool and I highly recommend checking it out if you are planning a trip on the trans-Siberian any time soon. But keep in mind, the train featured is the Rossiya. If you book another train, things might not be as nice. But, you’ll love it anyway.

Rolf Potts + Travel Writing Classes + St. Petersburg, Russia = Fabulous June

by Willy Volk on

In addition to teaching creative nonfiction (a.k.a. travel writing) classes at the Paris American Academy this July, Rolf Potts will also be teaching a two-week course in travel writing at the Summer Literary Seminar in St. Petersburg, Russia. Russia?! Isn’t that, like, far? Well, yes…but the idea is that by visiting a totally foreign culture, a writer will experience a jolt of creative energy that will energize their writing and inspire greatness.

If you want to experience a jolt, maybe you should sign up for the course, which runs June 17-30. In it, participants take part in daily writing and literature-ish activities, like “Literary Walks” in St. Petersburg, introductory Russian language courses, and more. The 2-week course runs $1850 plus room and board, so it isn’t cheap. However, this is a great opportunity to get away, experience a foreign culture in a very visceral way, and write about it.

Who knows? If you get inspired, you might get published, and the trip would pay for itself.

[Photo: vetkaa]

Detour Worth Making: Yekaterinburg Cemetery Tour of Russian Mafia Tombstones

by Willy Volk on

Yekaterinburg is one of Russia’s largest cities. Roughly 600 miles southwest of Moscow, this former home to Boris Yeltsin is mineral-rich — making it an important industrial center in the country — but also has a fair amount of culture and tourist-cachet. In addition to the area’s cross country skiing, proximity to the Europe-Asia border, magnificent Opera and Ballet House, and huge water park, it boasts another, lesser-known tourist draw: its cemetery.

In 90s, Yekaterinburg was known as the “crime capital of Russia.” Since many Russian mafia leaders lived — and died — there, the cemetery is filled with their bodies. Featuring blinged out tombs, a visit to Yekaterinburg cemetery is like going to the dark side of Miami Vice.

Don’t feel comfortable going alone? Sokol Tours will take you there. In the meantime, check out English Russia’s photo tour of the graveyard.

The Craziest Drivers in the World Are…

by Iva Skoch on

How does one define a “bad driver”? In a good portion of the civilized world, we tend to think of it as someone who drives fast, passes without seeing what’s ahead, doesn’t stop for pedestrians, honks impatiently … and frequently breaks the law.

This definition does not apply in other places. Take Eastern Europe: Bad driver is typically seen as someone without the skills to drive a bad car 100mph on icy roads, someone who frequently slows down traffic by driving the speed limit or someone who doesn’t take off within exactly one second of the light changing. This school of thought automatically makes every person above 55 and 95 percent of women bad drivers. Really, the only “good drivers” would be single, childless men between 18 and 30. And, according to some, good drivers would definitely not be Australians.

Some say that the people of Rome are the world’s worst; others think Buenos Aires is crazier. Several sites are dedicated to the awful drivers of the Arabian Gulf (aka Persian Gulf). A few Mexico Cities, LAs, Rios. And finally, one study shows that Russians are the worst in Europe, with 25 percent admitting to having sex while driving.

I cast my vote for the drivers in Egypt, the world’s most enthusiastic honkers.