Rambling Rat

To be able to take my car off the ship i had to travel about 40 miles to Toyama city to get an authentication letter from the Japanese Automobile Federation, Itgen was happy to come with me as he wasn’t in any hurry and we walked off the ship together to the train station where we met the two Dutch lads again, it is a pleasure to be in Japan after Russia and even though it is so humid you can get cool drinks everywhere and all the trains and buildings have air conditioning, We had four hours to get their and back so we couldn’t hang around if we were late getting back we would have to wait till the next day to do the Vehicle customs and the car would remain on the ship.

We got the papers from the JAF office with no problems but i left my Tilley hat in the taxis, my mother would tell you, i leave things all over the place, my name and address is inside the hat so maybe i may get it back. We rushed to make it back to the terminal and we found the customs office, a lovely clean white building with very happy staff, the staff called an agent who arrived 5 mins later and took us to his office to collect the car insurance document then brought us back to the customs to collect my temporary import book the Carne de passage which they had filled in and stamped, i waited for a bill from the agent but he just shook our hands and we were given free pens so it just cost £35 for the insurance nothing else to get into Japan with the car.

Itgen and i walked back to the ship and i trundled up the aluminum gang way to collect my keys and then back down to the cargo door and into the hold to drive my car off, no one from the crew was around so no one to watch me off and Itgen got in and we drove to the dock exit, where four customs men in white overalls and white hats looked over the car and we were waived through and on our way onto the familiar left side of the road, i was excited to be driving again and we headed out of the port town and in the direction of the South.

On boarding the Russian ship Mv Russ, at the top of the steps i stopped and turned round to look at where i was leaving then was ushered into a waiting area. I was asked to produce my passport my name checked against a list and i was allowed into the reception area, where a friendly Russian lady gave me a card with my cabin number on and gave me instruction how to find the cabin, the ship reminded me of the sort of freight ferry’s i used to take to france and northern Ireland from Heysham in the north of england, except this was much cleaner, it had a 70’s feel about the ship with dark veneer paneling and orange carpets pictures of other vessels that sailed the same route in the past were mounted on the walls. I knocked on the cabin door and entered, the tall man from in the immigration area was lying on his bed reading, he looked up and i said hello, i asked if anyone else was sharing with us and he didn’t think so.

His name is Itgen Hansen and is not an American as i thought in the immigration but from the Netherlands, Nijmegen city which i have driven through many times for Fransen transport when i used to transport pharmaceuticals to scandinavia, great times and Fransen transport is now a legend as it is not operating anymore it started in the Netherlands in the 1970’s in Moerdijk and i worked for Henk Buzink at their uk office in Kidderminster Uk.

Itgen is very tall he may correct me but i think he is around 2.02 meters tall and is very friendly, he is a pleasure to be around as he is so intelligent a fountain of knowledge in a non patronizing way, he is traveling from Nijmegen to Yamoto Japan over land and sea to visit a close friend Edwin Huits also from Nijmegen.

Edwin and myself get on really well and we soon made friends and i offered to give him a lift down to the south island as it would be an adventure for me and i didn’t know where it may lead me, my whole trip so far has been about going with the flow and one thing seems to lead to something else usually positive.

We went up to the dining room room supper and two tall blond lads with bum bags waited in front of us to be seated, as they were led to a table Itgen told me “I bet you they are Dutch” and when we sat down at the so called english speaking table where they put all foreigners everyone that doesn’t speak Russian ends up on the english speaking table.

We given a set menu brought to our table and it was done really quickly to get you in and out and cleaned up, no time to relax with a coffee at the table, the two Lads from the Netherlands had driven a skoda convertible all the way from Holland but the car had fallen apart with the bad roads so they were carrying on by foot to Japan then catching a flight home. The two Americans were indeed farther and son, the farther from Texas and the son from Washington, we exchanged addresses and i said i would look them up when i was passing through.

After supper Edwin and myself went on deck and it was dark now about 9.30 p.m. and we were steaming out of the port area, Vladivostock was full of lights and looked impressive, it is an incredible looking harbor similar in looks to Istanbul, it looks better from a distance and at night. Time aboard went fast and we talked allot about what japan would be like and tales of our travels in Russia, we took a wonder around the ship and Entertainment had started on deck 5, one man on a keyboard singing, then at 11 p.m. the Disco night club opened and the same man went up to Deck 6 and talked over all the songs, there were four drunk Russians watching the show, they raised their glasses as i walked in and i waved at them smiled and turned around and walked out, i was escaping this kind of hospitality i had had enough Vodka to last a lifetime.

Most of the people on this ship about 130 in all were Russians mainly men going to buy cars from Japan so they were now at this late time drunk car sales men mafia types hugging each other singing and young Russians being sick over the side.

My car was the only cargo on board, i asked to the purser if i could see my car and a crew member took me down to see it, the car was on deck 3 and was sure enough on its own parked to one side of the ship it looks tiny in this huge cargo space. Russia doesn’t export much to Japan but Russia has huge demand for anything it can from Japan so i guess they make enough money taking cargo one way and running empty back. Its the 27th of August,

The MV Rus Docked into Fushuiki near Toyama at about 10.30 a.m and soon after Japanese customs and a shipping agent boarded the ship, it wasn’t really a culture shock but of surprise as they were very happy to see us and they were highly organized, what a surprise after so many months in Russia, i kept thinking this was not going to last but they took control of the ship setting up computers in the main sitting room and starting immigration on board, Itgen and myself stayed in the cabins as the queue was too big to wait for immigration and customs had to go around all 130 passengers in the cabins too, the blue uniformed customs came into our cabin and checked our bags and smiled and wished us a happy stay. The intercom sounded and a Russian crew member said “Landcruiser Mr Timothy Stuart come now” so i went up to reception and was taken to meet a japanese agent who spoke no english and handed me a piece of paper with english on it, it said that a Carne de Passage had to be authorized by JAF the Japanese Auto Federation like the RAC in Uk and that i had to go the Toyama city about 40 klm’s away and that he could do this for me for $200, i declined his help and thanked him, as i already new this and was heading to Toyama to collect my document myself, to take a car into Japan you need a Carne de Passage, Paul Gowern at the R.A.C is the only person in the UK that can issue this, Japan requires you to buy compulsory vehicle insurance which is about £35 for 3 months so not allot, you then only need your registration document and international driving license, its easy really you don’t need to pay road tax like in eastern europe where you have to buy a year’s and they don’t need to see your MOT.

Itgen and i now went to immigration and they take your finger print and gave me a 3 month holiday visa and i had asked for 6 months, you can extend this so i am told.

You are now free to leave the ship and Itgen and i got our bags and proceeded off the ship and towards the train station about 20 mins walk from the Vessel.

It’s 8 o’clock in the morning and my alarm has gone off and i haven’t slept too much last night. I am parked at a really high place where you can see the whole of Vladivostock you have to drive up a very small bumpy track and you can park at the top, not many people come up here mainly walkers and their is a sort of spiritual stone ring and a few Russians last time i was up told me that it was a sacred site and has special energy but i don’t feel the energy this morning,, yet!

I made a cup of tea and surveyed the surrounding city, its going to be a lovely dry day and I’m leaving i think, i say i think because you never know what is going to happen in Russia, my car still has to complete customs and i have to get through immigration too. I drove my car for the last time on Russian roads to the customs parking area.

I met Nick my new trusted friend that speaks english and he very kindly went with me to meet my shipping agent, at the dock area, we were then told to go with my agent to the Customs building about 2 km’s away, i gave Vladim my agent my Russian temporary import document which is held in the highest regard as the most important document that i had to carry and within 30 minutes i was walking out with Nick and a white document. rather hand made looking with stamps on it, this document is to say that the car is ready for export and it cannot be driven it has to stay in the port area till loaded for outbound shipping. With this i was allowed to make a booking for the Vessel MV Russ which is a Russian Ro Ro Ferry that operates between Vladivostock and Fishuki Toyama Japan, i had to sign a document to say i would pay on board the some of $940 dollars which is for the car and myself in a 4 berth cabin inc all meals for 2 days, which i think was a bargain, i thought it to be odd that the money would be paid on the ship and later found out that if the shipping fee is paid the next day aboard at sea then the company didn’t have to pay tax on its earnings and i have to admire the Russians for finding loop holes. So now i have the booking confirmation i felt a little bit closer to leaving and i was pointed to take the customs document and the booking form to the Port services building which is a wooden shed with 2 security points to go through and a couple of Russians one with his feet on the desk looked up at me and spoke to me in Russian, i greeted them in Russian and they said aarhh Americana i said nope Sctlandia Scotland UK and they laughed and called out “Rangers football” i don’t no much about football but Rangers got beat in Moscow by Zenit football club. This bonded us a little and he asked me for my paper work out and made me an invoice for 4600 rubles which is about £100, this is for not a lot really it is so they can drive my car onto the boat! I had to pay this at another part of the building to a big Russian lady in military clothes with rings of sweat coming through here polyester suit, she took the money and stamped a receipt and handed it me back looking at me and not smiling, i smiled at her and left the office. I met up with Vladim at his office and he told me that he would prepare the vehicle export documents and meet me at my car at 3 p.m.

It was now about 1 p.m so i went with Nick in his friend Misha’s car to buy two kittens that they bought from a newspaper and were going to sell for 100% profit we raced around the city in and out of traffic to be able to deliver the kittens to their new owners and be able to drop me off at the port in time to start immigration.

As i arrived to be dropped off two port staff in overalls and a man in a shirt jeans and office shoes were standing around my car looking bored, i got out of Misha’s car and said my goodbyes to them, i was hoping to have enough time to pack my bag to take on board with me but the man with the shirt and paperwork said that export paper’s have been completed early and they wanted to load my car now! i was told i would now have no access to my car so i was frantically rushing around my car trying to pack all i needed for the cabin’ clothes wash bag etc and also because all my possessions are in the vehicle all the crew have access to everything so i was also trying to lock stuff away into lockable places too. They took my keys and the two orange clad port staff one flicking his half smoked cigarette to the ground just climbed into my car and they drove away, also the agent had walked off!! Russian customer service you have to smile at it really. I was actually relieved to see my car driven off to be loaded as i knew that i had maybe more than a 50% chance to get on board now as all the tough documents are done. I just hoped nothing would missing from the car.

I walked into the main ferry passenger terminal where i asked where i could find immigration which is in the basement down two flights of stairs, my calm left me again as i saw a queue coming out of the waiting room and into the corridor, the room was 40 ft by 30 ft and many seats were full of people all Russian or white looking, no Japanese, i was thinking what sort of people would go on such a sea trip, i didn’t see anyone like myself, i was stared at as i walked around making my mind up as to weather to join the queue sit down or what! None of the information was in english so i sat down, i guessed that their wouldn’t be much point getting in the queue as we were all going onboard so you are going to either wait this side or the other, i started to read a book in between looking around scanning to find folk to talk to wondering who i would share a cabin with i had booked a 4 berth cabin to keep costs down. I could hear english being spoken with American accent’s

and looking up in the queue i saw a very tall guy with deep red shorts curly dark hair and round harry potter glasses, he was leaning on the pull up handle on his flight bad which meant he had to lean over quite a lot, as he must have been over 2 meters tall he had outdoor shoes on so i guessed he was a middle class looking backpacker type, he was listening to, two short Americans one looked in his 20’s and the other about 50’s, maybe they were farther and son, the Americans didn’t really fit into the picture both had similar clothes short sleeved shirts and a summer shooting waist coats in beige draping over big jeans both were tubby and looked friendly, as they sounded like they were putting the world to rites comparing Russia to America and mocking the general non organized queue i decided to keep quite and continue reading whilst keeping an ear open on what they were saying.

I heard them mention immigration application card and looked up again, the taller guy had seen a Russian waiving a white form around and it seemed like he wanted one too and also the other Americans, i got up from my chair and approached the taller guy, i asked “ excuse me do we need to fill in an immigration form” he said hello and his accent sounded a strange American which i couldn’t place, he was very kind and said he would go to find out where he could get forms from, about 5 minutes later he returned with the forms and handed them out, Ok its in Russian! the short tubby American told me not to worry as he had a template with english on it, and went in his bag and handed it too me, i sat down and filled it it, i then got my bag and joined them in the queue which was in fact jumping the queue and contradicting what i had talked about earlier but i now wanted to make friends with them and was excited to talk english and didn’t care if the Russians thought i was American, as i have to say over the last two weeks Russia have been at war in Georgia and the U.S.A have not been popular with the people of Russia for interfering and i didn’t want to share any political views i told everyone i was Scottish and that turned conversation to Football “Rangers” which is a far more relaxed subject.

The immigration control guards opened the door and let us through in groups of 2 to 4 people at a time it was about half an hour and all 4 of us english speakers were let in i was waived past baggage check which was also customs, i had my declaration form but wasn’t asked for it so i was waived on to the immigration, i wasn’t looking forward to this as my passport fell way short of the amount of registrations i had to make, you see in Russia they say you have to make visa registration in every town you stay but no one really knows the rules so i didn’t bother because it means i have to stay in a hotel or bribe a hotel so i saved money and stayed in my tent. The man at the desk asked for my Pasaporto and i gave it to him he looked at it for a while then back at me, i smiled and he went on his computer looked at me again and i heard him start stamping he gave me the passport back and now i am a free man, i walked out towards the corridor in the direction of boarding with a big smile,,, I had done it crossed Russia and now i had got out i am so happy,, i told everyone i saw goodbye and walked out onto the quayside no one in sight, i couldn’t see any other passengers either, just guards all a long the side of the ship, a practical looking vessel cleanly painted in blue and white MV Russ on the bow, i was pointed in the direction of the steps up the side of the ship, at the top i stood on the side and looked at the quayside, Goodbye Russia!!

It is now 11.28 p.m. and i am in a Russian Police station waiting to make a statement into an allegation of theft and price fixing at a Russian garage. I have befriended a Russian named Mark Alexeev he was the first person i met in Vladivostock, i am confused as to weather he is my friend of not, Mark from the first day i met him helped me find a car parking place and made me feel at home in Vladivostock, the second day he helped me find a hotel as it had been heavy rain during the last 3 days so whist i was in the hotel Mark went out drinking Vodka with his friends then later broke my roof tent trying to get in whilst he was drunk and pulled the ladder off breaking the brackets. Apart from this he has been very helpful however as time went on and he had not yet repaired my roof ladder i was getting annoyed with him, Mark found me a garage that could do a repair to my car as the front axle was bent and he had spoken to this garage and had agreed a higher price also he kept my deposit. Its now 5 am and i have been to two Police stations and have made an official report with the help of another friend Nick. Really tired now and i don’t have much faith in the fact that the police will do much or will be able to prove what was going on.

Two interviews today AG auto magazine which is like a Russian version of top gear and TNT television which is the news. We spoke spoke about the vehicle I am using and about streetkids.org

This is the first time that the RamblingRat benefiting StreetKids International have been on TV. I’m in Vladivostock it took 2 hours to film for a few minutes of footage, it was great fun to do and i enjoyed the chance to talk about my work with StreetKids International.