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Yes we arrived home today after some delays and missed connections. But it turned out well.

Most importantly, we emailed our interum report off yesterday - ahead of schedule !!!
It was a great feeling.

See you soon

Cheers.........Brian

Fairwell Moscow

Hi everyone,

Well, the next chapter has begun. We are now in Singapore. We will have three nights there while we attempt to finish our report. Unfortunately, we arrived at 5.30am but didn’t get into the hotel rooms until 10am - 23 hours of travel.

Our last day in Moscow was great. We caught up with reports in the morning and then headed to a cheap Russian café. It seemed like a good idea but we ended up pointing at three items on the menu and crossing our fingers. As usual it turned out well with Albert and I getting a soup each and Sean half a pressed flat chicken from a griller. Excellent.

We then negotiated the underground to go to Red Square. We had to change trains twice. They have a very good system of having different colours for the different lines you have to get.- the problem is it seems the guy they got to paint the signs was colour blind! I was trying to convert the Russian letters to English and getting nowhere. Luckily Sean used the Russian letters direct and solved the puzzle. If fact if it wasn’t for him Albert and I would still be going around and around somewhere below Moscow!

In spite of our difficulty we are in awe of the underground. It moves a huge mass of people and very efficiently. The trains are full, go fast and are about a minute apart in peak hour.

We then checked out the Kremlin (the Armory), had a good look around the area and made some bargain purchases. The whole area had some beautiful sights – and the jewellery and buildings weren’t bad either.

That’s it for now.

Take care………Brian, Albert and Sean

Photos are - capitalisam at work in Red Square and a road sign.

Back to Moscow

Dear everyone,

A bit more news after a very hectic and exciting (in fact overwhelming) few days.

On the 2nd we flew S East from Moscow to the region of Bashkortostan – just over the Ural mountains. We stayed in a holiday house near Baemark.

The people have been treating us to great celebrations; from a civic reception (with the Deputy Prime Minister for the region), a meeting with many officials and big feasts with many toasts (of vodka) to our new friendship and the success of the project. See the pictures.

One feast occurred in a paddock (see picture). They had local people playing music, reciting poetry and dancing for us as we ate. The food was great. Including lots of horse meat and the drink of the region which is Kumis (or Coomis). It is mare’s milk when the mare has been eating feather grass – very special.

Our party has grown to about 15 people so we now need a mini bus. We have a new interpreter – much better looking than the last one (see picture). We’ve travelled lots and seen lots of farms – all struggling since the collapse of the economy post the Soviet System.

The food has been great – I’ve put on 3 to 4 kg.

This area has a dairy industry but they are really keen to develop their beef industry using Australian genetics and technology. We believe it is going to be really successful. However, we have to get the planning right. If the first shipment have major problems (eg deaths of cattle or injuries to people) it will be a disaster.

We have been looking at lots of old sheep and cattle sheds to work out the best shelter for the cattle over winter. It gets down to -35oC here at times.

We have also been trying to work out potential stocking rates and any other issues critical to the success. It’s been non stop.

The people here have been fantastic. Emotions really build up at times. So last night when we said farewell some very sincere words were said.

Today we left at 4am and flew to Moscow to be put up in the Holiday Inn again.

Well that’s about it for a brief catch-up

I hope you are all well

Love ………Brian

Pictures
Loverly waiters
Rural Soultions SA team with the Deputy Prine Minister of Bashkortostan.

Pictures

Everyone,

Here are esome pictures.
Galina (our interpreter) being a cow in an old cow shed
Adam with a very happy and generous host
Albert with the same lady - but a bit later
A welcome dinner for us with the Deputy Prime Minister of te the region
Another dinner in a field

Back in Moscow

Hi everyone,

Yes we are back (except Albert and John who have shot off in a private jet to Kaliningrad - to look at more land for a future project).

We had a 5 hour car trip back to the Holiday Inn. Had a fantastic lunch in their restraunte (noone spoke for most of the meal!) and had a clean up. Yes it is good to be back in the 21st century. We are not complaining - people have been fantastic to us - which is by far the most important thing.

We have completed collecting the information for the first project. We just have to make recommendations now. We have a meeting tomorrow.

Tomorrow afternoon we head off south east (I think) to see the second project. This will probably be just as exciting.

We are all well again and having a great time. Moscow is a booming city. We will check a bit of it out tonight.

Take care . Dus vadunya

Cheers..........Brian Albert and Sean

Pictures from Pochep

Yes I'm going to attach pictures separately to save losing it again.

Albert with his artistic shots
A rural woman (not typical)
People we meet are the best part of this job. Here are three; Victor, Demitrie and Baserbi. The best.

Cheers......Brian

Sunday

Yes there are some photos

overwhelming

Hi every one,

Sit down. This will be quite an emotional Blog.

We have had a day off. Yes, a day of R&R!!!!!!

We left here at 10am and drove to a place near the Ukranian border. To a spot in the forest, near a lake. A very isolated and idealic place.

The place was a hunting hut owned by Victor, a Russian we have been working with. An idealic spot.

We had lots of toasts and drinks the team and the future work between Australia and Russia. Victor fed us well and we had lots of toasts to our friendship. An unbelievable day.

Last night Albert, John , Adam and I went to a disco. We were invited by some great young people we had met. It reminded me of the Rural Youth days many years ago. We had a lot of fun.

Tomorrow we will work but today is a celebration.

Lots of love (and I mean it) ……Brian

Later Friday night

Hi everyone,

We had a fantastic day yesterday. Met with the company and clarified our objectives (again). They seem to be very happy but it was a real help for us to get their views.

We had arranged to call in at the Trubchevsk Agricultural College. When we got there we had a meeting at the Principals office. Then we had a tour of the college. Every teacher was waiting at their class to show us what they did. We felt very honoured.

To be honest; it was an overwhelming experience. Such genuine people with a passion and doing their best. Highlighting exceptional students. Etc.

We were impressed but the models of animals etc. and the effort they put in.

To be honest, we feel very emotional to record the experience.

It’s now late Friday night (5am your time). Sean Albert have had enough vodka. I am having trouble typing. Let’s call it a night . holla!!!!

Friday night in Pochep

Just an amazing place.

A land of contrasts from a horse pulling a single shear plough in a field next to a wooden house, old people sitting in front of their houses watching the time go by with their chickens and geese wandering around, a young boy chopping wood for his grandmother, to the other extreme of John Deere tractors and air-seeder rigs putting in winter wheat before it snows and headers taking off crops for sale and feed just around the corner.

A stream of traffic on the main road. Don’t know where they are from or going but one truck yesterday was from the Czechoslovakian republic.

Wells in the street for water, old ladies carrying buckets of water home, smoke from little cottage chimneys as the birch forest turn to magnificent oranges and reds.

Old town, girls in high heals and mini shirts. Adam says.

Monuments to the fallen in fighting the Germans are dotted everywhere and we went past our local main town Pochep one day when they were celebrating the day of liberation. When we went past the next day it was clear they had had a very good time.

Most of the communal farms have broken down, and it is sad to see the loss of infrastructure and family life.

Many of the houses in the towns are painted vivid colours of bright greens, blues, purples, yellows and it really suits them.

Everyone is exceedingly welcoming and we are enjoying the challenge and as Sean said one day; “ When we come back in 3 years time there will be a large feedlot and abattoirs on these sites, and we told them where to put it”. We shake ourselves every morning, and still can’t believe we are in Russia, real Russia by being out in the sticks as we are.

We have met so many genuine people, from shopkeepers to vets and university teachers, and have seen things because of this job that regular tourists wouldn’t see.

Love from Albert and team

All go in Russia

Dear all,

Yes it's all go in rural Russia. We have been on the job, just about non stop, for 4 days. We are staying in a summer camp (Tolstoy's hunting house is here) near Pochep in Bryansk region. It is out in the country.

The people and treatment by the company is great. Couldn't ask for more.

My Russian is improving (coudn't get worse Kathy would say). At least the greatings work which is the most important. Letters are hard.

We have visited farms and chosen potential sites for farms, a feedlot and an abattoir. The soil is excellent. People are very excited about the project.

We did have a Russian sauna which was great. The vodka is also very good. But not too much time for fun.

Hope all is well at home. Remember, you live in a lucky country.

Lots of love and best wishes.

Brian and team

Photos are of the first day in Moscow and where we have spent a lot of our time - standing in fields discussing the issues (very rugged up)

Day 1 Moscow

Yes we arrived safely. Great trip. No problems.

We were collected at the airport at 9am this morning (Thursday).

The company have us staying in the Holiday Inn in central Moxcow. Very nice.

Tomorrow the have a day planned for us meeting the Russian company and then travelling to Bryansk

We were hoping for a bit of a rest but the jet-lag seems OK so it is probably a good idea to get stuck into the work straight away.

I'm entering this by memary because all the instructions are in Russian. I'll try to attach some photos.

Cheers............Smokey

Five sleeps to go

Yes we are going to Russia.

The team; Albert, Sean and I, had meetings this week with the Adelaide conpany we are contracted to. We also met one Russian who is over here.

It is all very exciting. We got on very well, although there's the usual difficulties translating things.

Our plans are;
Leave Adelaide for Singapore 11.55am Wednesday 17th September
Leave Singapore after 8 hour stopover.
Arrive Moscow 9am 18th
Travel to Bryansk (150km SW of Moscow) on 20th
Leave Moscow 11am on 9th of October
Arrive Singapore 5.55am 10th
Leave Singapore 9pm 13th
Arrive Adelaide 10am on 14th October

We will have our mobiles for urgent calls. You can also email us.