The journey is over so it is time to end this blog. It's too much work to add soo many pictures using this blog as the last trip would require. I added quite many pictures to Facebook, which is more efficient tool for picture sharing. You can find them there if you just register and search for me. If you do so, don't forget to add me as your friend, at least if you feel like one =)

Last night in Moscow was great. We went out with the teachers from the train and they took us to bar called Hungry Duck. It was a bit underground strip bar. Although it was almost empty, we had a great time, drinking vodka of course. Next day we just wondered around the center in a bit hangover, went to see Kreml which was ok but nothing spectacular. The traintrip to Finland went smoothly and in Lahti we had a nice surprise when my friend Teemu's father was waiting for us to take to bus station.

Now the normal life has started. It's really weird to be back in Finland. My new flat is ok, the floorplan could be better and real balcony would be nice, but after Hong Kong 31m2 feels like a castle. I also started to work since yesterday was Nokia's annual summerparty. It was perfect day to start work by drinking beer and meet all the old colleagues.

I try to add some pictures from the whole trip later.

We made it! The trip from Irkutsk to Moscow in platzkart was very interesting. Our car was full of schoolchildren going to Moscow for a dance competition. Most of the kids were around 10 and even the teachers didn't speak English almost at all. We didn't see any other westerns in the train during the whole trip, so communication with other passangers was challenging. But I had my phrasebook (thanks for the present!) and with some creative usage of english, lousy russian, german and chinese we managed just fine =) Kids were really interested about everything and wanted to play cards and everything. They were great, but too much can sometimes be really too much. The teachers of the students were very nice and after the kids went to sleep we always had couple of pivas and vodkas, but not too much, since the kids woke up at 7 o'clock... Have to say that during the 3,5 days we both were quite broke couple of times, but the restaurant car offered a relief from the kids for a moment. All and all it was a great experience.

Moscow what we have seen so far, is really nice city. Very clean, nice buildings (at least in the center...) and surprisingly western. Well actually we haven't seen so much yet, since we really didn't get enough of the kids yet. We thought it's a nice thing to go see one of their performances. And of course there were couple of dozens of other shows, so it took most of the day to go there =) But no regrets for going there, since it was nice, interesting and definetly different from usual tourist stuff. And afterwards McDonalds in Moscow with 20+ Irkutsk kids (most of them probably never been to one) was also not the usual bigmac in 5 minutes... Couple of the teachers (guess had enough of the kids also...) promised to go out with us tonight for couple of pivas and perhaps even a vodka or two... Will see what comes up...

Hey, still alive and doing great! We left Mongolia behind already 3 days ago, but the train took 2 nights and one day, so been to Irkutsk now for 1,5 days. First night we spent in 3 star hotel by the lake Baikal, and the sceneries were really nice, but othervise not too much to do there. Now we are in Irkutsk Downtown Hostel, which seems to be a nice place, though the prices are getting to European level, for dorm bed we pay 500r (around 15e).

We also managed to book train tickets to Moscow, but the price for cupe (4 person cabin) had mysteriosly doubled (they would have charged 8400r) so we decided to save the money and do it the hard way, again... Ticket in platzkart (open sleeping car) for "fast" train (train no.9) was 2800r. If it is anyhow similar to Mongolian ones, it might be the longest 3,5 days in my life to come... But the estimated schedule is holding quite nicely, though it might be that we cannot afford to stay in Moscow for more than one night, which would mean crossing the border to Finland on 4th of June. But still don't call up the search party before 6. since our visas run out on 5. =)

One thing I have to say, travelling so far has been far easier than I thought. The only minor problems so far were when trying to buy the tickets to Moscow, and it wasn't even tricky. From Irkutsk to Lake Baikal we managed to find the minibus very easy as well as the way back. In Mongolia no problems at all. I don't know whether something has changed in me or in the world, but it seems that where ever you go, the world is smiling at you.

Trip through northern China was surprisingly easy. We got by taxi to right bus station at noon, no problem and bought the tickets, without any problems for 180yuans. The spent some time walking around and also went to eat the first Beijian kaouya (duck). It was the last dinner in China and not a bad one =). The bus left at 16.30 and arrived at around 5 o'clock in the morning. The ride was surprisingly smooth, though the beds were a bit too short and it took around 12,5h without sleeping very well, but anyway we arrived to Erlian in the Wednesday morning 22.5.

There we were planning to take a ride straight to Mongolian border, but in the same car we managed to negotiate, there was a very nice mongolian lady called Erdenetsetseg who told us to do othervise, and practically took care of us till Ulanbator. First we went to a hostel to rest a bit, then to breakfast, trying to get a direct train from Erlian to Ulanbator but no luck. Then we were shopping a bit in Erlian, which was really cheap even for Chinese city, and then took a car ride to the border and all the way up till Mongolian border city. We entered the car at around 10.30, but with lot of waiting, hassle changing the car once etc. we managed to get to Mongolian side at around 2.30, not the fastest border crossing...  The car ride costed 85rmb/person including a road fee of 5yuans.

From Mongolian side we took an overnight train to Ulanbator, though there were only hard- and really hard sleeps available. Mine was almost fine, a hard sleep one, and since I hadn't slept too much for 2 nights before, after playing several hours asshole with couple of locals and drinking couple of beers, I slept quite much in the train, though not very good sleep since it was freezing cold and no planket. AJ got really hard sleep, which was a flat metal lavet meant to put the luggage on, but eventually he also got a similar bed to mine at around 1 o'clock in the morning. The train left the border city (which I don't remember) at 17.50 and arrived to Ulanbator at around 10 o'clock in the morning. Our very highclass seats costed 5100 tukruks, which equals to around 3,5e so not too expensive at least... Now I'm in a internet cafe in Ulanbator, where we first went to buy train tickets to Irkutsk (costed 54610tkr = 37e) and then accommodated in UB guesthouse in a dorm room for 5usd/night. We also went to eat an excellent Mongolian lunch/dinner, with starters, main dish, one vodka and one piva for about 5e, not bad for the quality. Tomorrow we are going to take a trip to the countryside with horseriding, sleeping in traditional Mongolian gert etc.

All and all, even though the travelling from place a to b has played major role so far, and we have been in one of the most interesting transportations available (and cheapest) the trip so far has went better and smoothlier than we could have ever anticipated and has been great experience, exchausting but fun. I'm well and all the time getting closer to home.

If any of the exchange friends comes by, I miss you all =S