7 gunslingers, a SE Asian King, a lost Princess

We got into Vladivostok this morning. Our flight out of Moscow was over 2 hours late. 

That was one crazy flight. We flew east out of Moscow towards Vladivostok, and the skies outside were bright and sunny for hours. We slept, ate, slept. Inflight entertainment was all in Russian, so I decided to snooze. The dude on the window seat kept the window shades open all the time, and it was always bright and glaring. At some point, there was a darkening pinkish hue out of the window. It darkened some more. I went to sleep and woke up 2 hours later to bright sunlight again.

We landed in the Vladivostok International Airport, which is officially named after Vladimir Arsenyev, a famous Russian explorer, scientist, and writer who significantly mapped and documented the Far East region. According to our guide, Vostok means 'Far East'

Daria and Ruslan picked us up at the airport. We were booked for a half day tour with them. As our flight was delayed they had to rush us through so they could make their next tour on time.

We rushed through check-in, a quick bath and a quicker breakfast and were out in less than an hour.

Our first stop was the old lighthouse in Amur Bay. Daria and Ruslan picked up starfish, oyster shells, even an evil looking sea urchin to show us. And let me not forget that crab.

The day looked sunny so I skipped my jacket and walked to the lighthouse. Rookie mistake. Once on the water the temperature dipped almost 10°C , or that's what it felt like to my freezing extremities. 

So here we are. A typical Bollywood couple with the hero all bundled up for an artic winter and the lady didn't get the weather memo.

The water in the Amur bay is spectacularly clear. 

After visiting the lighthouse we went up the funicular for the views. And then to the top of the Sopka Eagle's Nest point for the views.

A drive back into the town and a stop at the submarine memorial. I did ask the OH if this was the Krazny October and it's captain was Marko Ramius. I got shushed for no good reason.

We got dropped off in the town center and went exploring on our own.

We visited the memorial to the fallen soldiers of the Eastern region for the Soviet land.

The typical onion domes church with rich iconography.

Women are requested to drape a scarf over their heads and the church had a whole basket of scarves and stoles by the entrance for visitors who didn't have their own.

And of course Matryoshka dolls.

I wonder who thought up this version!

And then the OH saw this and tells me, 'Damn, this one looks so realistic!'

And I have to tell him it is real.

And I had to take this picture of a random cute dragon. And I loved the murals of Amur tigers all over town.

And I went hunting for this memorial of one of Vladivostok's great sons - The one and only Yul Brynner.

And someone copying his iconic pose from The King and I.

And this, I'm sure explains the title of this post. Yul Brynner's iconic roles in The Magnificent Seven, The King and I, Anastasia...

A section of the tracks of the Trans Siberian railway.

The rolling hills of the Vladivostok peninsula and the Amur Bay bathed in the glow of a sunset.

And we're packing and getting ready for tomorrow. A big bucket list item, the Trans Siberian Railway.

More updates coming soon.

Signing off,

From Russia... with love.