Egor & Elya

Russia
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Travel information
We are currently
Travelling
Our next destination:
Sri Lanka - from Feb 2024
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Description
Hi, I'm Elya!

Me and my husband Egor are a couple of nomads. We've been travelling with backpacks for over a year now and not going to stop anytime soon

We lived in Armenia, Georgia, Turkey and Serbia. In 2024 we want to explore Sri-Lanka, Bali, Vietnam, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Uzbekistan

Our story begun 3 years ago as we met in a surf camp, located on Kamchatka peninsula. It's an amazing place in the Far East of Russia on the coast of Pacific ocean. Sometimes Kamchatka is called "land of fire and ice" because of its volcanoes, covered in snow.

We were both working as volunteers in this surf camp. Egor was a cook, and I was an administrator and helped with cleaning. We spend two wonderful seasons there, met loads of amazing people and of course fell crazy in love with surfing and each other:)

As nomads we always try to go with the flow, and are super happy to take part in the cool projects on our way. After all, we met while volunteering, so we have a huge respect for both - those people, who volunteer and those, who set up projects, that people want to be part of

We have experience with volunteering for guesthouses, hostels, farms and surf camps. We are both cool with any tasks on general maintainance - cleaning, doing administrarive chores, working with guests. Egor can also be of great help in the kitchen. He's an experienced cook, but what's more important he's really passionate about culinary and baking. He'd be glad to help with some additional stuff like for example set up the menu or do a cooking/ coffee making/ sourdough bread baking master class

I work in marketing, so I'd be glad to help with social media management, marketing strategy, etc. I'm also surprisingly good at organisation, decluttering spaces, decoration and other interior spicing ups

You're welcome to check my instagram if you like
It's @bitterelya
Interests
Architecture
Hiking
Winter sports
Drawing & painting
Farming
Outdoor activities
Art & design
Nature
Technology
Plant care
Charity work
Pets
Vegetarian or vegan
LGBTQ
Mountain
Beach
Cooking & food
Photography
Dancing
Water sports

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Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Russian: Fluent
Chinese (Mandarin): Beginner
More details about my language interests
We're both fluent in Russian, excited to teach and practice it if you're interested. We also have pretty good level of English so it would be no problem to teach it to beginners or non-native speakers. We want to study Spanish, so would really appreciate it if you'd want to practice it with us. We're really open to learning languages in general, so if you can teach us a few phrases in your language it'd be great:)
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Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn
We're interested in:
Charity Work
Gardening
Being an elderly companion
Life at a Farmstay
Animal Care
Art Projects
Some knowledge of:
General Maintenance
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Eco Projects
Helping around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
Able to teach about:
Languages
Helping with Computers/ Internet
Teaching
More details about your skills
Egor would be glad to help with cooking and menu planning.
He is MSc in physics and worked as an analyst in a bank. He's good with numbers and data, so he can definitely be helpful with creating a convenient system of storing and organising data and data visualisation (charts, diagrams). He can share some useful Excel tips with you as well. Egor also can teach Physics, Math, Python and English.

I can definitely help with creating content for your cite and social media. I also can help you with a marketing strategy development – to define target audience, key communicative values, seo, customer barriers, etc. I'd be also glad to help with administrative tasks, cleaning, gardening, etc.

We're both open to different tasks required as the main goal for us is sharing our knowledge and skills while having good time in the places with good energy and nice people around.
Age
29 & 25
What else ...
You may've noticed that we're from Russia, so I'll have to mention here that we're 100% anti–war in Ukraine, we don't support or justify it in any way, it's important for us you know that.

We're also fully vaccinated (revaccinated recently).
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
- Special dietary requirements

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5 Jan 2024

Left by Workawayer (Egor & Elya) for host (Live a local experience in ...)

A Genuine Turkish Experience in Göreme, Cappadocia

We spent 10 days volunteering at the hotel, and it was a wonderful experience. The location is just incredible. The rooftop terrace was our go-to spot, especially in the mornings, watching hot air balloons. If you're up for a genuine Turkish experience, this workaway is definitely worth… read more considering!

It was an absolute pleasure to work with the hotel’s team. Veysel, an administrator, was always around and made sure we were comfortable. Sultan, a cleaning manager, was a true blast. Language wasn't a barrier when it came to her hospitality. She even invited us to her place one evening, where we got to meet her family and taste homemade Turkish gözleme—amazing!

We really liked that our tasks were straightforward. It was clear for us when we had free time or days off, so it was easy to plan our stay. We think that’s the reason why we managed to explore Göreme so well: we hiked around the valleys, saw the hot air balloons up close (they are huge and roaring with fire, but you have to wake up at 5 am to see them). We also checked out Uchisar Castle nearby, which looked pretty cool from a distance, almost like the Tower of Babel.

We didn't spend much time with the guesthouse owners, Nicole and Oktay, since they're balloon pilots and it was peak season. But, on our last day, we hung out with Veysel and Oktay, swapped stories, and got some insights into Oktay's balloon flights and his own experience as a workawayer. We were genuinely moved by the fact that it was important for the hotel owners to get to know us and spend some time together despite having a busy schedule.

We are really happy with our volunteering experience at this project and the warm-hearted people who work there. A great example of kindness and teamwork for us was a case with stray puppies. One day someone dropped four tiny, exhausted puppies on the hotel's territory. Thanks to Oktay's quick action, the puppies were taken to the vet, vaccinated, and given the care they needed. Soon enough, these once-tired pups transformed into lively, playful, and hungry little companions.

We whipped up a special meal of rice, chicken, and pumpkin for them, which they devoured with gusto. It was heartwarming for all of the team to see their recovery, and leaving them behind was undoubtedly one of the toughest parts of our departure.

Teşekkürler for everything!

Love,
Egor & Elya

(Excellent )

5 Jan 2024

Left by Workawayer (Egor & Elya) for host (Help with an exciting ...)

Three Weeks of Genuine Connections and Unforgettable Moments!

So, we planned on staying with Khatia, Jamal, and Manana for about a week, but their hospitality was off the charts, and before we knew it, we'd spent three weeks with these wonderful people in the Georgian mountains.

Feeling Like Family:
From day one, Khatia and her family made us… read more feel right at home. Seriously, it felt like we'd known each other for ages. It was hard to leave them, and honestly, it still feels like we left parts of our hearts in this small mountain village, a place that we didn’t even know existed before volunteering for the Turmanidze family.

Trust and Open-mindedness:
We are also extremely grateful that Khatia and her family were open to our ideas. It’s really rare to find such genuine interest and willingness to try something new, unfamiliar. Elya suggested renovating an old wooden cabin, and everyone was ready to engage and make it happen, despite it not being the main goal of our stay and involving design choices that seemed rather controversial at first (painting vintage chairs green or putting a sofa in the middle of the room to divide it). Egor was allowed to experiment with making hazelnut milk, and it was a hit. So, we are deeply touched by the trust this family showed us. We honestly believe it was a healing experience for us to know that we are worthy of being heard and have ideas that are good.

Living the Village Life:
We did all sorts of stuff that made us feel like true villagers. Swimming in the mountain river? Check. Helping out with the garden and gathering veggies? You bet. Going to a neighbor's to celebrate the anniversary? Did it! One night Egor even helped guide some lost cows and calves back to their home like a true shepherd.

Food, Fun, and Folklore:
Let's talk food. We feasted on some seriously good Adjarian dishes and got to taste wine made from local grapes – so good! Thanks, Manana! And those nights filled with folklore songs? Pure magic, unity, an unforgettable and truly unique experience to have!

In a Nutshell:
Staying with Khatia, Jamal, and Manana was like hitting the jackpot. They're all about living sustainably, sharing their culture, filling your heart with Georgian music, and making everyone feel welcome. If you're looking for a down-to-earth, heartwarming experience, look no further.

Big thanks to the whole crew for the memories that will last a lifetime!

დიდი მადლობა,
Egor & Elya

(Excellent )

10 Sep 2023

Left by host (Help with an exciting ...) for Workawayer (Egor & Elya)

Having Egor and Elya with us was an amazing experience for our family. They volunteered for a building project, and we were incredibly fortunate to have them with us. Egor and Elya have a special knack for knowing exactly what needs to be done, and they were always in the right place at the right time. They are exceptionally organized and even… read more

(Excellent )

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