Not Back in the USSR

...or so the song doesn't go.

Our original plan was to re-enter Russia from China and then get the ferry to Japan from Vladivostok (the end point of the Trans-Siberian Railway). But after the welcoming we received from the Russians on our trip so far and the added hassle of getting a new russian visa, we decided to skip the re-entry idea and go straight to Japan. The extra time that would be freed up could then be used travelling in more hospitable countries!