Curve-balls and no rain

Well, no sooner have I started planning and getting excited of the prospect of a little adventure that a curve-ball of sorts presents itself to me… What’s the deal I hear you say? Well, there have been a number in fact.

Firstly, my plans are very ambitious and hoping to travel the distance that I have set out previously in the blog is quite unlikely… unless I wanna spend more time on trains and in stations than the cities I hope to pass through.I dwelled on the possibility of cutting the travel right down to it only being Croatia but having spoken to a number of people who have done some of this it may be possible to get round some of the Balkan countries quite comfortably. So the travel map stays changed but not completely culled.

Then there is the small matter of costs. Mom is having issues which are completely understandable. Being farmers in the semi arid part of the Little Karoo and having been in a drought for the better part of the past year it may be a bad time to make a trip of this nature. Especially when there are hundreds of sheep, goats, ostriches, cattle, pigs, chickens, cats, dogs and porcupine that rely on feed during these rough times. Perhaps a bit short sighted on my part to hope that this wouldn’t be a factor.

So… let’s just say that things are slightly on hold just for the moment.

 

Early days

Well it’s good to get some direction and now that I have started I’m starting to feel excited about the prospects of traveling Eastern Europe by train! I’ve not found much in the way of guide books to assist me but I will keep looking. It seems like the most comprehensive guide at this stage is the Thomas Cook train timetable! Well, I won’t knock it ‘cos it’s the type of thing that will come in handy along the way, unlikely to be a stimulating companion on the bog though.

Moreover, I have come to a bit of a crossroads and I am hoping I can find a solution that would support my keen interest in visiting Russia and Latvia. The problem I have with the InterRail Global Pass is that it does not seem to extend quite so far. Hopefully I can find a cheap alternative in those countries. Either that or rethink the route and include all the countries that are covered by the Global Pass - and there are a fair few.

Well I guess that sets the next steps for me whilst I eagerly await the train timetable on order from Thomas Cook.

 

The mission: To travel Eastern Europe by train

Well, it is as it says on the tin. A plan, a tiny projection of a wish to see and experience a part of Europe that is still, to some extent forgotten.

I cannot pretend to know much of it’s histories or politics. And I cannot pretend to know what I am looking for in it’s cultures but there is an indeterminate will to travel through that part of the world and see it for myself in this time of change, and whilst it is still relatively unknown in the broader context of the world. Ungentrified… and different.

And hopefully through all of that, I can come to fill in the gaps where I lack that knowledge and understanding. But this is not only for me. I plan to undertake this brief journey with my mum and hope that our trip to this far flung part of the world is a memorable one. Especially since the distance from our native South Africa is so vast, both physically and culturally.

So where exactly? Here is a list of possible destinations (to be whittled down I’m sure);

1. London, UK
2. St. Petersburgh, Russia
3. Riga, Latvia
4. Warsaw, Poland
5. Bratislava, Slovakia
6. Budapest, Hungary
7. Zagreb, Croatia
8. and possibly Slovenia

Of course, all this will be determined by the cost of travel, the ease of obtaining visas and the ease of securing affordable accommodation. I hope to document all of this information here to assist my own planning and also to hopefully be a guide to others who may wish to do something similar.

Helpful links will be added as resources become available.

Any pointers would be most welcome.