My turn - day 140

140 days ago I woke up in my bed in Finland, with a runny nose, headache and a cough....
...a couple hours, lots of packing, last minutes stress purchasing, almost missing the train -later, Sophia, Ruut and I were sitting on a train, almost bursting with energy and happiness - our adventure had finally started, and we had no idea what to expect.

140 days later I wake up in my dorm bed in Singapore, with a headache and a cough, looking over the city from the open dorm window my bed is next to.
140 days later I've experienced, seen, done, learned so much more than I thought I would and been to so many places I never thought I'd be.
140 days later, it's time for me to fly home. It's time for me to write my last blogpost while traveling, from Singapore, just as Sophia and Ruut have before me.

I'm afraid I don't have the time to sum up the trip (impossible) or my feelings about going home (equally impossible) and since the decision was made, and the ticket home bought last night, I haven't really had time to think about it either. So luckily I've been able to enjoy my last day, headed for the beach with Colin (last day of 30 degrees, sunshine, and a warm ocean....) and when it started raining (this is Singapore) I did what what you are supposed to do in Singapore (considering the infinite number of malls) - shopped.

And ate. Singapore now has officially vegan paradise -status.
This means I have no idea that I'm actually going home. Instead I feel excited - the way we always do when leaving a city and heading someplace new.

But this time my destination is Finland. I'm gonna fly (FLY???) via Japan to Finland.
.....hahahhahahahahah. Finlanad???
Naaah.

Ruut going home
Sophia going home

//H

Summing it up with pictures - Helsinki - Moscow - Day 1 to 2

Hey!

So this blog post(and the following ones with pictures) are actually posted by my mom from Finland (but written here in Beijing) since we had (major) problems uploading pictures (see previous post).

So, since you can only send 5 pictures/e-mail, and we have around 1000 pictures so far, we're only able to share a tiny bit of our journey with you, but at least now you'll get picture proof that we've actually been to the places we claim to have been to!

So, first off: we've really been to Moscow

The three of us, and a couple friends waving us of at the station in Helsinki, from where we took the train to Moscow. This was only about 12 days ago... but feels like it was in another lifetime




Excited that our journey has begun! Hanna and Ruut sipping tea in our Helsinki-Moscow train. Be warned: the tea and coffe that are offered on the trains come with a pric

7.30 AM, just arrived in Moscow, trying to find our Hostel. This picture should give you a good idea of how horrible we stood out from the masses. (And still do, now even more since everybody's got darker hair and are at least a head shorter. Oh, and look sorta asian.) The Russian woman always looking they're best in high heels, top of the line clothes, hairdo's and makeup. Us... well, lets just say we're totally rocking the tourist look most of the time. Eh, all the time.

 

Walked to the Red Square, saw Kreml, St. Basil's Cathedral, soldier's marching in a funny way, tuorists and expensive shops. Didn't see: Lenin nor the inside of Kreml(d'uh). We loved every minute in sunny Moscow, which might explain the happiness that got Ruut and Hanna jumping of joy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Helsinki - Mockba - Day 2

GREETINGS FROM MOSCOW!

That's right, we're here, and our trip has actually started!
Honestly though, feels like we've already been in Moscow for ages, and know our way around the city quite well, although we only arrived this morning!
So, about the traintrip...


14 hours felt like all too short a time! 
We hardly found time to sleep, since there where too many interesting things to see when looking out the window, too many interesting things to read about in our Lonely Planet: Trans Siberian railroad (WE LOVE IT!) and too much candy to eat (given to us by our sweet, sweet friends. No pun intended) and too much tea to drink (brought by our nice train "mama". Be warned, everything comes with a price.)

When we arrived in Moscow this morning we didn't have any problems finding our hostel, since we'd been smart enough to print out all maps we'd need in Moscow. (we strongly recommend this!)
After that we bought our train tickets to Beijing for tomorrow, no problems there either.
Then we where free to wander around Moscow, and get amazed by all the huge buildings.

We did visit the State of History Museum and found in quite interesting, showing the history of Russia from the Stone Age forward. But it wasn't quite worth the 250r (adult price, 1e = 38r) we paid for it, at least not without the audio guide and more time than 1,5h.

Since visiting Lenin's mausoleum and the Red Square was not a possibility (closed all day due to.. well, no one knows, not even the dozens and dozens of policemen who made sure no one tried to get past the fences) we took the time to ride around with the metro for a bit, only to jump on the wrong subway train a couple times, so we where rather successful, according to us at least. Luckily we bought a 5 ride ticket, costing 125r, so we still have rides left for tomorrow!

We finished our sunny but chilly day in Moscow by eating at a, hehe, fancy Sushi restaurant. 
But we aren't planning on visiting Japan, so we think we're forgiven. And we'll try to find some Borscht soup tomorrow instead.
But the sushi was delicious (especially the Spring Roll-ish things) and the price okay, so after buying some breakfast for tomorrow (apples, bread, water, salad, mandarins, something that might be a spiky cucumber and grapes) we're happily back at our Hostel and our budget still holds! 


A couple things we learned to day:
-you need a bigger water bottle than you think.
-always carry band-aids and headache-pills with you.
-it gets dark fast
-always carry snacks in your bag (Sophia's homemade Snickers bars kept us going)
-a calculator would be handy, since we keep giving people the wrong change...

All in all, this day has been WONDERFUL, and we still can't quite believe our dream is actually happening. To be able to just walk around and take it all in, with no hurry anywhere is... indescribable.

But, to our beloved folks at home: thank you for the wonderful goodbye at the train station, and we've read all your "Valentine" notes and all we can say is...  we love you so incredibly much. And we'll update as often as possible!


Hitting our bunk beds now, trying to get an early start tomorrow, and to find some time to update before we leave for the train to Beijing.
Oh, and perhaps upload some of our pictures. There are quite a lot thanks to Hanna's overactive picture snapping.
We love you all!
*Sophia & Hanna


ps. Guess what Nationality our room mates are(question mark. Can't get it to work)

And we're off! - Day 1

Last blogpost from Finland, less than an hour til I should be sitting on the train to Helsinki.
And I just finished packing.
Well almost.
Next time we'llupdate, it will hopefully be with pictures and from Moscow!
EXCITING!

Now, what can I possibly have forgotten...?

//H

PANIC! - Day 1

Okay, so this is officially the day of our departure.
Out train to Moscow leaves in... 17 hours and 15 minutes.
And I should probably try to catch some sleep before that, but how could I, when there is no much to do?!

I should pack my rinkka, and get rid off half the stuff I have in it at the moment.
Well, half the stuff at least.
 I should check that I have copies of all important papers, visas, passport, bankcards, vaccination cards, insurance card... insurance card! Where the heck is my insurance card?!
I should finish packing all the stuff from my room into boxes (my family wants my room during the time I'm off exploring Asia).
I should learn how my brand new camera and mp3 player works... brand new, as in bought a couple hours ago. Yeah, I have a talent for leaving important things to the last minute.
I should go to the bank and yell at the bank ladies for a bit for messing around with our Visa Electron cards.
I should go to Forex and exchange some more money.
I should blog about vaccinations we've taken, hostel rooms we've booked, things we've packed, things we've bought...
I should buy a money pouch. Sexy. And a raincoat/wind-coat. Sexy.
I should probably shower and sorta prepare myself for the journey.

I should... well there are a million things I should do, but so little time...
...hence, I've apparently done what I've always do in situations like this: done nothing of the things I should do, but instead spent a lot of that preacious time whining about them.

But at least you know what's up at the moment, and I apologies for the lousy updating during the past weeks!
It's not like nothing's been happening in the travel area lately, there's just been too much happening in the travel area, feels like lately I've done nothing but stuff that has had to with this journey.
Now, let's all cross our fingers and hope for a miracle... that I'll actually get all of the things I should do, done in time, and then even have time to write a blog post or two, with contents of more importance then this one.
Whether a miracle will happen or not, I'll still post something before we leave Finland, so stay tuned!
As for now.... goodnight! If any of you can sleep with all this excitement in the air. I doubt I can.

//Hanna