The Transiberian railway

What am I doing on Transiberian railway? That`s a good question! Well, the original plan was going to Ekaterinburg, but checking the tickets availability I realized the cheapest ones were all fully booked. In other words, this meant that going to Ekaterinburg by train was much more expensive than flying. But I didn`t want to fly, so I had to take different decisions, and that`s what I did. I got a very cheap ticket in 3rd class, so called platskartny, which allowed me to go from Moscow to Vladivostok along the Transiberian railway. The Transiberian railway is the longest railway in the world and it takes 7 days to reach the Pacific coast. By the way, I decided to get off earlier, in Irkutsk, to explore the Baikal lake, so I spent on train `only` 4 days and 4 nights.


Travelling 4 days into a small, overcrowded, smelly train with other 60 people that don`t speak your language it`s not easy, can be uncomfortable and sometimes boring. It has been a pretty tough but definitely an amzing experience, `cause it gave me the chance to know more about Russian culture and lifestyle. All the people there were really friendly to me, it seemed like they had competitions in feeding and giving me drinks as much as they can! So the language barrier hasn`t been such a huge problem: the biggest problem was trying to tell them to stop filling the glass!

Suzdal, Russia

I finally found the Russia I was looking for, I mean the one with colorful wooden houses spreaded along a gentle countryside. That`s the reason why I like Suzdal so much. It`s just 4 hours by train from Moscow but it looks like a different country, well far from the crowded frenzy of the capital. I spent one night in Suzdal, in a great place near the shores of the local river, while strolling around all those quiet churches and monasteries has been a real pleasure. Suzdal is also on Unesco`s list of world heritages. On the way back, I spent few hours in Vladimir, the former Russian capital. It was wedding day, this means the city was fulfilled by couples just got married, they were drinking, dancing and having fun on the streets. A great party atmosphere!

Sergev Posad, Russia

It was obvious, I already know it. This summer has been the warmest and driest ever in Russia, for this reason burnings and fires had almost destroyed the countryside close to Moscow. So things had to change quickly. It was obvious. It`s 4 days I see nothing but grey clouds and rain. Today I`ve been in Sergev Posad, home of a very old and famous Orthodox monastery, about a hundred kilometers far from Moscow. The sky has been electric blue for a while, just a glance of sun into these rainy days, just enough to make this day remarkable.

The Russian capital

Traveling alone in Russia is definitely challenging, not impossible. And in Moscow it`s even easier.The capital of Russia is a huge bustling international city, with a population of 9 millions people and a different taste compared to the previous cities I`ve visited. Moscow is the city that will lead Russia to the future, it`a city of deep contrasts, but it`s a nice city. Some officers even know how to smile. The Red Square is the very heart of Russia and a huge melting pot of people and sights. On it, lies the Saint Basil`s Church, the luxurious Gum mall, the museum of Russian history and the most important cemetery of the whole country, the one where Lenin and Stalin were buried. In particular, Lenin`s tomb is a dark mausoleum in the middle of the square where Lenin`s mummified body is shown to the public. It made me smile thinking how the father of communism has been turned into a tourist attraction treated like those mummified animals that usually adorn hunters` houses. Well, I`m not sure if he would have agreed...

Moscow, Russia

It took almost 15 hours the minibus I`ve got from Volgograd to reach Moscow, the capital of Mother Russia! To anyone is asking why I didn`t use trains I reply that I always prefer travelling by bus when possible, passing inside the cities allow you to have a better view of the place crossed and seeing the landscapes that otherwise you miss by train`s route. But this time it has been a really adventurous trip. I mean, the road was a kind of rollercoaster as I never seen before, the bad asphalt shaked my ass off as I had no way to fall asleep for a minute, while the driver was pushing to an insane speed that freaky old rusty van all night long... Crossing Russian steppe has been amazing: I`m back into big empty spaces, hundreds kilometers without a village at the horizon, just dry burned grass. Well, after 3 hours we had a break in a wooden gas station, overwhelmed by trucks and honey sellers. When the seller saw me taking a picture, she asked me if I wanted to marry her daughter: maybe next time, I said, now a photo of your honey jar is enough... ahaha

Volgograd, Russia

After a good 13-hours sleep I see things with different eyes. As I slept on ferry and buses for the last 3 days, I really needed a reasonable rest. I got a room in the suburbs of the city, into a soviet-style block, close to Volga river: that was the only one I found at affordable price, all the others hotels I checked were ridiculously expensive. I`m in Volgograd now, known as former Stalingrad: this is an historical city and the battle fought here has been the turning point of the second world war. Nowadays, on the battlefield there is a huge statue lies at the top of the hill to remember the sacrifice of those soldiers died fighting against Nazis. It was extremely interesting from the historical point of view, very sad from the human one. Anyway, as the weather has been extremely hot `til now, I`m enjoying huge loads of `kvas`, a traditional drink made by bread and sold at almost every corner. But weather is changing quickly, today is windy and is getting colder: this means it`s time to shift to Russian `pivo` (beer)!

First day in Russia

Yesterday was the first day in Russia. And it`s gone. Thanks God. I mean, when I was waiting for the bus to Volgograd I had a very first contact with those Russians you never wanna meet. Two guys came to me asking for money, saying that I HAD to give them money. First, I played the `I don`t understand you` card, then, as they were insisting, I moved away closer to other people saying `Niet` to their requests. Funny was that those guys were pressing me while asking to the other people if someone was able to speak English for translating them how to rob me in an international way! By the way, I moved away without giving nothing and they disappeared. Ok, these were just two guys trying to trick me, but the bad side of these stories is that you never know what`s inside the minds of those people, you never know if they`re gonna get out a knife or, even, a gun. Same gun that few minutes later the police searched on me... As I was looking sooooo suspicious (me, not the guys above!) they decided to have a full search on me and my bags. Nothing happened, but if this is the beginning of my Russian stay, I`m getting scared about how it could end.

Rostov-na-Donu, Russia

Finally I`ve found an internet cafe` here so I can update my travel locations. At the moment I`m writing from Rostov-Na-Donu, Russia. I arrived yesterday in Russia sailing from Trabzon in Turkey: due to ferry delays I arrived in Sochi at 2pm after an exhausting 4 hours wait at the port. Not too bad, Russian burocracy is world ranking but I hadn`t any problem at the border (same as for the later military checkpoint out of the city). Sochi is settled on the shores of the Black Sea, isn`t far from Caucasus and it`s the city will host the winter Olympic games in 2014. Moreover is the main seaside town for Russians, so it looks extremely richful but impersonal. I`ve been helped to move the first steps in Russian culture by Mathias and Franziska, but later our ways splitted as they continued to Beslan while I was searching a way to reach Volgograd. Well, I have a tested formula: using night buses allow you to travel while saving the expenses of the hotel. Even here in Russia the formula works. I`ve gotten into a bus to Rostov where I arrived few minutes ago. Today I`ll take a look to the city centre then another night bus will lead me to Volgograd, the former Stalingrad.

Random thoughts on Turkey

Before leaving, here is some things I learnt about Turkey:
1) Turkish are natural born sellers. They would be able to sell heaters in the desert or fridges at North Pole. Or even more.
2) They're very kind and cheerful, especially those people from villages or those far from tourist attractions. Otherwise, when you're targeted as tourist they will try all the ways to trick you some extra money, even few cents only. As I'm Italian, I always thought we were the 'kings of cheaters', but I have to admit Turkish are the number one.
3) After a stroll in the alleys of Trabzon's suburbs I've understood the meaning of the word chaos.
4) I love Kebab.
Now I have to go. I gonna get a ferry across the Black Sea which will bring me tomorrow to Sochi, Russia. Moreover, I'm in a hurry because there's a guy in front of me at the internet cafe' which is sending me, via internet, messages about how he thinks I'm cool. What a shit.

Trabzon, Turkey

I arrived in Trabzon two days ago, after a 12-hours night bus from Kapadokia. The city is settled on the shore of Black Sea in the Asian side of Turkey, close to Georgia. The weather is unbelievably hot and the humidity rate makes the air almost unbreathable. Trabzon has been a very powerful city in the past as its location on the seaside made it suitable for commercial exchanges between East and West. Here it's a dıfferent Turkey than the one saw in Istanbul: it's extremely hilly, nobody speaks English at all and I feel I'm one of the few tourists here. I visited the most important sights of the area which includes the beautiful Sumela Monastery, about 50km far from the city, settled in a mountain valley similar to Alpes; the museum of Aya Sofia and the church of Sancta Maria. This one is the only operative Catholic church in Turkey today and the same one where the Italian priest Don Andrea Santoro has been killed in 2006. Honestly, the city of Trabzon didn't ımpress me so much. The highlight is definitely the hotel where I stay: I pay 10 euros per night for a single room, bugs included. The toilet is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen, just a hole in the ground without water... I mean, some plastic bottles full of water outside the door is the only 'manual' flushıng system.

The mistery of the Holy Burp: a shitty tale

Once upon a time a mysterious lonely traveller decided to visit the underground city of Derinkuyu in Turkey. He got into a shitty bus which was so hot that people inside there were melting like shit. Shit! - he said - 'I don't give a shit to that shitty place, it's too warm here, I quit!'
'No, you can't. No more bullshit, man.' replied Yahoo.com, the highest master of internet knowledge. 'Now that the gatherıng is on you can't turn back.'
The former members of that exploration were joined by Anna & Monika - two Polish girls coming from the sunny town of Guwno - and Antonio from Portugal. So, together, the members of that shitty tour began to explore the underground city. It was dark, narrow and smelly. Everyone was scared. Fear was in the air.
Then, a mysterious burp roared from the black breaking the silence.
'Holy shit!' exclaimed lonely traveller. 'Who are you???'
'Don't you have already understood it?' the burping voice replied from deep inside the cave: 'I'm the spirit of the Holy Burp.'
'What do you want from us, Mr. Burp?'
'To show you the way'
'Which way?'
'The way to purity' said the voice. Then a dramatic burp made the underground city vibrating once more. Then the silence.
While s(h)itting there in the dark, the members of that shitty tour were thinking which kind of message Holy Burp wanted them to know, which was the deeper meaning of those burps. One beer later, they understood it: he wanted to make them know that he was inside all of them, he was part of them, like soul itself.
Burping was the answer: the way to purity, to long life and happiness.

Göreme, Kapadokia

Kapadokia is definitely a beautiful region and my Turkey's favourite for what I've seen 'tıll now. I arrived ın Göreme yesterday early in the morning when the sun had just setted and the bus station was already fulfilled by annoying people in search of business deals. As I planned to stay 2 days only, I thought was a good idea to take part of a tour showıng all the natural beauties of the surroundings. In reality, the tour wasn't well planned and the guıdes were much closer to unemployed desperates than real tour leaders... it reminded me about Rome and all the freaky thıngs I saw doing there against tourists. By the way, natureis so gorgeous in Kappadokia that the rest doesn't care too much. And if just one picture is able to descrıbe better than my words how cool it is, here I wanna mention all the nice people I met there, whıch made my stay unforgettable: Asumi & Chichiro from Japan, Chiara from Turin, Marina from Argentina, Manuel from Mexico, Marco from Modena and all the shitty tour members, to whom is dedicated next post. Maybe we'll see again soon, who knows?

Istanbul, Turkey

I left Bulgaria yesterday on a night bus to Istanbul, people knows that I hate saying 'goodbye', but I always prefer a more confident 'see you soon'. That's what I say even to Bulgarıa: see you soon. I'm sure sooner or later my feet walk again the Bulgarian ground without too many seasons will have gone by. Anyway, I'm in Istanbul right now, writing from the international bus station where tonite I get a 10 hours bus to Göreme, Kappadokia. Today I've had a very intensive day: arrived at 7 am in Istanbul, then I visited all the main central sights under an unbreathable hot sun. I've been into the Blue Mosquee (as the hardest part was avoiding all the carpet-sellers attacking you like mosquitos!), then I've been into the spice and grand bazar where - last but not least! - I enjoyed the different types of Kebab produced here... mmmh, even if it's Ramadan here, I guess it's time for the last one of the day!

The first hurdle to overcome

The first hurdle to overcome is the lack of time for doing all I want and the route to follow: what city will be next?

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Time goes quickly, we all know it but it's even more true when times are good. Time doesn't care for me now, but the Russian visa got on my passport seems there just to remind me I must move soon to the next step. I feel it a shame 'cause here in Plovdiv I'm having great times. The old town is simply amazing with its thick net of cobblestone streets heading to the top of the hill for a suggestive view of the city. Even the hostel I'm in ain't a real hostel but a private stay with a family charme: my room has plenty of Bulgarian books, an hi-fi and family portraits which remind me I'm just a stupid tourist here. By the way, I'm enjoying every day more and more the easy-going Bulgarian culture as they're extremely helpful and kind. At the hostel I've met a couple of Italians travelling by bicycle from Trieste to Istanbul, Plovdiv is one of their last stages, and we got out to eat at the centre: words aren't enough to describe how delicious that food was! Food here is extremely genuine and natural as the main ingredients are vegetables and meat, but mainly tomatoes, cucumbers and cheese: all the colours of Bulgarian flag!
I've also visited the town of Bachkovo with its pretty orthodox monastery, unfortunately no photos allowed there!

Sofia, Bulgaria

I left two days ago an empty, grey and sad Milan, to find a sunny, lively, vibrant Bulgaria today. I arrived yesterday morning to Sofia, after a comfortable bus ride across Slovenja, Croatia and Serbia. Bulgarians are the award winners for their hospitality and kindness: my first contact with Bulgarians has been on the bus where I've met very nice people. Ivelina, from Varna, has told me almost everything about their culture and traditions, so I now have a compass to get into the "real" Bulgaria with no chance to miss anything! Sofia, the capital city, is a vibrant cosmopolitan metropolis with open-air restaurants spreaded almost everywhere, great food and beer starting from 0,7 cents per pint... well, sorry for the few words of this post, but the last sentence above is the reason why I have no time for writing!

Venice, Italy

Venice is unique, in its contrasts too. Even if the incredible number of visitors from all over the world make Venice more similar to a tourist playground than a real city, walking through the Venetian remains is always a symphony for the eyes and spirit. I am convinced now that Venice is the emblem of city for dreamers built by dreamers, the land of the sophisticated undecided, the place for those than between land and sea, between reality and illusion, have chosen the limbo of the lagoon. A lagoon nowadays theater of dreams for all the visitors who reaches Venice with the hope of being actors in its tale, even just for a few hours.
By the way, I've just find out that the brand new 55-200mm lens I've bought for this journey - which was perfectly working either at the shop as for the following tests - now has lost its inner calibration, in other words, it's completely unusable...
First day of travel and one lens already gone: good start.

Bags packed and ready to go

Some months ago, when moved back from Rome, I had an unexpected source of profit by reviewing, for a traveller's guide, the service areas of the whole Italian motorway network. The most logical destination for those money earned travelling is financing a brand new travel, I thought. No sooner said than done, here I am! Everything's ready to go now: I've got the visas, the tickets, and a huge backpack filled with the essential stuff. Tomorrow morning I catch a train from Milano to Venice, then, in the afternoon, I'll get a bus which slowly lead me, in 20 hours, to Sofia, Bulgaria.

"All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost."
...and that is precisely what I plan to do: wander.

Li(f)e

Seems pretty strange to me, quite surprising, definitely anachronistic to be here once more blogging about a newcoming travel. Five years later after the glorious trip I did from Alaska to Mexico, I'm on the road again. Seems anachronistic because years have passed, things have changed, friends came and gone, but the road's still there to play its irresistible charme on me. Cannot ignore its call. Seems strange because just few months ago I had well different plans than those travel ones. Life is strange, the only thing which never changes is the changing itself. Anyway, it's well known the more you give to life the less you receive, you need to know it deeply for loving it and, sometimes, to avoid it.
Life's a journey, not a goal. Enjoy the ride!

My Odyssey

"...Non vogliate negar l'esperienza
di retro al sol, del mondo sanza gente.
Considerate la vostra semenza
fatti non foste a viver come bruti
ma per seguir virtute e conoscenza"

In Dante's Divine Comedy, that's what Ulysses - the hero of Homer's Odyssey - says to his friends before leaving. Those verses mean something like "we were not made to live like brutes but to follow virtues and knowledge". Useless saying I agree. The figure of Ulysses is the symbol of the pursuit of knowledge, one who tirelessly search for new ways and move constantly the targets of that unstoppable and metaphorical journey to what which is still unknown. Despite that, Dante placed Ulysses in hell: he thought that virtues and knowledge can only be put into practice by the divine law and the recognition of human limits.
Like Ulysses, I'm gonna leave for an epic travel, the biggest adventure of my life.
Like Ulysses, maybe I'll be designated to hell as well.
No previews, stay tuned.