This site first appeared in February 2002 when I was planning my trip to Turkey. All I wanted then was a guestbook, to leave short messages so anybody could read them. After I came back, I started to fill it with content, such as various articles on history, my travel reports and photographs and some other things.

My main interest, to which I dedicate this site, is hard to name in English - consider it the Russian equivalent of "budget travelling", or "backpacking". We avoid using public transport, living in hotels and using other sorts of tourist facilities. We like to see people the way they are, not the way they want to show tourists. We like visiting places where Western civilisation hasn't penetrated yet. Among our favourites are countries that may seem a strange idea to visit, if not downright unsafe - Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, Angola or Ethiopia. Over the last ten years we visited many countries in Asia and Africa and used the information we obtained to spread the truth about this part of the world.

We have developed a profound tradition of independent travelling clubs. We research hitch-hiking methods, write books and share our knowledge with anyone willing. So what we are doing is adventure travelling, but it is in no way reckless. We found out that anywhere where people live, you can live there too, and it is always worth coming to know their ways. There's a whole philosophy behind it. But shortly speaking, this is our way of learning about the world. And whatever you may be interested in, you will certainly learn a lot more by going there and looking with your own eyes instead of listening to what other people say.

In 2003 I launched a new project, Hitchhiking in China - I'll try to accumulate as much information on the subject as I can. Supplements are always welcome.

Feedback is always welcome at [email protected]

(Translated by P. Lagutkin)

The truth about the Russian migration registration