Fast Train, Slow Internet // The San Francisco of Siberia

(Owing to lack of strong internet on the train, I'm posting two updates in one today).

Fast Train, Slow Internet (June 8)

In a fleeting moment of available internet, I’d like to post from the beginning of day 3 in this crazy long train ride. For some reason my laptop won’t charge on the train, so that has left me without a substantial quantity of things to do. I’ve resorted to reading books, and I am well on my way to being cover-to-cover through several by the time I arrive in Vladivostok. I am definitely the only non-Russian on this carriage, and maybe on this whole train. If anything, it makes for great speaking practice!

The San Francisco of Siberia (June 10)

I am SO EXCITED to finally be in Vladivostok, and I am already in love with this totally strange city, ‘the San Francisco of Siberia’. I see where it gets the name: it has a mild temperature all year round but never hot; it is super hilly; it’s proximity to China and Korea means the influence of these countries here is pronounced; it even has a Bay Area on the pacific coast! 4 days on a train was worth it for my short stay here. Pictured: 1. The ‘main street’ of Vladivostok, Ulitsa Admirala Fokina, a pedestrian-only thoroughfare with a ton of shops and restaurants. 2. I treated myself to a Georgian feast at arguably the best restaurant in the city yesterday, complete with Khachapuri, Khinkali, and a Rustaveli salad. They even gave me a free dessert for my good Russian despite being a foreigner. 3. A glimpse, as we were pulling into VVS, of the bay coastline and the ‘beach-front’ properties along it. 4. My eclectically colorful Airbnb; I can’t complain though, I’m in the very center of the city for $10 per night 😍