Sakhalin!

[dingosatemybaby]

Did a search, and suuure didn't find this topic before: dingo, being a curious, as well as baby-eating, beast, has developed an interest in entering Russia through the back door, up the rear, whatever. I've heard that some folks in Japan have taken package tours to Sakhalin. There's apparently a pretty good, and of course overpriced, hotel in Sakhalin, and while I'm sure the cultural aspects of the place are pretty dreary, it couldn't be worse than Gunma, and probably much more un-concreted. Besides, being able to go to Pacific Russia just seems kinda exotic. Any other fg's ever have the same idea? Heck, I'd like to go to the Kuril Islands and stay at the Muneo House (tm), but, sadly, it doesn't seem doable.

[Taro Toporific]

...tours to Sakhalin...

Sea kayak with me!

(Alt: Russian log ship from Chiba or the monthly(?) ferry from Hokkaido.)

[Captain Japan]

Here's an aritcle from the Asahi from a year ago. It is from Google cache so I'm putting the whole thing here. Too much of it is centered on Japan-related crap and that last line that infers that Russians are lazy and Japanese tourists are ambitious is complete horseshit but there is some decent basic info to look through.
Weekend Beat/ AN ADVENTURE IN SAKHALIN: Japanese find Europe just 2 hours away
Asahi

After a flight lasting less than two hours from Hakodate in Hokkaido, visitors land in Sakhalin, an island that some say is the easiest way to see Europe without the hassle of flying all the way to the Continent.

Sites reminiscent of the Soviet era, as well as relics from the years the territory was controlled by Japan are still seen in the streets.

However, the most striking feature is the nearly virgin natural habitat. The island, 70 percent of which is mountainous, stretches 948 kilometers and extends to latitude 54 degrees north.

Following Japan's victory in the Russo-Japanese War, the area on and below latitude 50 degrees north in Sakhalin (Karafuto in Japanese) became Japanese territory, according to the Treaty of Portsmouth signed in 1905.

After World War II, the island was incorporated into the Soviet Union, presently Russia.

The state of Sakhalin that includes the Northern Territories has a population of about 700,000, of which 180,000 people live in the provincial capital, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Lake Tunaicha, about 40 kilometers southeast of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, is a popular outdoor spot. During the summer, the lake attracts people who come to bathe, fish, take boat rides, enjoy barbecues and gather mushrooms.

Flying in from Japan you will appreciate the cool weather-the temperature remains around 15 degrees even in summer. Many locals consider the water too cold to swim. In winter, you can go ice fishing when the lake freezes.

Just an hour's drive from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk are various fishing spots home to ito, a fish now rare in Japan, that resembles the Atlantic salmon.

At rivers that pour into the Sea of Okhotsk, you can watch large runs of salmon and trout fight their way upstream.

A popular pastime that has emerged lately is hiking in the fields near Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk with a local guide. Also, climbers can scale peaks, the highest of which is Mount Lopatin at 1,609 meters.

If your legs aren't up to a climb, you can plop yourself down on a rental motorbike and explore. Dirt bikes are also available.

With the exception of areas around Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, many roads remain unpaved, allowing riders to feel as if they are racing through unexplored primeval forests. Recently, travel agencies have begun offering a variety of fishing, trekking and motorbike tours.

Sakhalin has more to offer than nature. Visitors will find themselves witness to rapid economic growth. Things are changing at top speed.

Although you will have to apply for a visa through a travel agency, it's worth it. Travel in Sakhalin is vastly cheaper than in Japan.

Many restaurants have opened recently. Authentic Russian food is available at prices that delight the thrifty. A full course meal can be had for 200 rubles (about 800 yen). A serving of borscht (a stew of red beets, meat and potatoes) will set you back 200 yen. Pelmeni (Russian stuffed dumpling soup), blinis (Russian crepes) also can be had for about 200 yen each.

Seafood, including salmon roe, king crab and salmon, is also cheap and readily available.

All restaurants serve caviar, although gourmet black caviar comes with a rather hefty price tag of 8,000 yen per 100 grams.

Many beer halls featuring local brews have opened recently, in addition to Japanese and Korean restaurants that serve sashimi and sushi. At restaurants, a 500-milliliter bottle of Russian beer is priced at 200 yen, while two liters of mineral water costs 60 yen.

Make sure you negotiate the price before hopping into a taxi. A 2 or 3-kilometer ride costs around 200 yen depending on your bargaining skills.

The influx of tourists has instigated a building boom, with hotels going up seemingly one after another.

The days of Soviet-era gray edifices are long gone and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk has its share of upscale hotels.

The classiest place in town is the Santa Resort Hotel. Its luxury appointments outshine many Moscow hotels. You pay for what you get, and the rooms are expensive compared to other local hotels. A twin room costs 24,000 yen per night.

Guests may stay in a twin room at other luxury hotels in the city for around 10,000 yen. Outside Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, however, hotels are extremely scarce and Sakhalin's second and third largest cities, Kholmsk and Korsakov, have only a couple of hotels each.

Had your fill of trekking, fishing and fine food? There is also the more sedentary, if financially risky, option of giving the roulette wheel a spin or two. Gaming is legal and there are five casinos in the capital. All offer poker, blackjack and roulette.

To further entice tourists from Japan, the number of night clubs, many offering karaoke, is increasing rapidly.

Indeed, for those who don't like their foreign adventure too foreign, Sakhalin is just the place. Aside from the sashimi, the sushi and the karaoke, a goodly percentage of the cars are imported from Japan. Quite a few of the secondhand commercial vehicles seen tooling down the roads have the names of their former owners painted on the sides in Japanese script.

Buildings reminiscent of Japan dot the city. The Toyohara Branch of the former Hokkaido Takushoku Bank is a stately stone building that was turned into the Sakhalin Regional Art Museum.

Another structure, the former Karafuto Museum, is now the Sakhalin Regional Museum. It offers exhibits and artifacts on the indigenous people of the north, as well as exhibits from the years under Japanese rule.

So there you have it-Sakhalin offers plenty of stuff to see, plenty of stuff to do. But what about the people? On most trips, the human element can be the most important.

This visitor was impressed with the kindness of the Russians and the unhurried pace on the island.

And although the locals may seem aloof at first, they warm up quickly when approached.

Everybody takes their time at lunch, dinner and even at work. The only things bustling about are Japanese cars and Japanese tourists.(IHT/Asahi: September 4,2004) (09/04)

[dingosatemybaby]

Thanks for the link, Cap'n!

[GuyJean]

Hey, Anjela's from Sakkhalin!



video - http://tokyodv.com/videolog/t-o-k-y-o-d-v-m-o-d-e-l-s/anjela/
page - http://www.tokyodv.com/actors/anjelakim.html

It looks like an exotice place.. He, he..

GJ

[Captain Japan]

Hey, Anjela's from Sakkhalin!

And from that video it seems she wants to leave ASAP.

[Captain Japan]

Hey, Anjela's from Sakkhalin!

GJ, I was checking out the Sexy Satomi link on that same page:

http://www.tokyodv.com/actors/satomimov.html

It would seem that you did some creative editing on that video:

http://www.sexysatomi.com/english_intro.mov (NSFW!!!!!!!)

What gives?? Are you going Sesame Street on us???

[GuyJean]

Hey, Anjela's from Sakkhalin!

GJ, I was checking out the Sexy Satomi link on that same page:

http://www.tokyodv.com/actors/satomimov.html

It would seem that you did some creative editing on that video:

http://www.sexysatomi.com/english_intro.mov (NSFW!!!!!!!)

What gives?? Are you going Sesame Street on us???

Ha, ha.. Man, nothing gets past the Captain.. At the time, I didn't think TokyoDV was ready for anal dildo action, but now.. Hhhhhmmm..

Isn't her video hilarious? Innocent little outdoor nipple scenes, then WHAM! Black anal didlo in your face.. Japanese chicks are cool..

GJ

[Taro Toporific]

Did a search, and suuure didn't find this topic before: dingo, being a curious, as well as baby-eating, beast, has developed an interest in entering Russia through the back door, up the rear, whatever.

Vladivostok, Europe in Middle of The Orient
Vladivostok,
The Seoul Times - Tuesday, October 18, 2005, 11:17
When people hear the name Vladivostok ("Lord of the East" in Russian), a mysterious and chilling thought comes to mind. Westerners have usually only heard the name of this far flung eastern Russian port city associated with Hollywood spy films and espionage novels dating back to the Cold War. However I can tell you that Vladivostok is neither mysterious nor chilling except during the long winter season! It is in fact a bustling, vibrant European metropolis wedged in between the East Sea (Sea of Japan), China, and North Korea.

How did this come to be? Why is this place filled with a Western looking, Western dressed and culturally Western mindset and yet so demographically misplaced?....more....

[AssKissinger]

Hey, Anjela's from Sakkhalin!

GJ, I was checking out the Sexy Satomi link on that same page:

http://www.tokyodv.com/actors/satomimov.html

It would seem that you did some creative editing on that video:

http://www.sexysatomi.com/english_intro.mov (NSFW!!!!!!!)

What gives?? Are you going Sesame Street on us???

She's one of my favorite porn stars.

[Cyka UchuuJin]

can people in japan (non-russian foreigners or japanese) go to visit any of the kuril islands without a russian visa?

[Takechanpoo]

[Cyka UchuuJin]

[Coligny]

[Behan]

There fixed for you, shortsighted dude...

Nice one.