Trans-Siberian Railway: The Summary
November 27, 2018
12 trains, 115 hours, and 14,645km. This Trans-Siberian Railway journey took us 27 days. What an incredible experience, and it all went by in a flash. I could have easily double the time for this trip, and dig deeper into each of the places that we visit. If this trip has been on your bucket list, I encourage you to…
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Getting Russian & Mongolia Visa in China
November 27, 2018
Preface Xavier (French) and I (Taiwanese-American) were living in Shanghai at the time of this trip prep. I was staying in China on my Taiwanese ID, but will be traveling on my US Passport, so I needed to obtain Russian visa in Hong Kong. US citizens do not need a Mongolia visa at this time. French needs both a Russian…
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Trans-Siberian Railway Part 8 – 3 Days in Kazan
November 12, 2018
Journey to Kazan Our train left for Kazan from Yekaterinburg early in the morning. The 13-hour journey was our first non-overnight train; the perfect time to do some good old-fashioned reading without the distraction of Internet. I read Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind and completed Hillbilly Elegy in one sitting. I cannot remember the last time I read a…
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Trans-Siberian Railway Part 7 – 24 hours in Yekaterinburg
November 11, 2018
During my planning, I had read that Yekaterinburg is a good stop point to break up the Trans-Siberian route, but that it was an industrial city not worth lingering. I took that silly advice and only allowed for less than 24 hours in this lovely city. Self-Guided Walking Tour If there’s any place that I wish we could stay longer,…
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Trans-Siberian Railway Part 5 – 4 days in Irkutsk & Lake Baikal
November 6, 2018
Day 1 – Irkutsk Wandering We checked into our hostel at Katyusha Travel Centre, a no-frills hostel that is clean, spacious with a large common space. I didn’t realise that bathroom wasn’t en-suite for a double room, but hey, a little hostel living is good for the soul. First order of business is to get a Russian SIM card. I…
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Trans-Siberian Railway Part 4: Ulaanbaatar to Irkutsk
August 16, 2018
Our train departing from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia was already at the station when we arrived, but boarding didn’t begin until around 30 minutes before departure. When booking this trip, I booked second class for journeys that are around 24 hours or less, so for this 23-hour leg, we were in second class. Old World Charm The 305 train is markedly older…
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Trans-Siberian Railway Part 3: 24 hours in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
July 19, 2018
As soon as we got off the train, we felt the breeze of that fresh Mongolian air with a shining sun. We saw a guy holding a sign of our hostel (Zaya Hostel), and walked towards him. But first, cash. With 3 ATMs in the train station, only one worked with my Charles Schwab VISA card. With 2,000 to one…
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Trans-Siberian Railway Part 2: Beijing to Ulaanbaatar
July 4, 2018
Goodbye China The overnight leg of our Trans-Siberian railway journey was a 31-hour ride from Beijing, China to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. We arrived at the Beijing Railway Station a whole 90 minutes before departure. The night prior, we had seen long lines at the square, where people were getting into the station, and feared the same. Turns out, at 5:30am, while…
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Trans-Siberian Railway Part 1: Shanghai to Beijing
June 29, 2018
The day has finally come to begin our grand goodbye tour! The first leg from Shanghai to Beijing was fairly ordinary. We took the high speed rail from Shanghai Hongqiao to Beijing South station. I’ve taken this journey several times throughout my time in China, but this time would be without a return ticket. As usual, I purchased all the…
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Shanghai Living Quick Start Guide
February 26, 2018
This post has been on my to-do list for ages. Today, I met new friends who are in the city for the first time to attend Le Wagon coding camp! Finally, I have a reason to write this and add some value. Here are some of my favourite places in Shanghai. If you’ve been in Shanghai for a while, please feel free to add your favs in the comments!
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