Eastbound | FindPenguins

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Trip start
August 8, 2017
Eastbound Johannes Bremer
Poland: Stopover in Kraków
August 8, 2017 in Poland ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
Krakow, former Polish capital and probably the most touristy city in the entire of Poland. 7 hours are not enough to discover this gem, this Eastern Europe version of Salamanca. However, tickets and a tight schedule force me to pass the border to Ukraine tonight.Read more
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Eastbound Johannes Bremer
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Kiev
August 9, 2017 in Ukraine ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
After 4 hours of border control and 11 hours of bus riding I met Dasha, a classmate of mine from Hohenheim, and her Columbian boyfriend Edwin. She showed us the Ukrainian Kiev in a way I'll never forget. Together we discovered places we'd never seen otherwise. Definitely, Kiev is way more than post-soviet buildings and grey concrete and well worth a visit. Thank you Dasha and Edwin!Read more
Johannes Bremer 6450 kilometers to Beijing - by air
8/9/17Reply
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Eastbound Johannes Bremer
Ukraine: Train No. 006 - Kiev to Moscow
August 10, 2017 in Ukraine ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
The second day in Kiev I spent loosely to get ready for the overnight border crossing to Russia. The train was heated up by standing under the hot sun which turned every movement in the train into drops of sweat running down the skin. The more people entered the train, the more flavorsome the smell became. First, my neighboring seat was taken by Helen, but she got out in Konotop to visit her family. In Konotop, border control and another very friendly Ukrainian girl Natalia took Helen's seat. The next morning we spend together talking until we got out in Moskow, Kievskaya train station. Natalia went to a wedding and I was waiting for Maxi to meet.Read more
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Eastbound Johannes Bremer
Moscow
August 11, 2017 in Russia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Moscow, an ever-growing giant of steel and concrete, pulsating home and workplace for millions of inhabitants. Buildings, roads, bridges, cars and everything else are so big one doesn't notice anymore. Sports cars and heavy SUVs race far above the speed limit across 8-lanes roads in the middle of the city, close to homeless people sleeping on park benches. Hords of tourists push themselves over the red square, struggling to get a clean shot of the Kremlin or neighboring Basilica. Construction sites, cranes and workers are omnipresent. Still, massive soviet-era buildings dominate the horizon. The longest time Maxi and I had to wait for a metro? 2 minutes. Moscow, you crazy ... .Read more
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Eastbound Johannes Bremer
Russia: Catching the train to Siberia
August 12, 2017 in Russia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Tonight at 23:55 our train leaves to Irkutsk. We spend time in Moscow while everything else is ready for the 72-hours train ride. What will it be like?
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Eastbound Johannes Bremer
Russia: 24 hours
August 13, 2017 in Russia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
We share a compartment with Tilman, a German PhD student heading to Hong Kong. We get along together very well and exchange a lot of stories and travel advice while our wagon no. 1 smoothly leaves birch forests and wetlands behind. The other passengers are Russians and a handful of other tourists. Though English is not common, communication somehow works surprisingly fine. Breakfast, lunch and dinner mainly consist of noodles and piroggi. As night is about to crawl in, the train is drenched in msgical colours.Read more
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Eastbound Johannes Bremer
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Russia: 48 hours
August 14, 2017 in Russia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
You think 48 hours on a train never pass? So, so wrong. I can't explain how the last two days could pass so quickly. There wasn't even time to start reading one of my three books I brought here. Oh, next stop is in 90 minutes. Time to get up and prepare to buy some dinner. Time becomes relative in Siberia.Read more
Niklas Klein Sieht echt erstaunlich gemütlich aus 👍🏻
8/17/17Reply
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Eastbound Johannes Bremer
Russia: 72 hours
August 15, 2017 in Russia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Time to say goodbye. A melancholic mix of sadness and excitement dominates my feelings. This train was my beloved home for 4 nights. Playing Russian cards games and Chinese chess, watching the landscape passing by and drinking tea were the main activities. Now, Irkutsk is our last station. Time to return to reality.Read more
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Eastbound Johannes Bremer
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Siberia: Off the rails
August 16, 2017 in Russia ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
From Irkutsk train station we somehow find our way through the cirrilic labyrinth to the central bus station. There we take a 6-hours bus to Khuzir on the island Olchon which is situated at lake Baikal, the largest and deepest fresh water lake on earth. People say the water is clean enough to drink it straight away. The village itself is a fascinating mix of an 80 years old fishermen settlement and a rapidly expanding tourism sector since the last 5 years. Streets are not paved but newly build holiday apartments frame the dusty streets. Old Soviet UAZ trucks share the road with brand new SUVs. No tap water, but a fully equipped supermarket. Cows and quads. We find accommodation in a wooden shack in someone's backyard. Let's see what this island is all about.Read more
Niklas Klein "main" 😂😅
8/17/17Reply
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Eastbound Johannes Bremer
Siberia: Off the road
August 17, 2017 in Russia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
We decide to take a seat in a Uasik bus which takes us to the far north of the island. No other car would be more suitable to race down these heavily washed-out sand tracks leading through steppe and pine forests with over 60 kmh at max. Back in Khuzir we meet Anastasia, Anja and Armeni from Novosibirsk to spend the evening together. We have a picnic and talk a lot. Though English is not very common, Armeni does an excellent job at English-Russian translation. We're more than happy to get to know these 3 friendly Russians. Unfortunately, they have to leave the next day. Life on the road demands it's tributes, too short friendships are one of them.Read more
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Eastbound Johannes Bremer
Siberia: restoring energy
August 18, 2017 in Russia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Sometimes one needs to take a rest and so did we. This is our last day on Olkhon, so we hired bikes and pushed them up the mountain nearby. The rest of the day we spend at Shamanka, a picturesque and very distinct rock outcrop near Khuzir, probably the first picture popping up if looking up Olkhon on Google. However, google won't instantly reveal Olkhon being a top holiday destination hidden in Russia's remoteness. Tomorrow we enter the minibus which takes us over bumpy roads back to Irkutsk and therewith leave this rugged but heartwarming, this harsh but authentic place. Then, another train ride eastbound begins.Read more
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Eastbound Johannes Bremer
Leaving Lake Baikal behind
August 20, 2017 in Russia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
The time has come to dive into Russian trains one more time. This time: 3. class, 9,5 hours platzkart travel. An intense mixture of all possible human smells welcomes us as we board the open sleeping wagon. This is authenticity at its best. Thank god we ate before.Read more
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Eastbound Johannes Bremer
Mongolia: Ulaanbaatar
August 21, 2017 in Mongolia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
We pass a huge amount of nothing until we get dropped off at the buzzing Dragon Bus station at the dirty outskirts of Ulaanbaatar. We meet Tegi and escape the crowd. "This is Ulaanbaatar" one of her friends shouts while we struggle to cross a 6-lane road. We hop onto one of the indistinguishable, wrecked buses which takes us to the city centre and somehow to our accommodation. Yes, this is Ulaanbaatar. Let's see what else is there in Mongolia.Read more
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Eastbound Johannes Bremer
Mongolia: On the countryside
August 23, 2017 in Mongolia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
Tegi arranged a trip to the countryside. We take seats in a Toyota Prius and plough through unpaved roads while the Mongolians show us the incredible beauty of their vast country. For tonight we find accomodation in a wood-fired ger. In two days we will (hopefully) cross the boarder to China.Read more
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Eastbound Johannes Bremer
China: Beijing
August 27, 2017 in China ⋅ 🌧 17 °C
The contrast is huge: From Mongolia, one of the least populated countries on earth right into the heart of China. However, as a Westerner it is easier to navigate through Beijing as expected. From now on, I will continue the trip on my own as Maxi will remain in Beijing for his studies.Read more
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Eastbound Johannes Bremer
China: Shanghai
August 30, 2017 in China ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Shanghai. It seems everything is possible here. What used to be swampland 20 years ago is now China's striving financial district. The metro system is said soon to be the largest worldwide. On a Wednesday afternoon people dress up like on Saturday night. Prosperity is in the air. This is incredible.Read more
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Eastbound Johannes Bremer
China: Xiamen
August 30, 2017 in China ⋅ ⛅ 34 °C
The bullet trains takes me from Shanghai to Xiamen in an unusual short period of time compared to the trains we took in Russia. I find accommodation and meet Hui Ting from couchsurfing: Together with a friend of her we discover the dragon boat lake of Xiamen. Two of the best things of China? Super fast trains and food.Read more
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Eastbound Johannes Bremer
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Taiwan: Kinmen Island
September 1, 2017 in Taiwan ⋅ 🌙 27 °C
From Xiamen I hop on the ferry to Kinmen, which is some kind of an outpost of Taiwan dating back to the Cold War times. Finally, the first footsteps on Taiwan! But they quickly turn into 2-wheeled tracks as I rent a scooter and try to lap the island. 90km/h and more - would be allowed to drive this at home. Ah Taiwan, this is a really good start.Read more
TravelerWelcome:)
9/2/17Reply
Traveler scooter 🛵
9/2/17Reply
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Eastbound Johannes Bremer
Taiwan: Taipei
September 2, 2017 in Taiwan ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
One day full of events: Lynn and her sister pick me up from TSA airport, take me to Longshan Temple, a massage saloon and famous Taipei 101. Inbetween: the best food I've eaten during this journey if not in my entire life, including things I've never seen nor eaten before. Thank you two for this memorable start for the next 5 months of life in Taiwan!Read more
TravelerEnjoy yr stay here!
9/4/17Reply
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Eastbound Johannes Bremer
Taiwan: Zhongli
September 3, 2017 in Taiwan ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
Finally! After 27 days of traveling I reach the National Central University of Taiwan which defines the final destination of my journey. Within a few hours I find accommodation for the next five months. The thought of settling down is still strange but a warm glow comes up when thinking about all the possible adventures awaiting in Taiwan. The end of something is always the start of something new. But for now I would say: Mission accomplished.

This journey, including thousands of kilometers covered by coaches and trains, across 2 continents and 6 time zones, would have been possible without the help of friends and fellow travelers met during the journey and at home: Thanks to Dasha from Kiev, Tegi from Ulan-Bataar and Lynn from Taipei which revealed precious views from a local's point of view. Thanks to Maxi for the great company in Russia, Mongolia and Beijing. Thanks to Na, Vicky, Laure and Inna from Hohenheim for their help preparing the trip and giving insights. Thanks to many many people randomly met on the road, in trains or buses. And, of course, thanks to my family and Nora for letting me go and supporting me all the time. Maybe you were more nervous than I was. But then, it turned out to be alright ;)
再见!Read more
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Trip end
September 3, 2017