And finally … Japan!

We've arrived! Stepping off the ferry and on to Japanese soil

(A tired) Ossian and Uma hanging out with Kitaro on Mizuki Shigeru Road (aka Monster Road) in Sakaiminato

A Japanese garden

Uma in the Japanese garden

The sea is warm?!! Yay, we're in

Etty makes an altogether calmer entrance

Lila on the train to Kyoto

The countryside rolls by outside the window

We reached our final destination, Kyoto, on the bullet train - seen here whizzing on it's way in the background

We spend the first week in an amazing old neighbourhood in Kyoto with our old friend Max, his wife, Madika, and son, Sen

Uma helps Sen on the swing

Uma making a wish at the local shrine

While Ossian cleanses his hands in the pure mountain water

Uma relaxing in a cafe - Kyoto's botanical gardens basking in the background

South Korea

The ferry pulls into South Korea and we're told we can leave the boat for six hours ...

We manage to find this amazing beach

And sample the local "vegetarian" cuisine

Uma

Looking out at the beach

Playing in a tree

CLIMBING by Ossian

Me climbing Mount Everest

KINGS AND QUEENS by Lila

Me, Uma, Mummy and Ossian pretending to be Kings, Queens, Empresses and Supreme Leaders on the ferry to Japan

Ferry from Russia to South Korea

Leaving Vladivostok

Goodbye Russia. Dasvidaniya

Etty happy to be leaving Russia

Lila gazing out to sea, somewhere off the coast of North Korea

The sauna on the ferry (!)

Trans Siberian part II - Irkutsk to Vladivostok - 3 days and nights

Irkutsk station

On the train

Playing hide and seek in our tiny compartment

One of the many quick stops along the way. A chance to buy some juice, bread, raspberries or whatever else, to stretch the legs and to get some fresh air. Or for most of the other passengers, who spend the whole journey smoking on the train, a chance to have a cigarette outside the train instead

One of the many Russian train stations we stopped at

Our home for three days

Uma does a spot of painting

A church somewhere in Siberia

Running around at a quick station stop (dangerously far from the train!)

More painting

Lila on the train

Ossian listening to another Diamond Catcher story

Leg room

Ossian in the restaurant car

Lila drinking tea in the restaurant car

The restaurant car, early evening

Finally, Vladivostok. We made it!

Lake Baikal, Siberia

The deepest lake in the world

Ossian gets ready to ride his Siberian pony

Siberian tipee

Watching the horses

Uma with a foal (this picture was taken especially for Mitzi-Fae)

Lila riding on her own

Uma watching Lila

Crossing the stream in a small town in Siberia

You can do it in a car too

Uma in Listvyanka, a lakeside resort

People watching

Forget fancy yachts, in Listvyanka the cool kids use hovercrafts

Siberian summer holidays

The beach

Walking back to the hotel