Friday 17 July 2015

I can see Russia from my house (but getting there is another thing altogether)

The late British historian, Eric Hobsbawm, describes Lenin’s Bolsheviks as mounting an all-out offensive against the cultural backwardness of the notoriously dark, ignorant, illiterate and superstitious masses with an all-out drive for technological modernisation and industrial revolution. Our experience at the border entry to Russia from Georgia, as the centenary of the October Revolution approaches, would indicate that progress has so far been modest. It took us 10 minutes to get out of Georgia and seven hours to get on the road in Russia. No-one seemed to have any idea of the purpose of getting traffic flowing into the country to start spending their tourist or business dollars. Long haul trucks queue for days to get through the only land entry to the country from Iran, Turkey, Armenia and Georgia. The skills on display indicate a Russian version of the Ballarat Diocese method of staffing this outpost – transfer the worst of them out of sight.

Things can only improve.

2 comments:

  1. The Russians are delusional and dangerous. The truth is not relevant to them. 7 hours is not as bad as I suspect it can be. If it makes you feel any better crossing from Zambia to DRC at Kasumbalesa is worse. If you weren't forced to pay some concocted fee you did well. I hope the roads are better than the "Highway" to Siberia from Omsk.

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    1. Dear Moses, have you ever brought a car into Australia? First there's the Customs Agent fee (bribe?), then the paper warfare. Several days/weeks later you may get your car off the wharf ..... We can handle Russia.
      Patiently yours
      Bill Amann

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