Largest Vodka Train Tour of SMS Frankfurt through Russia to Mongolia and China completed.
From June twelve to 30th almost 100 adventure and sports enthusiasts from twelve countries were on their way by train, by foot, bus and ferry – at the Vodka Train Tour 2010. This summer offer included among other things a boat party on the Moscow River, cross country running along the Eurasian border, a bath in icy Lake Baikal and a stay in exclusive Mongolian yurts. It was the largest organized cultural, sports and event tour of SMS Frankfurt.
Start for all participants, coming from Australia, Barbados, China, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, the USA and more countries, was Moscow – on 20th anniversary of Russia’s independence. With a boat party on the Moskva River the organizers rang a unique, challenging and inspiring journey for the international participants. At the first stage they took the Trans-Siberian railway via Kazan to Yekaterinburg and the “border of Eurasia”. Sightseeing and cross-country races were program at each station. Fun and sport mated the euphoric participants from all over the world, also at a picnic in the Eurasian border, when half of the group at the European, the other half on Asian terrain drank on each ones health.
Irkutsk was the next exciting stop on the Vodka Train Tour. From here the international travelers took a two-day break after the journey along the historic Trans-Sib route on Lake Baikal. Hardly any of the participants went swimming in seven degrees cold lake, which is known as a rejuvenating spa. A ferry brought the group to the island of Olkhon for another cross-country run and accommodation in traditional wooden huts and with folklore in the evening.
Back to Irkutsk they continued with the train to Mongolia which was a pure cultural experience: unspoiled nature, adventurous cinematic scenes in public trains, cross-country races in a remote monastery and shaman fire dance in the exclusive hotel Mongolia with rooms as Mongolian yurts.
„The journey was emotionally and physically was the best ever” wrote a participant from Australia to the organizer Jürgen Schreiter from SMS Frankfurt after her return „You helped make it a trip of a lifetime for me” said another participant and “the Vodka Train was an exciting, enjoyable and memorable holiday/adventure. It was everything and more than what we were expecting…”.
The final stage was Mongolia to China. The cosmopolitan group was not only in the Gobi desert, they also took fascinating pictures of the Hanging Monastery in Datong and the surrounding caves. The farewell, after a walk on the Great Wall, was not easy after three weeks. Some enthusiasts of the Vodka Train Tour 2010, already planned a revival meeting after their return home where they will surely talk a lot about this tour.
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The whole trip was acompanied by a film-/video team and a 75min. DVD of the Train-Adventure is available too, directly with Juergen Schreiter!
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Juergen R. Schreiter works also as a professional travel photographer and video director and is a member in the German Press Association http://www.dfjv.de/
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Check also the new Stock Photo Project – http://www.EASTmedia-online.biz
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Travel and Adventure Trailer on YouTube:
http://www.YouTube.com/TransSibTrain
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