EAST OF THE SUN
Photo-essay by Seamus Murphy
The Group - Issue #4

East of the Sun is a road/rail trip through the Russian Far East and a dip across the Amur River into China that I undertook in September/October 2008.

I was denied access to the regions treasure-trove of energy assets and resources by suspicious, perhaps guilty authorities. But would a guided tour by an oil or mining company’s public relations team have gotten me any closer to the truth? I doubt it. I felt a wry touch would yield better results and explain the region and its people equally well. Unencumbered with any knowledge of the Russian language, my blundering itinerary brought me to places I would never have found the official way. I began to enjoy my role as a sort of reverse-Borat.

A bit like an uncontrollable giggling fit at a funeral, I find serious people funny. And very serious people even funnier. And Russians have a reputation for being very very serious.

So this is what I saw.

Link:
http://www.viiphoto.com/showstory.php?nID=961