Post: #276

(11-26-2012 09:00 PM)Menace Wrote:  

(11-26-2012 08:06 PM)chochemonger1 Wrote:  The sad thing is that we have 273 posts without boots on the ground. The DR guys went with guns blasting. It is a harder mission but my word----- if Russian Embassy in Ecuador does not intefere with, I will be there with guitar, muscles and my mediocre Russian in Siberia in August.

Yes Menace but the RESULTS we should aim for should be similar. If you know football(soccer) we will be playing in the Champions League in Russia. In a tropical island it is just the Europa League.

Post: #277

(11-17-2012 09:44 AM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  It was the only time I had my own apartment (15 bucks a night, haha cheap cheap for a 3 room apartment) Talk about bad luck!

can you reveal the city ?

Post: #278

everything depends on visas, and visas depend on invitations acceptable to the Russian consulate where you apply.

Post: #279

(11-26-2012 07:38 PM)deepcov3r Wrote:  Whoa we have some dudes ready to throw down. Musicians get a LOT of good will; people tend to find us amusing. At least we do something besides sit there and watch soccer games, no offense for fans, but chicks like drama. I can double on drums and bass too but not on complex stuff.

I personally wouldn't want to play a lot of copy songs, but a few are all right. The hardest thing with lightweight touring is drum sets. There are cocktail drum sets with integrated bass/snare, and tiny amps now ( like 15 watts) that roar.

Here's a cheap cocktail set at the ever-popular Walmart.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/10975382?adid=...la&veh=sem

You can buy better but for about 300 it's hard to get full pro stuff.

There are probably no low-budget Anglo bands in Novosibirsk, it will be as if we fell from the moon.

I was once surprised once when in Russia a host wanted me to play a song for him to video, and I played an original, then when I played a Police song he stopped recording. IT was too common and not interesting for him.

Have you ever played Cajon? I find it awesome for Acoustic sets and even some live sets easy with just a cymbal and you can get some fantastic sounds from the bass and snare sides. I have one I will be sure to bring on the trip if I attend so we can form the RVF Poosy Paradise Band

Post: #280

Ok I have looked at the map of Russia, it is the largest country in the world and Siberia is huge.
Driving to the destination would take forever from Germany and like someone rightly mentioned earlier, tough when you are with "strangers".

My question is, how much is it to fly to Siberia from the UK? It isn't something you see advertised too often.

Post: #281

Really regret not being available until Mid-December, fuck. Have fun guys

Post: #282

15:25 LGW – 05:45 OVB
1 stop IST
32h 20 (+2)

06:55 OVB – 14:25 LGW
1 stop IST
13h 30

Details
Or book with:myHellas $688|Youbookit $689|Travelpack $712|Turkish Airlines
$624

Taken from Skyscanner just now, pretty cheap considering my flight there came to 1900.

Post: #283

(11-26-2012 11:24 PM)PROD3GY Wrote:  15:25 LGW – 05:45 OVB
1 stop IST
32h 20 (+2)

06:55 OVB – 14:25 LGW
1 stop IST
13h 30

Details
Or book with:myHellas $688|Youbookit $689|Travelpack $712|Turkish Airlines
$624

Taken from Skyscanner just now, pretty cheap considering my flight there came to 1900.

Prices will be cheaper than what we pay in Canada, but that trip is like 32hrs with 2 stop-overs. Damn!!!

I figure take the easyjet flight to Moscow and get a connecting flight from there should save time.

Post: #284

There has been some good feedback posted here and it seems that we are on the right track to making this truly epic in all sense of the words.

Regarding a car, while yes it would be terrific, then it would also pose some problems. Indeed, if we were to buy a used car from say Germany, then driving from Teutonsland to Siberia is no easy feat and it will indeed take a long while. It would be the same as crossing Canada coast to coast. Literally. While it is no big deal to achieve that in Canada due to excellent road conditions and overall safety, not sure the same can be said about Mother Russia. It would be truly an adventure of epic proportions just in itself to get there while driving. And driving through the lawless areas on the way on dirt roads, I would rather be well prepared and in number.

So in light of this, we have a major decision to make:
If we all meet in Germany and buy a used car, then we should select a city in the Urals due to the challenges in driving there. Or if we opt to go in the middle of Siberia, then the best thing IMHO, would be to meet in say Moscow and take the Trans Siberian train to our destination in Siberia. Then once in our city, we can easily hire a cool driver. IMO, the advantages of a local driver are obvious: local knowledge, he could also hook us up with cool parties and plug us into the local scene much more smoothly. We could have him on call with us 24/7 and the DHV of having your own chauffeur is much higher than driving yourself. With a driver, no worries on drinking too much and having a designated guy each time we go out not to drink to drive us. No fun IMO. the driver could also watch our back and keep us out of trouble since we're all newbies (save Vorkuta and BB) to the crazy and lawless cities in the middle of Siberia.

Thoughts gents?

Post: #285

Just curious does anyone here watch the show Departures? It's about 2 Canadian guys who travel the world and just take in all different cultures. This is originally what inspired me too travel and originally led me to this site.

They did an Episode on Siberia before and it's the thing that originally inspired me to visit Russia. For those who haven't been there I'm presuming this would be a very good representation of what to expect there.

Watch the final bit of the first episode and the second one.

Post: #286

The car thing, as cool as it would be, is too much of a security risk especially that early on. We will have all of our stuff with us...phones, money, passports, not to mention the RVF-dedicated laptops. The train idea is solid though. That way we can meet in a tourist/English friendly city and have a crew together before we depart into the Siberian abyss.

Big question is, how the fuck is everyone going to get a visa? From what I've read most people commit to a ESL school or something that sponsors their visa. I need to do more research but chime in if you know the ins and outs.

Post: #287

Prodigy,
I love Departures and these guys also inspired me a lot. Haven't seen the Siberia episodes and will watch them tomorrow.

I'm going to also start researching about visas which shouldn't be that hard for us to get as most of us are either Canadian, Brits or from the US or other EU countries. For me it would be perfect to spend a month or 2 in Russia before making my way to China next fall. Can't freaking wait!!!

Post: #288

(11-27-2012 03:17 AM)presidentcarter Wrote:  Big question is, how the fuck is everyone going to get a visa? From what I've read most people commit to a ESL school or something that sponsors their visa. I need to do more research but chime in if you know the ins and outs.

What passport do you hold Carter? If it's a Western one then just get an agency to sort out a visa for you,I've done it lots of times and it's a simple process.

Those videos are great. Go to 32:00 minutes of the second video. That's the kind of situation we need to be getting into!

Post: #289

(11-27-2012 02:49 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  There has been some good feedback posted here and it seems that we are on the right track to making this truly epic in all sense of the words.

Regarding a car, while yes it would be terrific, then it would also pose some problems. Indeed, if we were to buy a used car from say Germany, then driving from Teutonsland to Siberia is no easy feat and it will indeed take a long while. It would be the same as crossing Canada coast to coast. Literally. While it is no big deal to achieve that in Canada due to excellent road conditions and overall safety, not sure the same can be said about Mother Russia. It would be truly an adventure of epic proportions just in itself to get there while driving. And driving through the lawless areas on the way on dirt roads, I would rather be well prepared and in number.

So in light of this, we have a major decision to make:
If we all meet in Germany and buy a used car, then we should select a city in the Urals due to the challenges in driving there. Or if we opt to go in the middle of Siberia, then the best thing IMHO, would be to meet in say Moscow and take the Trans Siberian train to our destination in Siberia. Then once in our city, we can easily hire a cool driver. IMO, the advantages of a local driver are obvious: local knowledge, he could also hook us up with cool parties and plug us into the local scene much more smoothly. We could have him on call with us 24/7 and the DHV of having your own chauffeur is much higher than driving yourself. With a driver, no worries on drinking too much and having a designated guy each time we go out not to drink to drive us. No fun IMO. the driver could also watch our back and keep us out of trouble since we're all newbies (save Vorkuta and BB) to the crazy and lawless cities in the middle of Siberia.

Thoughts gents?

Yes the driver is a great idea. If we do all the wild things in Russia that Ali and the crew are doing in the DR, we should expect a lot of trouble. We will need all the help we can get.

Post: #290

(11-27-2012 06:30 AM)chochemonger1 Wrote:  

(11-27-2012 02:49 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  the driver could also watch our back and keep us out of trouble since we're all newbies (save Vorkuta and BB) to the crazy and lawless cities in the middle of Siberia.

Thoughts gents?

Yes the driver is a great idea. If we do all the wild things in Russia that Ali and the crew are doing in the DR, we should expect a lot of trouble. We will need all the help we can get.

Driver is way more practical than buying. VERY important to filter for someone reliable and not crazy/criminal; and to have a backup driver.

There are good reliable people in EE/Russia, but the circumstances might be such that someone's car breaks down and it needs expensive repairs, which needs to be discussed in advance ( I.e, "We are not buying you a new engine if your car breaks.")

In my apt in Ukraine, the water heater didn't work and I was helped by a religious plumber; he took the whole thing apart and cleaned it for cheap. The landlord was trying to get me to buy her a new water heater.

In another apartment, when I complained the microwave didn't work, the landlord claimed that I must have turned it on with nothing in it, which broke it, so I should buy him a new microwave.

People have different cultural expectations about responsibility in different cultures.

I am not really into the club girls, I'm looking for high end for LTR ( Educated family, non-or very light drinker).

Post: #291

Definitely has to be a city of over a million. We shoud stand out but not too much.
Saw and liked that video about those 2 canadian guys traveling in Russia, especially Siberia. I laughed when, in that Siberian village, their Russian guide told them he was going to buy food, but that they should stay inside. Mind you these are 2 Canadian white dudes who physically blend in in Russia... but he still warns them that the local young dudes could start violence. Also, XXL post about the mindset of small city dudes in the Poland thread should be heeded. Russian dudes are different animals than their Polish counterparts but share the same small city mentality.

Post: #292

(11-26-2012 10:51 PM)GameTheory Wrote:  

(11-17-2012 09:44 AM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  It was the only time I had my own apartment (15 bucks a night, haha cheap cheap for a 3 room apartment) Talk about bad luck!

can you reveal the city ?

Chita.

Post: #293

(11-27-2012 04:05 AM)Vorkuta Wrote:  

(11-27-2012 03:17 AM)presidentcarter Wrote:  Big question is, how the fuck is everyone going to get a visa? From what I've read most people commit to a ESL school or something that sponsors their visa. I need to do more research but chime in if you know the ins and outs.

What passport do you hold Carter? If it's a Western one then just get an agency to sort out a visa for you,I've done it lots of times and it's a simple process.

Those videos are great. Go to 32:00 minutes of the second video. That's the kind of situation we need to be getting into!

U.S. here. And that new 3-year visa is looking pretty solid. It's cheaper than the 12-month too.

Post: #294

(11-27-2012 09:21 AM)chochemonger1 Wrote:  Definitely has to be a city of over a million. We shoud stand out but not too much.
Saw and liked that video about those 2 canadian guys traveling in Russia, especially Siberia. I laughed when, in that Siberian village, their Russian guide told them he was going to buy food, but that they should stay inside. Mind you these are 2 Canadian white dudes who physically blend in in Russia... but he still warns them that the local young dudes could start violence. Also, XXL post about the mindset of small city dudes in the Poland thread should be heeded. Russian dudes are different animals than their Polish counterparts but share the same small city mentality.

Yeah, another funny part when he says "if you ever want celebrity status come to city-x and you'll be greeted like you've never been greeted before."

I like where this is going

Post: #295

(11-27-2012 12:04 PM)PROD3GY Wrote:  

(11-27-2012 09:21 AM)chochemonger1 Wrote:  Definitely has to be a city of over a million. We shoud stand out but not too much.
Saw and liked that video about those 2 canadian guys traveling in Russia, especially Siberia. I laughed when, in that Siberian village, their Russian guide told them he was going to buy food, but that they should stay inside. Mind you these are 2 Canadian white dudes who physically blend in in Russia... but he still warns them that the local young dudes could start violence. Also, XXL post about the mindset of small city dudes in the Poland thread should be heeded. Russian dudes are different animals than their Polish counterparts but share the same small city mentality.

Yeah, another funny part when he says "if you ever want celebrity status come to city-x and you'll be greeted like you've never been greeted before."

I like where this is going

That part was good. Though I get the feeling that without the Russian guide, those 2 dudes would have been like 2 lost puppy dogs in Russia. He seemed to do everything for them.
With that celebrity status, I would found myself one of those young hunnys in the beauty pageant and tried to bang her in the car. Shows you got to have your Russian ready.

Post: #296

Yeah cool show. I wish they'd had less fucking around in the snow and more roaming around 2nd tier cities, bars, clubs, meeting people, etc. I guess they were going for the "adventure" angle.

Post: #297

(11-27-2012 03:17 AM)presidentcarter Wrote:  The car thing, as cool as it would be, is too much of a security risk especially that early on. We will have all of our stuff with us...phones, money, passports, not to mention the RVF-dedicated laptops. The train idea is solid though. That way we can meet in a tourist/English friendly city and have a crew together before we depart into the Siberian abyss.

Big question is, how the fuck is everyone going to get a visa? From what I've read most people commit to a ESL school or something that sponsors their visa. I need to do more research but chime in if you know the ins and outs.

I've done a few basic web searches and to be honest, as much fun as a Trans Siberian train trip would be, it'll probably much cheaper just to fly direct to "OVB". Expedia is showing flights a bit over $1,000 from Joburg, with two stops and 20 or so hours total travel time, stopping on Dubai and Moscow. I'm guessing people in Europe would be able to get there much faster and cheaper. Americans are also likely looking at $1,100 and 20 hours travel time.

Post: #298

Been doing a bit of research and if everything goes right, I will probably head to Ukraine for 1 month in July. This to get a taste of what to expect in Russia and practice the language. So I might be one of the first to get to the city we will have chosen. Anybody else thinking of being in Russia in August or are most you thinking September?

Post: #299

Why not fly to Moscow and then take the train from there? Would be cheaper then flying direct to the city I would guess.

There seems to be quite a lot of talk of us being attacked and needing to blend in so as to avoid it. I have to say that not once in six or seven trips to Russia have I never been threatened or attacked or even ripped off. The worst I've had has been surly service staff and brooding gopnik cabin mates on trains. I've walked around late at night speaking English loudly,have been wearing clothes that obviously mark me out as a foreigner, and yet had nothing but positive responses. The main issue with Russian dudes in my limited experience is that they can be overly hospitable and insist on getting drunk with you. I'm not saying you should not be vigilant like in any city but I've had far more trouble here in the UK then in Russia.

Post: #300

(11-27-2012 01:19 PM)chochemonger1 Wrote:  Been doing a bit of research and if everything goes right, I will probably head to Ukraine for 1 month in July. This to get a taste of what to expect in Russia and practice the language. So I might be one of the first to get to the city we will have chosen. Anybody else thinking of being in Russia in August or are most you thinking September?

If I go it will be based around the fact that I will either be taking the semester of school off and travelling or staying in school and doing something for the month of August.

So there is a chance I would be there at that time. Also calculated that I could live in Russia and take all of my course for the semester online and actually save money compared to the cost of residence and meal plans at University.

Just gotta make a decision.