Transiting through Russia

Express delivery...

The spare part package finally arrived after almost 2 weeks on the way. Thanks to A.K, owner of  Raam"EXPRESS".....
There was a delay due to some custom issues.

The SOS spare parts package

Maybe the non declared cans of Hoegaarden beer and an "aphrodisiac male magazine" were the reasons.














Also a big thanks to Caterina and her manager of Pushkin Hotel for all the time they spent to arrange all the needed additional documents and the overall great service!

The very supporting Caterina and her manager

Transfer Visa

Due to this delay, I consumed already 3days (of a total of 10) of my Russian transfer Visa. So, 7 days was to short to cover the 1300km.
I normally needed a new application and do it all over again....

But good that there was the helpful Russian consul.

Russian transfer Visa

On his own advise I had to do some  "unconventional maneuver". 
It worked out all well and got another Visa with the right dates. You might understand I can not go too much into the details here....

After several days of non-activity I was now again on the bicycle....and it felt good.

The next stop was right at the Russian border but still in Kazakhstan. I saw some tents a couple hundred meters from the road. It turned out that this was a military basecamp. The people there were soldiers making the border.....
Extremely friendly, they offered me dinner, a shower and a bed.
Also here I have some pictures but was asked not to publish them....

Endless Russian crop fields

Crossing the Kazakh-Russian border  went without any issue....

The endless Kazakh steppe became endless Russian crop fields.....corn, wheat, sunflowers and other crops as far as you could see....

Endless crop fields

I was even the witness of a Russian Antonov-2 crop duster, while spraying the fields and almost fumigating my head too!!!!
NICE!

An-2 crop duster

.....almost crop-dusting my head....

I recently also discovered a new type of lodging. A room without bad, shower or toilet. Instead you have the common "facilities" on the floor/hallway.
Most of the times they are very clean. Sometimes they are not.....like in Kalininsk. The shower (???) seemed more a public mushroom and fungi cultivation place....



A shower or mushroom farm???

But do you know what? It is part of this trip and I don't care at all!

They told me that this was the only place in town to stay....
Afterwards I realized that it was more a place for homeless people....which somehow I am, right???
In Singapore they often put some nice smell in the elevators and the air-conditioning. Also here.....except the smell was a mixed aroma of sweat and urine....

That night I did not sleep so well. The 2 dozen of local mosquitos were the main reason. They must have thought that my body was Ukraine territory as I was attacked the whole night long.


Balazs and Gabor

Between Saratov and Voronez, I met 2 very nice and friendly motor bikers from Hungary: Balazs and Gabor.
We shared our stories. They almost did the same route as me but in the opposite direction. Their plan was to go to China too but due to some administration issues and sky rocking custom fees, they did not push through....what a pity!
We did some trading: I gave them my secret energy food, a Snicker, and got an apple and a baby like fruit juice in return....

Gabor and Balazs on their way home



The so needed good Russian map

Balazs noted that my Russian map was in fact a copy of Google maps. As kind as he was and because he know the road all the way, he offered me his South-West Russian road map which was indeed exactly what I needed....
Thanks again!



Nearing Ukraine


As good as the weather was in the past, as wet it is in Russian. Rain showers and thunderstorms almost everyday....
As closer I got to Kursk, the last big city before Ukraine, the better the roads were getting. Also the landscape changed with more forests. And I admit, after seeing steppe and crop fields for the last 3 or 4 weeks, I was happy to see again some ordinary pine trees and forests....

There they are again: the well know pine forests

 
I just checked: I have done so far already 10 000km and it is progressing well.
Next big challenge is passing the Ukraine border. Let's cross the fingers to cross this border.....