The Far East

Vladivostok

The flight from Moscow landed in Vladivostok at 10 am. That's a 7 hour time difference from Moscow, in fact, it's an hour ahead from all of the mainland including Japan and in the same zone as the eastern coastline of Australia. Aside from the Asian-humidness outside, the first noticeable thing I discovered was the abundant number of North Koreans. They are recognizable by their matching black suits with red blue pins.

Vladivostok is a port city, with the same seaside feel as cities such as Albany (Western Australia), Newport (Wales) or Gdynia (Poland). It is very much a naval city, acting as the headquarters of the Russian Naval Fleet, located in the Pacific Ocean.

Aside from its important status within Russia, there is a blend of cultures here, giving it a unique Russian and Asian fusion. Due to the relatively close proximity to China, the Koreas, and Japan, Vladivostok is very much so a gateway for these Asians into Russia, and a gateway 'into Asia' for Russians, as well as tourists having from afar having ridden the extent of the Trans-Siberian.

Russki Bridge

There is a sense of pride amongst local Russians, who often refer to the bridge as our "Our Russian Golden Gate Bridge. It is one of the longest cable bridges in the world, and definitely worth a walkthrough, if at least for the fantastic views and the juxtaposition with the large naval armada nearby. Great views can also be seen from Eagle's Nest observation point, slightly north east of the city centre.

The Pacific Ocean

Being surrounded by sea and ocean, Vladivostok has its share of beaches. While it is nothing like what you would experience at a tropical location, many locals will fondly describe their Pacific beaches. Unfortunately at the time of my visit (early June), the weather is still too cool and cloudy to see the ocean at it's best.

Urban Vladivostok

The Russian and Asian fusion architecture can be seen throughout the city. It is possible to traverse Vladivostok by foot however it may be a challenge due to the large hill the city is built on, with some pedestrian pathways poorly maintained. I made use of both the large route buses and marshutkas. For the large buses, it is possible to pay for a fare using cash (about 50R) or using a dolphin smart card. The buses mostly consist of recent to older Korean models, and the marshutkas are old Soviet minivans, mostly in need of some good maintenance.

Vladivostok is an evolving city aimed at increasing it's younger population. As such, there are plenty of cafes and nice restaurants about closer to the city centre. Even with an increasing number of restaurants to compete with, stolovaya's a.k.a Soviet era self-service canteens are here to stay. There's a write-up on stolovaya's in my Krasnoyarsk post when I checked one out, so stay tuned.

The Vladivostok market (rynok)

A short bus ride from the city centre, here is where the Russian and Asian influences truly shine. It is possible to find your favourite Russian pirogs (pastries) such as vatrushka, smoked Russian sausage, dried fish, as well as various Chinese/Korean foods. Due to the maritime location, it is very easy and relatively cheap to buy different seafood here, with prices quite considerably less than Californian coastal towns and cities, also by the Pacific. The market has both an outdoor and indoor section, with the green and fresh market indoors and clothing and durable goods outside. There is a real eastern feeling to the market as you can find just about any type of clothing here. It is nowhere near the size of the Moscow markets for instance, but due to the proximity to China, a much larger variety can be found.

Therefore I bought some essentials for the upcoming Trans-Siberian adventure. Dried apricots, traditional round bread, salami, a variety of pirog, and instant noodles. With the lack of proper refrigeration on the train, dried/conserved/instant food is the most convenient. With cheese and milk, it is better to buy smaller amounts and as needed.