Backpacking

[Everz]

Can you get off road wheels for suit cases then?

In my opinion it was easier, but yeh, your experience is probably vastly different eh?

 

[Nate]

What class did you guys go btw? Would you go that class again?

 

[DaGaffer]

What class did you guys go btw? Would you go that class again?

1st class. Be careful though; 1st class doesn't necessarily mean what you think; its common for solo travellers to be given two bunks in a second class! (which is what happened to me, obviously). The main advantage of that was that I was sharing with a Russian couple and they used to feed me black bread, cheese and vodka for breakfast and I'd get the beers in in the buffet car. Personally I thought second class was actually fine, although I'm one of those people who can sleep through an earthquake. I had a look at the proper first class cabins (2 berth) and I didn't think they were anything special. 3rd class on the other hand is a bit of an eye-opener; lots of itinerant workers and soldiers so you need to keep your wits about you.

 

[Nate]

Yeah I was thinking 2nd class looks a good compromise, cheaper, meet people still but don't get sleep deprived. I've done a few of the 15 people rooms in hostels and that was a bit shit with the constant walking in/out in the middle of the night.

 

[Nate]

Did you not stop from Moscow - Irkutsk gaff?

 

[DaGaffer]

Did you not stop from Moscow - Irkutsk gaff?

Not overnight. You stop regularly (so hawkers can flog you stuff and you can nosy around a Soviet-era train station), but generally speaking most people are on a non-stop ticket. The dirty secret of the Trans-Siberian railway is that the route itself isn't actually that interesting; most Russian towns are horrible (Irkutsk is atypical and actually quite nice) and Siberian scenery tends to consist of birch trees and more birch trees, with the odd river to liven things up a bit. Ironically (for me) its supposed to get more interesting after Irkutsk.

 

[Lamp]

1. Don't try to take anything naughty through customs. Unless you want to be in the news. Then executed.
2. In Thailand, there are no specific words for "he" and "she". Double check beforehand, mkay?
3. Don't stand on the beach wondering why the water has suddenly been drawn back half a kilometer. See that shadow on the horizon..?
4. Forget Europe. Definitely Asia. As much of it and for as long as you can afford. Do it while you're young.
5. Make sure all your documentation is 100% in order, and you get the right jabs from the docs.
6. Not all snakes in Asia are cute & cuddly.

Eenjoy yourselves. That's an order ! Attaboy

 

[Nate]

6. Trouser snakes are especially nasty and well camouflaged in Thailand!

 

[cHodAX]

6. Trouser snakes are especially nasty and well camouflaged in Thailand!

And a nasty bite from one can lead to 20 years of rotting away. Always wear your wellies when you go prodding around the undergrowth!