General
Research research research. Everyone says the same thing and it's the best advice anyone can give anyone about to embark on any trip, even if it's only for a few days. Surely it is obvious to anyone that the more you know before you go, the better prepared you are.
Other travel bloggers have provided a wealth of useful information, as has the Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree. Checking out hostel and hotel prices on booking websites have also provided indispensible help planning a budget - reviewers on these websites also provide useful tips regarding certain areas and whether cheaper options are available if you just pitch up (which we will be doing, more often than not).
Languages
We both believe that in order to get as much as you can from visiting a country, the least you can do is learn a few words of the native language.
We wanted to have a working knowledge of Russian before embarking on the Trans Siberian part of our journey. Russian bureacracy being what it is, we figured we would need all the help we could get. We booked a 10 week course in Piccadilly which helped with learning the Cyrillic alphabet and certain grammar rules but our ability to speak the language remained dismal. In order to make any progress at all you really had to invest a lot of time in home study, time which we simply didn't have.
We considered Rosetta Stone but again research indicated that you needed to dedicate a lot of time to this approach.
Towards the end of January I came across a link to the Pimsleur website which provides purely audio language courses and since then we haven't looked back. We began in early February and are almost halfway through the entire Russian course. It isn't cheap but it is very effective.
We also started learning Mandarin a couple of weeks ago but this is proving a tad more difficult to say the least as it is tonal language and completely alien to anything we have learned. We think we are beginning to make some progress but it is much more difficult than Russian (and we thought that was hard!). With the Pimsleur you listen to the 30 minute lessons in the car, or lying in bed, or walking to the high street (at the risk of sounding like a complete lunatic even though you think you're whispering to yourself!), wherever you can.
Paul would now like to get the Vietnamese and Indonesian courses too to study (I wouldn't say he was obsessive exactly). We shall keep you updated on that too.
Pimsleur is giving us the confidence to at least try to communicate with locals in their native tongue. I have no doubt we will be the subject of much hilarity, particularly in China where it is easy to say "I want to eat my trousers" when what you actually want to say is "How much is that?". Actually, I did want to eat my trousers.
Russia
We have researched the Trans Siberian leg to death. Bryn Thomas' book The Trans Siberian Handbook is a veritable bible of useful information and fascinating reading. We booked our trip through a company in Australian company Russian Passport. They were really helpful and modified the trip to suit what we wanted to do and it was still relatively affordable. I must mention The Man in Seat 61 again. His website is invaluable and his knowledge is second to none. I have a born again admiration for trainspotters!
China
Trying to research China is a real challenge in this day and age where change is occurring in that country on a daily basis. The usual trusty travel guides are outdated as soon as they leave the printing press and this is where the internet comes into its own. China is a mind boggling country in terms of it's sheer size, the bafflingly different culture, and the political differences compared to the West that we are familiar with, not to mention the language which is another story.... The more we learn about China, the more fascinating it becomes and the more alien it seems. We can only have an open mind about this vast, wildly foreign and amazingly beautiful but mystifying land and its people. They're bees. And they're very little bees. And they speak funny.
South East Asia
Vietnam and Cambodia, despite their relatively recent violent and war stricken pasts, are much more mainstream and well trodden and therefore accessible to tourists. They are no less exciting prospects and, once again, countries full of strange culture, beautiful scenery and historical character (both ancient and more recent).
Thailand was originally planned to form part of the return journey (more on that later!). Laos is apparently out of the question (?) but, funds permitting, Thailand may become a permanet feature on the itinerary.
We also hope to pass through Malaysia and Singapore on the classic Bangkok to Singapore line. Time spent there is, again, dependent on funds.
We are planning to visit Indonesian Borneo (to see the orangutans, naturally) and also to fly to Darwin from Bali. We do not intend spending much time in Bali as I am reliably informed (something which holds up to research) that Bali is the Aussie equivalent of Magaluf or Benidorm or BlFckpool! Fuck all time in Bali, it's an evil necessity.
Australia
On arrival in Darwin we shall have a look around to see whether we can bear the heat and live there (there are lots of work opportunities in the Northern Territory) before buying a 4 wheel drive and heading off to Adelaide to see Paul's folks (and I get to meet the in-laws). We were going to travel by the Ghan train from Darwin to Adelaid but Australia being Australia you have to spend 48 locked up in a train without a nicotine hit. Some might say that our addiction is preventing us experiencing a truly amazing world class rail trip but, quite frankly, I'd like to see them cope with a smoke free Wooky for 48 hours without access to nicotine.
Preparation Diary
The Beginning
All Things Technical
Learning Languanges
Booking Trains and Applying for Visas
Vaccinations and Visas
The Fear
And the journey begins...
Research research research. Everyone says the same thing and it's the best advice anyone can give anyone about to embark on any trip, even if it's only for a few days. Surely it is obvious to anyone that the more you know before you go, the better prepared you are.
Other travel bloggers have provided a wealth of useful information, as has the Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree. Checking out hostel and hotel prices on booking websites have also provided indispensible help planning a budget - reviewers on these websites also provide useful tips regarding certain areas and whether cheaper options are available if you just pitch up (which we will be doing, more often than not).
Languages
We both believe that in order to get as much as you can from visiting a country, the least you can do is learn a few words of the native language.
We wanted to have a working knowledge of Russian before embarking on the Trans Siberian part of our journey. Russian bureacracy being what it is, we figured we would need all the help we could get. We booked a 10 week course in Piccadilly which helped with learning the Cyrillic alphabet and certain grammar rules but our ability to speak the language remained dismal. In order to make any progress at all you really had to invest a lot of time in home study, time which we simply didn't have.
We considered Rosetta Stone but again research indicated that you needed to dedicate a lot of time to this approach.
Towards the end of January I came across a link to the Pimsleur website which provides purely audio language courses and since then we haven't looked back. We began in early February and are almost halfway through the entire Russian course. It isn't cheap but it is very effective.
We also started learning Mandarin a couple of weeks ago but this is proving a tad more difficult to say the least as it is tonal language and completely alien to anything we have learned. We think we are beginning to make some progress but it is much more difficult than Russian (and we thought that was hard!). With the Pimsleur you listen to the 30 minute lessons in the car, or lying in bed, or walking to the high street (at the risk of sounding like a complete lunatic even though you think you're whispering to yourself!), wherever you can.
Paul would now like to get the Vietnamese and Indonesian courses too to study (I wouldn't say he was obsessive exactly). We shall keep you updated on that too.
Pimsleur is giving us the confidence to at least try to communicate with locals in their native tongue. I have no doubt we will be the subject of much hilarity, particularly in China where it is easy to say "I want to eat my trousers" when what you actually want to say is "How much is that?". Actually, I did want to eat my trousers.
Russia
We have researched the Trans Siberian leg to death. Bryn Thomas' book The Trans Siberian Handbook is a veritable bible of useful information and fascinating reading. We booked our trip through a company in Australian company Russian Passport. They were really helpful and modified the trip to suit what we wanted to do and it was still relatively affordable. I must mention The Man in Seat 61 again. His website is invaluable and his knowledge is second to none. I have a born again admiration for trainspotters!
China
Trying to research China is a real challenge in this day and age where change is occurring in that country on a daily basis. The usual trusty travel guides are outdated as soon as they leave the printing press and this is where the internet comes into its own. China is a mind boggling country in terms of it's sheer size, the bafflingly different culture, and the political differences compared to the West that we are familiar with, not to mention the language which is another story.... The more we learn about China, the more fascinating it becomes and the more alien it seems. We can only have an open mind about this vast, wildly foreign and amazingly beautiful but mystifying land and its people. They're bees. And they're very little bees. And they speak funny.
South East Asia
Vietnam and Cambodia, despite their relatively recent violent and war stricken pasts, are much more mainstream and well trodden and therefore accessible to tourists. They are no less exciting prospects and, once again, countries full of strange culture, beautiful scenery and historical character (both ancient and more recent).
Thailand was originally planned to form part of the return journey (more on that later!). Laos is apparently out of the question (?) but, funds permitting, Thailand may become a permanet feature on the itinerary.
We also hope to pass through Malaysia and Singapore on the classic Bangkok to Singapore line. Time spent there is, again, dependent on funds.
We are planning to visit Indonesian Borneo (to see the orangutans, naturally) and also to fly to Darwin from Bali. We do not intend spending much time in Bali as I am reliably informed (something which holds up to research) that Bali is the Aussie equivalent of Magaluf or Benidorm or BlFckpool! Fuck all time in Bali, it's an evil necessity.
Australia
On arrival in Darwin we shall have a look around to see whether we can bear the heat and live there (there are lots of work opportunities in the Northern Territory) before buying a 4 wheel drive and heading off to Adelaide to see Paul's folks (and I get to meet the in-laws). We were going to travel by the Ghan train from Darwin to Adelaid but Australia being Australia you have to spend 48 locked up in a train without a nicotine hit. Some might say that our addiction is preventing us experiencing a truly amazing world class rail trip but, quite frankly, I'd like to see them cope with a smoke free Wooky for 48 hours without access to nicotine.
Preparation Diary
The Beginning
All Things Technical
Learning Languanges
Booking Trains and Applying for Visas
Vaccinations and Visas
The Fear
And the journey begins...
China will be fascinated by you! We are just back - husband is 6', he was tallest man in sight most of the time. He was also the only one with a beard, and me the only blonde - people were pushing their children forward to be photographed with us. Get used to a sea of black hair..now back in the UK we have to get used to being normal again. Have fun, Catty
ReplyDeleteHa! Yes we suspected as much. Paul gets a lot of attention over here so he is bracing himself for China in particular! I'll be ok because no-one notices me when he's around :-). China is going to be strange I'm sure. It is clearly beautiful and packed with history but the more we research, the weirder it seems. I think an open mind is the only way to approach this vast country, particularly in these times when guide books are out of date before they go to print!
DeleteHopefully once we leave St Pancras this blog will come alive a little bit. Not much to report now! Just boring preparations and getting used to the tools required to stay in touch with everyone once on the road!
In the meantime, any advice gratefully received:-)
Dawn