Ulan-Ude in Siberia used to be a closed city for foreigners until 1991, so a chance to explore, albeit briefly, seemed like a great idea for a couple of our group.

It was about a 20 minutes journey from our hotel by the airport to the town city. Scores of privately owned minibuses ply routes around the city with a flat fare being mere pennies. This is very much like the transport you'd find in the Philippines.

(All taken with a Canon G10, so not the best quality)