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Frequently Asked Questions

Question:
Did you use camping gas canisters and could you buy them along the way?
Answer:
We bought 450g gas canisters in Irkutsk. They can be found in the largest cities in outdoors or fishing type shops. They are not extremely common but we carried a few for the Amur Highway. I paid ~200 rubles for a canister. I also bought the gas stove, though Mickey brought hers from the Netherlands.
Question:
How can I be notified of updates to this web page?
Answer:
On the right hand column, underneath "meta" are a sequence of buttons for RSS feeds. These are links to various services that will monitor a web site and send an email when new content is available.
Question:
How do you get the time/money for a trip like this?
Answer:
Planning ahead and saving. I've had this trip in mind for a while and have been saving for it. I am fortunate to work for a company that is willing to grant a LOA and worked with them with plenty of notice in advance to make things go as smoothly as possible.
Question:
Are you raising money for some cause?
Answer:
No, this ride is not sponsored by anyone, this is my vacation.
Question:
What health risks do you need to prepare for?
Answer:
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention travel page provides a good summary of health risks. These include:
  • Hepatitis A (contaminated water and foods)
  • Hepatitis B (blood or body fluids risk)
  • Rabies (rural areas)
  • Typhoid (developing countries with poor water sanitation)
  • Tickborne Encephalitis (watch for ticks)
  • Malaria (more tropical areas)
In general, I'll consult with a travel doctor before the trip and then be careful with foods, mosquitos, ticks and rabid animals.
Question:
What visas do you need for this trip?
Answer:
The exact list of countries I will bicycle in 2007 may vary. For those countries I might visit, following is what I've been able to find on visas:
  • Russia: A visa is required. For my travels, a business visa makes most sense. Russian visas have some extra steps: (1) get an invitation to visit (2) apply for the visa (3) while in the country, register the visa. A good source of information is the Way to Russia website.
  • EU countries (Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia): No visa required, for stays up to 90 days.
  • South Korea: No visa required for stays up to 30 days.
  • Japan: No visa required for stays up to 90 days.
  • China: Visa is required, should be possible to get at the consulate in Khabarovsk (Chinese Embassy in US).
  • New Zealand: No visa is required for stays up to 3 months.
The US State Department has a good summary here.
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