Exciting News!

We got our 3-month Russian visa! This was by far the hardest and most expensive visa process I've ever gone through, and really it just shows you what beaurocracy gone wild can do. The main obstacle was a rule that you can only apply for a russian visa in the country of your residence; i.e. for us in Australia. This was complemented by a rule that you cannot apply more than 3 months' in advance; i.e. long after we left Australia. But in true Russian style these rules are pretty randomly applied by Consulates around the world, and what is out of the question in Bangkok is apparently OK in Hong Hong. We are going to Russia!