Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, 18 – 23 September 2016

Posted on Friday, 23-September-2016 by Chris Desmond

Mongolia with a population of 3 million is  the most sparsely populated country in the world. Nearly half of the population lives in Ulaanbaatar which is spread over a series of hills around the Tuul river valley at an altitude of 1,300 metres.

Taxi from the airport to the City was MNT20,000. Most of the vehicles here are used Japanese right hand drive cars similar to the Eastern part of Russia.

I got a SIM card from the Main post office near Chinggis Square for MNT5000 and another MNT6000 for 600 Mb of LTE Data (total about USD$5), good for 15 days on the Mobicom network which is the main one in Mongolia. It started working after 15 minutes and I did not have any problems for the week I was in Mongolia.

Chinggis Square and the Centre

My first meal in Mongolia turned out to be a surprise, first by the prices which were almost free compared to Tokyo and then by what was on my plate. My order was based on a picture from the menu which looked like grilled meat of some sort. It turned out to be grilled slices of liver and grilled slices of fat hahaha, neither of which are my favourite. The liver was washed down with beer and the fat was left on the plate much to the puzzlement of the waitress as she looked questioningly at me when clearing the table hahaha.

Beatles Square and the National Theatre

I went on a private tour, the only kind available which gave me a car and driver for the day at a cost USD$100. The tour starts with a visit to the Zaisan memorial on top of a hill, next drive to the 40 meter high stainless steel statue of Chinggis Khaan astride a horse, then cross country to a Nomad camp for lunch and an hour’s horse riding, I gave the horse riding a miss hahaha. Back to the paved road and to the Terelj National Park and a Meditation Center on a hill, a perfect day.

Gandantegchinlen Monastery, Dinosaur Museum, Choijin Lama Temple Museum

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Japan, Tokyo, 04 – 17 September 2016

Posted on Saturday, 17-September-2016 by Chris Desmond

I travelled from Kyoto to Tokyo on the Nozomi Shinkansen bullet train again but this time the maximum speed I saw was only 266 kph. Possibly because it was the older Series 300 which has a maximum speed of 270 kph or maybe the track is not rated for the higher speed. Distance 513.6 km, journey time 2:17 hrs, Cost 13,910 Yen or 123 Euro.

Tokyo – big crowded city, the Metro area has a population of 38 million people, believe it or not. Clean and organised with trains that will take you to most places. There are a number of different services and they all require their own ticket, though you can get to most places on the two main subway services. As a tourist you can buy a 1, 2 0r 3 day unlimited travel pass for the two main services. The 3 day pass costs 1,500 Yen which is very cheap considering a single ride averages over 200 Yen. The pass is only available at the airport and a few select locations and you have to show your passport to get one. I bought mine from the BIC camera store near the Tokyo station, directed to go there by the Tourist Office.

Finding your way around the stations from one line to another or even just the exit is a complete nightmare as they are built into a complex of shops and department stores. Also get used to climbing stairs, there are lifts and escalators at some of the stations but you first have to find them as they are very well hidden. All part of the cities plan to fit more passengers into each carriage during rush hour.

People are allowed to smoke in restaurants in Japan.

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Palace Gardens, Metropolitan Building, Korea Town and the National Musuem

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Sony Building, Ginza, Tsukiji Fish Market, Panasonic Centre

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Mount Fuji Day Tour

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Robot Restaurant, Harajuku, Meiji Jingu and Shibuya

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Sumo Tournament, Miraikan Science Museum, Odaiba Island and Gundam

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Honda Centre, Roppongi, Seiko Museum and Skytree

T-site in Daikanyama – a very large and interesting bookshop and other stuff, River Cruise, Palace Garden and Senso-ji Temple

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Japan, Kyoto, 31 August – 03 September 2016

Posted on Saturday, 3-September-2016 by Chris Desmond

I took the Nozomi Shinkansen bullet train from Hiroshima to Kyoto, cost Y11,610 or 100 euro, distance 380.6 km, travelling time 99 minutes. The Nozomi is the fastest of the bullet trains travelling at 300 kph. While on the train the ride is very smooth and there is no sensation of speed. I only realised how fast we were going when the train slowed for an approaching station and I checked the speed, we were still doing 160 kph, it felt like we were crawling along. Also when we went over a steel bridge the support structure became invisible because it was flashing past so quickly and I only knew we were on a bridge because I could see the parallel bridge a short distance away, quite amazing.

While the trains in Japan are brilliant, their ticketing system is a confusing mess. There are numerous private lines and private companies along with Japan Rail operating in Japan both in the Metro and the country areas. You have to buy separate tickets for each company and they are not interchangeable. For example the Japan Rail pass which is a good thing to get if you aren’t staying in any one place for very long, can’t be used on the Nozomi trains or on any of the non Japan Rail lines, though it can be used on the slower bullet trains. Also this pass cannot be bought in Japan even if you are a legitimate tourist, it has to be bought in your home country before you enter Japan etc, etc.

Buying a standard ticket is fairly simple, you use a ticket machine at the station, push the English button first then follow the instructions, first (called Green) or second class, reserved or unreserved, reserved costs about 7 euro more and I paid with my credit card. The trains are frequent and there are plenty of empty seats so you are never going to be stuck. I reserved my ticket a couple of days in advance. A conductor walks up and down the aisles but no one ever asked to see my ticket. A food and drinks cart came past once or twice. There is plenty of legroom and the seats recline but the width is the same as an airline seat, barely adequate. If you want more room get a Green class ticket where there are 4 seats in a row 2 on either side of the aisle rather than a 3 plus 2 arrangement.

NOTE: the train only stops for 1-2 minutes so make sure you are queued up at the right carriage before it arrives and the same goes for getting off the train, make sure you are waiting at the door when it stops or you will be going on to the next station hahaha. I arrived an hour early and did some train and people watching to become familiar with the system. There are smoking rooms on the platform and on the train, smoking is widely tolerated in Japan, even in restaurants.

Kyoto – used to be the capital of Japan until 1868, population 1.5 million, a city of Temples and Shrines. Lots of tourists, many hire traditional Japanese clothes to walk around. Also famous for Matcha or green tea and green tea based products. Public transport consists of 2 metro lines and a comprehensive bus network which is what everyone uses, buy a day pass for Y500 from the bus driver on your first ride and then you don’t have to worry otherwise a single ride costs Y230. Metro tickets are separate and cost Y210 a ride, I never used the Metro.

Kyoto National Museum

Kyoto Station and Tower

Kinkaku-ji Temple

Ginkaku-ji Temple

Gion and Downtown

Arashiyama Park

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Japan, Hiroshima, 27 – 30 August 2016

Posted on Tuesday, 30-August-2016 by Chris Desmond

I flew from Seoul to Hiroshima and for the first time ever had my luggage checked by Japanese Customs at the Airport. Well they removed all the contents from my suitcase and X-rayed it, never checked the contents or my backpack, very strange. At the Airport, stop at the Information counter and buy a Tourist pass for 3 days for 1000 Yen, this gives you free public transport and discounts at various attractions. First discount is for the bus to the city 1,210 Yen, takes about an hour, the airport is miles away.

Next stop an ATM where the maximum withdrawal was Y50,000, then a phone shop, after a couple of false starts I found one that sold pre-paid SIM’s. Japan has some very restrictive rules when it comes to SIM cards, it is illegal for a non-resident to be sold a Voice SIM card, only Data is allowed and pre-paid cards are not sold by every phone shop. They are comparatively expensive but this place had a special deal Y980 for 1 or 2 weeks with unlimited data and the first 100Mb per day at 4G speeds. I bought a 2 week pack and a 1 week pack, both were the same price, total inc tax came to Y2,116 for 3 weeks. The guy was very helpful, first testing my phone to make sure it was compatible and then activating the SIM for me, you do it online and it is instantaneous, no waiting. Once the 2 weeks expires I will have to swap out the SIM and activate the second one myself, complicated….. but it is very fast and works everywhere.

Note: South Korea and Japan only have 3G and 4G networks, 2G has been completely phased out so standard SMS which uses 2G GSM does not work in these countries. If you try to send an SMS using your foreign SIM card to a local, it will say sent and you will get charged for it but they will not receive the message.

Next food and I went into the first restaurant I saw and the guy at the counter showed me a machine and waved his hands around. On closer inspection I saw a menu, you select the items you want and pay the machine, it ejects a ticket for each item, you take them and sit down at a table, the waiter comes and collects the tickets off you and brings back the food within 2 minutes, quite amazing.

Hiroshima – the first city to have an atomic bomb dropped on it, this happened at 08:15 am on 6 August 1945. Population 1.1 million has a small town feel to it, trams are the most convenient way to get around, home to the Hiroshima Okonomiyaki, people are helpful and patient with tourists, though very few speak English.

Day trip to Miyajima Island – It takes about an hour on the tram to get to the Miyajima ferry and then a 10 minute ride on the boat. Deer wandering the streets, the Itsukushima Shrine and a cable car ride up the mountain are some of the attractions.

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South Korea, Seoul, 17 – 26 August 2016

Posted on Friday, 26-August-2016 by Chris Desmond

I flew from Vladivostok to Seoul.

Seoul – a big city, the greater Seoul area has a population of 25 million, modern, clean and organised, with a comprehensive public transport system. All signs and announcements  have an English version making it very easy to navigate. Birthplace of K-pop and Korean Soap Operas popular around the world. The people are friendly and if you look lost someone will stop and offer to help. A SIM card for one month costs WON 30,000, I did not bother to get one as Wifi is available everywhere.

I got my Mongolian Visa here, visited friends and one or two craft breweries which are becoming popular. There is a huge variety of food available from street vendors to expensive restaurants and everything in-between.

There is a special Airport train (AREX) that travels between Incheon and Seoul, takes about an hour, one non-stop and one with stops. Get a T-Money card at one of the ticket vending machines at the station and recharge it, you have to use cash the machines do not accept credit cards. A single ride costs WON 1,250 with the card and it can be used on trains and buses and to pay for taxis.

Yeouido Hangang Park, Itaewon and Changgyeonggung Palace

Day trip to Korea Craft Brewery

Deoksugung Palace, Lee Jung Seob Special Exhibition, Cheonggyecheon Stream

Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Seoul City Wall and Times Square

Myeong-dong Cathedral, Seokchon-dong Tombs, Lotte World Mall and Olympic Park

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Russia, Vladivostok, 14 – 16 August 2016

Posted on Wednesday, 17-August-2016 by Chris Desmond

Vladivostok – population 600,000, was a part of China until 1860. It is built on a series of hills so you are always walking either up or downhill. It was renovated in 2012 when it hosted the 24th APEC summit. The two most popular attractions according to Tripadvisor are the two bridges built as part of the renovation the Zolotoy Rog bridge and the Russky Island Bridge which is the longest cable stayed bridge in the world, though the C56 submarine was my favourite. Buses cost RUB 20 a ride so you can afford to get on the wrong bus several times as I did, its pot luck when you cant read or speak the language hahaha. Taxis are few and always full, you have to order them over the phone, cost to the airport is RUB 1,100.

My Russian SIM card got blocked after about 2 weeks, hotel staff tried to help by calling the phone company but no luck, the solution is to buy another one. When you withdraw cash from an ATM they take an extra 2% over and above the standard Mastercard/Visa Exchange rate but you need very little cash in Russia, only for emergencies. Russia belly is a real problem, bring appropriate drugs.

I organised shipping my bike back to Europe through Links, Ltd cost USD$1,300 which must be paid in cash (US Dollars, Euro or Rubles equivalent). There is a $50 discount if you pay cash upfront which is what I did and I paid with a combination of Rubles and Euro. The bike goes into storage and has to wait until they have a full container load and it will be shipped to either Rotterdam or Hamburg, shipping time approximately 6 weeks. Yuri and Svetlana go out of their way to help. Read about picking up my bike from Hamburg here.

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Russia, Chita to Skovorodino to Belogorsk to Khabarovsk to Vladivostok, 09 – 13 August 2016

Posted on Saturday, 13-August-2016 by Chris Desmond

Russia 2016

Chita to Skovorodino – From Chita to Khabarovsk is the most isolated part of this trip, mainly small towns and villages, cannot book accommodation online and fuel stops are not frequent. For this leg my GPS and Google maps said the distance was over 900 kms and it would take over 12 hours to cover it, a marathon, it had me a little worried. I left Chita at 0605, cool and misty, no traffic at that hour, 15 min to get out of the city, then Police stopped me as I was turning onto the highway, one guy spoke some English, he had a look at my Passport with the usual amazement going through the pages and bike docs, looked more like they were doing it out of curiosity. Neither of the two times I have been stopped by the police have they asked to see my Drivers licence or my International Drivers Permit which I got especially for this trip. Good roads after that always winding through the mountains, sometime a roller coaster with frost heaves, scraped bash plate a few times on the more severe whoops, cars and trucks struggling, sat on 110-120 kph easy riding, no wind, did not feel tired, stopped every 200 km for petrol, on the last stop met two Chinese riders from Beijing, spoke to one guy very good English, sounded like he had lived in AU, riding 2 x BMW F700’s with tons of gear including a spare rear tyre, decked out in BMW fashion as well, heading for Magadan. Cold ride, altitude between 500-800 meters going up to 1100 meters at one point, arrived in Skovorodino at 1535, 925 kms, 9:45 hrs, a very fast ride, what was I worrying about hahaha, poor fuel consumption due to cold, altitude and speed. Rode around looking for a Hotel sign, saw none so stopped and asked a guy and he said follow me and drove me to a hotel, very kind, second time this has happened, fairly basic but a place to sleep.

Skovorodino to Belogorsk – Left at 0800, cool and overcast, some rough bits upto the first fuel stop including road works after that just the usual roller coaster, a bit more traffic after Ulegorsk, a few light drizzles hardly noticeable. Felt something flapping across my chest and tried to swat it away then looked down and saw my camera wedged between the tank and my left leg, the strap had come undone from the camera HOW?, stopped and put the camera in my pocket then tied a knot in the strap at the next fuel stop. It warmed up as I descended down to 150 m closer to Belogorsk, Garmin maps totally confused when I turned off the highway but found my way to the town over some rough country roads, filled up just before the hotel, had to ask 3 people for directions to find the place, it is tucked away in no-mans land, arrived at 1425, 554 km, 6:25 hrs.

Belogorsk to Khabarovsk – Left at 0745, got lost in Belogorsk, Garmin taking me down dead ends, changed orientation to North up and found my way out of the place and again further out Garmin telling me to turn left to the highway and there was no road so backtracked went down a new road that I saw trucks coming out of, turned out to be right and finally on the highway 35 min later. Warmer today 21c and cloudy, feeling groggy, stopped for fuel and swapped gloves to cool off, had a Snickers, second leg went through some hills good road so far, a few short roadworks and roller coasters, saw another of the squirrels crossing the road, not much traffic. Stopped in the mountains for fuel dodgy place just my luck, no 95 octane while filling up I was watching the meter tick over as usual and suddenly heard splashing and turned my head and saw fuel overflowing everywhere the pump had not cut off when it was full, must have lost about a litre, its one of those pumps that is either full on or off, waited 10 min to let the fuel evaporate. Opened up jacket to let more air in, hotter now and altitude down to 150m, back on the road and it started to get busier about 150km out of Khabarovsk, villages and towns and more traffic and the road deteriorated, more road works. Arrived in the city stopped and filled up, not much traffic, found the hotel no problem pouring with sweat 29c, arrived at 1515, 678 km, 7:30 hrs, local time 1615 lost another hour. This place is one hour ahead of Japan and Korea  and they are further East. The majority of the cars here are right hand drive, cheap used imports from Japan and many still have the Japanese stickers on them.

Khabarovsk to Vladivostok – Left  Khabarovsk at 0720, wet roads and light drizzle, no traffic, onto the highway and built up for a while, hilly countryside. Dry roads after 2 hours and stayed that way the whole distance, roads more rough than smooth but maintained 100-110 kph, more traffic than the last few days, long stretch of dirt road, constant overtaking a chore. Just after the first fuel stop at 1045 I was overtaking a truck over some white lines and there was a cop in a parking area and he started walking towards the road and waving his stick, pretended I didn’t see him and kept going increased speed to 120, saw another cop car watching traffic by the side of the road about 30 min later and he ignored me, so I guessed that an STK order had not been issued for me hahaha. Many stalls setup along the highway some in groups to form a market. Continuous winding roads, overcast, swapped gloves at first fuel stop, opened jacket up at second fuel stop, warm 30c and very humid, black clouds ahead but it did not rain, about 150km out of Vladivostok a new 4 lane freeway for 25 km then 2 lane good road and then back to 4 lanes but rough still made overtaking a non issue, traffic a lot more disciplined here than in the west most people actually sticking to the speed limit, arrived at the hotel no problems at 1545, 762kms, 8:25, good ride, very humid and actually foggy. The end of my Russia ride, now to organise shipping my bike back to Europe.

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Russia, Irkutsk to Ulan-ude to Chita, 06 – 08 August 2016

Posted on Monday, 8-August-2016 by Chris Desmond

Irkutsk to Ulan-ude – Left the hotel at 0740, no traffic being Saturday easy ride out of the city, then straight into the mountains, altitude up to 1000 m, fun ride, cool, roads good most of the time, saw a few cops first in a while, filled up after 230 km. My new fuel strategy is to fill up at the first place I see after I pass 200 km from the last fill up, it used to be 300 km but with some of these places not having any fuel I nearly ran out twice, this will mean an extra fuel stop every day. On average I can get 400 km out of a 20 litre tank of fuel. The road then goes around Lake Baikal many small villages, then followed the Selenge river valley all the way to Ulan-ude, flat in the valley more built up and more traffic and more road works, quite warm now 28c, arrived at 1340, 459 kms, 5:50 hrs good ride. The place I am staying at is 100 m from the highway so I avoided the city altogether. The people look to be of Mongolian origin, not surprising considering the Mongolian border is only 235 km from here.

Ulan-ude to Chita – Left at 0715, cool and mountains again, then following a river, countryside constantly changing. First half was rough mixed with smooth with some very long sections of unmanaged road works, which means men and machines working and traffic threading their way through in both directions, though only 3 or 4 cars/trucks otherwise it would have been chaos, still dust made it difficult to see the road, some pretty gnarly bits of loose blue metal. Filled up 3 times sticking to my 200 km rule,  got warmer and good road as I got closer to Chita then a long stretch of roadwork, Garmin took me down a farm track thinking it was a road, kept going for a couple of k’s before I got back onto the pavement hahaha a bit like Eastern Europe. Overall probably the roughest roads of the trip so far but the most fun, sunshine and no rain makes a big difference, most of the ride was above 800m altitude, arrived at 1515, 655 km, 8:00 hrs, 1615 local time lost another hour.

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Russia, Novosibirsk to Achinsk to Nizhneudinsk to Irkutsk, 02 – 05 August 2016

Posted on Friday, 5-August-2016 by Chris Desmond

Novosibirsk to Achinsk – I left at 0645 thinking this would be early enough to avoid the rush hour traffic hahaha wrong, this is the biggest city in Russian Asia and it took a while of chaos to get out of it. There was a car broken down bonnet up and steam coming out of it, daughter in the passenger seat mortified, finally got through out of the city in 45 min. Easy ride after that, mainly good roads no traffic and a few road works but never got held up because the queue was only 3-4 cars and trucks. Winding through the countryside, altitude above 250m all the way, cool less than 20c, filled up twice and got to the hotel at 1445, 631 kms, 8:00 hrs, 1545 local time lost another hour. Checked in girl can’t speak a word of English but Google translate to the rescue, modern room and parking inside the compound.

2016 Ride

 

 

 

Achinsk to Nizhneudinsk – Left at 0705, 13c cold started to drizzle after about 10 min, stopped around 0830 then fine and slowly getting warmer, good roads with regular overtaking lanes. Stopped for fuel at 1015 woman looked at my card and wanted cash, dodgy place again, no rigmarole filled up and she gave me the change, opened the toilet door totally disgusting closed it quickly hahaha. Rode on a few road works but never had to wait, very little traffic now and hardly any trucks except around two big towns that I had to ride through and a few villages, all the buildings falling down, rolling hills good ride, beautiful countryside with wildflowers galore. Last fuel bar started blinking which means I have about 100 km left in the tank, first stop came up in about 30 km and they did not have fuel arrrgh, rode on very slowly at 80-90 kph, service stations are not common now, thought I might have to make it to Nizhneudinsk but finally one came up after about 40 km, filled up 19 litres (tank hold 20), paid cash again and got change, close call, have to fill up more frequently when I get to the remote areas, altitude today over 350m, yesterday only 250m making it cooler, arrived at 1505, 714 kms, 8:00 hrs, local time 1605 lost another hour. Up to now I have booked all my hotels using Booking.com except for Moscow where I used Airbnb, all good modern hotels with good Wifi costing between 30-40 Euro. Nizhneudinsk did not have any hotels that could be booked online but I found one on Tripadvisor and went straight to it, a dump and it was expensive for what it was maybe special tourist pricing for me, I knew from my maps that there were others around but too tired to go looking for another hotel.

Nizhneudinsk to Irkutsk – Left at 0805, fine and cool 18c, altitude over 600m, checked distances between fuel stops at least 50 km, decided to fill up after 250 km, roads mainly good a few rough bits, hardly any traffic or trucks, two fairly large towns, some road works. About 100 km from Irkutsk it became much warmer, must be a micro climate here sweltering in my gear, altitude still over 450m, the number of towns and villages increased and so did the traffic then one long wait maybe 20 min where they were repairing a bridge, mainly rough roads after that 4 lanes coming into Irkutsk, usual dodgy roads in the city but not a huge amount of traffic, arrived at 1435, 527 km, 6:30 hrs. Checked-in and one guy speaks good English and the others a few words. Two nights here time to rest my weary bones.

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Russia, Cheboksary to Ufa to Kurgan to Omsk to Novosibirsk, 28 July – 01 August 2016

Posted on Monday, 1-August-2016 by Chris Desmond

Ride to Novosibirsk

Cheboksary to Ufa – I left Cheboksary at 0705, 23c and cool, 4 lane road at first then rough 3 lane varied after that from 2 to 3 to 4, good and bad surfaces with tons of stops and slow downs for roadworks, many more cops today as well and traffic going much slower not so many lunatics, and open countryside with less traffic. Only getting stuck behind trucks on the two lane bits, sometimes the road was deserted and got busy near the cities, fewer villages as well, so made good time overall and arrived at my hotel in Ufa at 1530 or 1730 local time lost 2 hours, 700 km in 8:25 hrs, would have been quicker if not for the roadworks, only one fill up, thought there would be a fuel station near the hotel but no, so have to fill up first thing in the morning.

Ufa to Kurgan – I left Ufa at 0730, filled up and carried on at 0745, first half of the ride was through mountains 2 lane road only with the occasional overtaking lane, good ride not many trucks,  then there was a short bit of freeway  around Chelyabinsk with more traffic, roads overall today are the worst so far, rough and sometimes a roller coaster, I could see the trucks bucking and bouncing around the road, scary when overtaking them. Again many sections of road works, rode down the dirt shoulder to get to the head of the queue for one of them and there was a 10-15 cm of new laid soft bitumen cliff I had to get over, front wheel slid  sideways and the whole bike wobbled nearly fell off, a very close thing, have to be more careful. Stopped for fuel and again picked a dodgy place with a primitive toilet and there was a sudden thunderstorm, huge drops, thunder and lightning, it stopped in 15 min. Countryside flatter and farmland, no more rain after that but saw some wet roads, stopped again for fuel about 60 km before Kurgan, some guys asked me where I was going and where I was from and shook my hand, very friendly people, arrived at the hotel at 1610, 693 km, 8:40 hrs.

Apparently all the road works are due to the World Cup Soccer being held in Russia in 2018. So if you are planning a road trip here and don’t like rough roads that’s the time to come.

Overtaking in Russia is a sacred right, other vehicles will go to extraordinary lengths to get out of your way and let you overtake, even on-coming traffic will move over. So if someone wants to overtake you, get out of their way as quickly as possible and let them go and if you see a car heading straight at you on the wrong side of the road, slow down and move to the edge of the pavement to let them get through, remember you are a motorcycle and they move over to let you through. Sometimes the vehicle in front of you will let you know its safe to overtake by using their right indicator.

Police wait at pedestrian crossings, in towns and at road works to make sure people are slowing down and if you are more than 20 km over the limit you will probably get pulled over. They do not have radar guns so it must be quite obvious that you are speeding for them to notice. Even if you only see them at the last minute slam your brakes on as a sign of respect and they will not stop you, I saw this happen many times hahaha. Once a late model white Mercedes came flying past me and slowed down a bit when he saw the cops but obviously not enough and was pulled over. People flash their lights here as well to warn you of police up ahead. Police are also continuously stopping cars and trucks at random to check documents. There are also heaps of fake speeding cameras.

Kurgan to Omsk – Left Kurgan at 0720 with full gear on, cool and cloudy first 200 km rough roads, then good roads, filled up changed to short gloves and carried on saw black clouds soon after, stopped and put on full gloves again and zipped up jacket, wet roads but light rain started at 1100, long horror stretch of road works muddy, rain finally let up at 1300 and the sun came out temp went from 16 to 26c stopped at roadworks and swapped gloves again, roads are overall better than yesterday finally arrived in Omsk and it has been raining, wet with puddles, accident closed one lane got stuck for a while finally got near the hotel and road was blocked, kept trying to go around the blockage but no go as it was a railway line, went down one muddy street with my feet out at a walking pace, unbelievable, finally saw a way around and that was blocked as well so parked and was about to ask for help and a young guy came up and said he was a Russian motorcyclist, the only words of English he knew and I explained my predicament to him using Google translate, he invited me to stay at their clubhouse but I told him I had already booked, so eventually he drove and I followed a convoluted route to the hotel, never would have got there without his help, drizzling all the time, arrived at 1730 after an hour of going around in circles all the while coping with the rain and puddles and pot holes and lunatic drivers hahaha, local time 1830, 702 km, 10:10 hrs. He went and brought the lady from reception down she could speak some English, thank you, good luck and goodbyes, parked bike absolutely filthy, headlights and windscreen covered with mud, cleaned headlights, indicators, screen and number plate, not a day I will forget in a hurry.

Omsk to Novosibirsk – Left at 0700 followed the track from yesterday, the only way I was going to get out of the maze, easy ride out no traffic and no rain, cool and I had all my gear on, rain predicted. Good road all the way to Novosibirsk, best so far, no police anymore and no towns or villages just vast open spaces, very little traffic, though overtaking trucks is a constant chore, a few very short road works. First stop for fuel ran low because missed one station and then the next two did not have petrol, finally filled up, fuel stations are not so frequent any longer. Intermittent showers all day one or two heavy then fine for a while until I reached Novosibirsk and it had been raining and all the ruts were filled with water, so when a car went past I would get a deluge of water totally blinding me, same creative driving, the highways are paradise compared to the roads in the urban areas, there is absolutely no maintenance at all and mostly they are dirt roads which turn to mud when it rains. Arrived at the hotel at 1425, 648 km, 7:25 hrs, lost another hour, cold ride have to put the liner back into my pants never got over 19c, had the heated grips on full at one point to get warm. Saw hundreds of motorcyclists coming from the opposite direction in ones and twos, either going to or returning from an event.

First job is to get some oil for my bike, its oil change time, asked at reception and they sent me to a Fuel station, no luck there so back and this time a guy who knew about bikes did some research and found an auto parts shop about 1 km down the road, went there and got the oil, they only had Full synthetic for 12 Euro a litre, not a bad price.

Filling Up – This has to be the most difficult place to fill up with Petrol/Gasoline/Benzine in the world. You can’t just stop and fill up and pay after you have finished or even pay at the pump. Everyone who stops to fill up is first and foremost treated as a criminal. The first couple of times between St.Petersburg and Moscow, I stopped and tried to fill up and nothing happened so I walked to the KACCA, it means Ticket Office not the other thing. The Kacca is behind tinted glass with a sliding one way payment drawer,  so you can’t even see who you are talking to most of the time and waved my hands and Credit card around and they shouted something back in Greek and I walked back to my bike and tried again and it worked, back to the Kacca and paid using my credit card, little did I know that this was easy hahaha.

After a lot of trial and error and people looking at me like I was a criminal and you can’t fool me, naughty, naughty, I worked out a system. I wrote 20 and 95 on a piece of paper and showed it to the Kacca and gave them my credit card and paid for 20 litres of 95 octane fuel, can’t leave just yet have to enter your pin number, sometimes I would forget and they would yell something over the loudspeaker and I would run back before they opened fire, they have a separate miniature PIN number terminal that can be passed through the payment drawer. Then I would fill up usually around 17-18 litres and go back and one of three things would happen, the Kacca would create a credit transaction for the balance owing to me or they would cancel the first transaction and create a whole new one or they would give me a cash refund. Reminiscent of certain parts of southern California but there the refund happens automatically.

Note: the 95 octane fuel here is good quality, in other words unadulterated and costs around 50 euro cents a litre.

Four long days of continuous riding is not my usual style but with the limited time I have in Russia I have to keep moving. Plus its time for an oil change so I stopped in Novosibirsk for two nights. This is the halfway point, still another 6000 kms to Vladivostok.

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