Update 2016-05-25
Very quick update: the visa has arrived!
Validity period starts June 1st, so once all has been said and done, I’ve only been delayed by a month which I am entirely okay with.
Meaning I have a few days left to get myself busy prepping this blog (and other) things for the official launch, etc., following which I am off to Vladivostok. Via Hong Kong, maybe? We will see. Anyway, only a few days to go!
Suddenly, everything is happening.
Keep watching this space. This placeholder page is shortly to be replaced with the blog proper.
- Sean
May 25, 2016
Update 2016-05-17
I had originally planned on being in Russia for my birthday, but eh. Instead I’m off to Ontario for a short visit with the consulate. You know what would be a really nice birthday gift? Howabout a Russian visa???
Ah well. “Всё, что будет, то будет.”
As, uh, they say.
So things do seem to be progressing, however glacially. I actually don’t entirely know what the outcome of this trip to the consulate will be, but remain ever hopeful. In any case, I expect to know for sure one way or the other in increasingly short order.
Fingers fully crossed, stomach fully butterflied.
- Sean
May 17, 2016
Update 2016-05-07
So everything is done and prepped and I’m ready to leave at any time.
Except that I still don’t have a Russian visa. The process has been long and annoying and full of a few wrinkles that I don’t really want to get into here, but basically, getting rejected for a Russian visa seems to be a bit of a rite of passage, and that probably goes double when — like me — you’re trying to do something out of the ordinary, that they don’t have a procedure for.
I’ve been rejected twice now, and am on my third application. My passport has been sent out and I’m waiting for it to come back. When it does, if it has a Russian visa in it, I’m on my way to Vladivostok, basically the following day. If not, the backup plan for now is Australia + India + a bunch of other places.
For now, I don’t know (and obviously can’t go anywhere without my passport). But we’ll see. I refuse to stress out about it, because what’s the point of a holiday, if I’m just going to get all stressed over the thing?
Will update here as soon as I know myself...
- Sean
May 07, 2016
Initial Post 2015-08-10
This is mostly a placeholder for now. Interesting stuff will go here once I have a chance to upload it.
The planning directory contains a couple of documents I have regarding, well, planning for the trip.
The maps directory contains a map of my expected route (specifics to be determined, of course, as things go along).
The basic plan is to start May 1st in Vladivostok, head west through Russia, Belarus, Ukraine,
Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, then end up in Porto around November 1st.
This is all dependent on getting appropriate visas etc. Who knows? Life has a way of throwing wrenches at you.
Done:
Mostly Done:
To Do:
To be completed...
- Sean
August 10, 2015