The Epping Rotary Siberian Railway Adventure – Goodwill Tour
Excerpt from Presentation to the 2006 Rotary District 9680 Conference
The Great Siberian Railway Adventure - Goodwill Tour was conceived and brought to fruition by Past President Tony Castley. The 21-day tour was a circuit following the Trans-Mongolian and Trans-Siberian railways; starting at Beijing, heading north-west into Mongolia to Ulan Bataar, up into Siberia to Irkutsk, and Bolshoi Golousvne on Lake Baikal; from there across to Vladivostok, and back into China to Harbin and back to Beijing.
The tour was a combination of sight-seeing and Rotary activities. The wonderful thing about a tour like this is that apart from the sight-seeing, involvement with local people and cultures through Rotary projects leads to a much deeper and enriching experience.
China, Mongolia, Russia 3 countries each emerging from strict communist regimes in their different ways and with different issues to overcome.
Beijing, .. fascinating, historic ..The Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, and a short flight away in Xian ..the Entombed Warriors.
Beijing .. polluted, bustling, a city of inveterate traders; exaggerated by frenetic preparations for the 2008 Olympics …. how communism ever established itself remains a mystery. Then Harbin, famed for its ice sculptures in winter, a fascinating city that sprang up due to the railway, with Russian architectural influence that continues even in modern-day buildings. We visited the ice museum and the Siberian Tiger Park...majestic animals. The city was rendered significantly less attractive shortly after we visited due to a chemical spill in the Songha river.
On to Mongolia, trying to recover from the overthrow of communism and some terrible winters that destroyed millions of animals and for many their nomadic way of life. The Gobi Desert and grass steppes were extraordinary and made a real impact on many of our party. We spent a day in The Lotus Children’s Centre, a children’s home run by one of so many inspirational people we found doing incredible work in these countries ..mostly not by design …fallen into by circumstances,,,extraordinary selfless service.. it’s truly humbling. Located in a former rubbish tip the Centre was a deceptive environment, smart red uniform jackets providing dignity but hiding the type of background and hurt that most of us cannot even start to imagine. We donated a bus, but that couldn’t compare with just one day hands-on offering some practical assistance. It was an unforgettable day of craft ...and cricket!
Then Russia, a slumbering giant, battling the inequalities and hardship which have followed the collapse of communism. Lake Baikal, the largest freshwater lake in the world containing an estimated 20% of the world’s total fresh water, unbelievable in its scale and biodiversity. There some Rotarians from Irkutsk are coordinating the building of a walking trail with advice from people involved with a similar project around the Canadian Great Lakes. We were involved with helping build a section of side trail and they would welcome involvement from other Australian Rotary Clubs.
In Vladivostok the power and strength of Rotary came to the fore with the successful running of a Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA). We had to cope with an unknown number of participants, who despite our efforts had had no preparation, all carried out in a second language. Under Monica and Geoff Saville’s exceptional leadership everyone chipped in and everyone’s talents were utilized to the max. It was inspiring to see and hear so many of these Maritime University students contribute their ideas and concerns and have the confidence and courage to put them forward …on behalf of another country ..in English.
You have seen faces for whom ...just maybe ...we have made a difference
The tour was fun, worthwhile, interesting, memorable, rewarding, sociable .... lots of fun.
I hope you have found this interesting and that it sparks the seed of an idea that leads to concrete action.
International Project Visits are fun and life-enriching.
