Russia

Kwon dropped us at the airport around 8:15, and we found to our surprise that our flight had been rescheduled half an hour early - lucky we were early too! A little 737, but pretty full of Russians.

Took a very wide berth of North Korea, considering a South Korean navy vessel was sunk yesterday and tensions are high. Finally landed at Vladivostok at probably the oldest airport I've been to. No air bridges, only three lines for passport control (they kept half the plane seated to avoid congestion), a baggage area the size of a shoebox, no pictorial signage, no separate arrival and departure areas, no ATMS etc.

After guessing the bus stop (the bench outside with freezing people standing around it - no signs), we waited over an hour in the 1 degree temperature for the next city bus with all of the other cold travellers, and were finally deposited at a station around 5, Turned out the driver wanted to be paid on arrival for taking our baggage in the hold - it cost almost as much as our seats. After some attempts at enquiring, we found that it was actually the Central Station where we we wanted to be.

Walked up the hill with bags in tow to our hotel, checked in, did our registration formalities, had an exploratory walk, and then tea at the hotel watching a late, lovely sunset around 8:30. Some of the Pacific Ocean is frozen, and there's lots of icy snow on the ground.