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Week Four and Five photos online
June 9, 2005

Photos from John are now online in the Gallery.

Nick's Trip Round-up
June 9, 2005

Nick rounds up the trip.

Tuesday 31 May
Well we did it. Arrived in Vladlivostok at 3pm Tuesday. I had thought there might be a feeling of anticlimax, but on the contrary it was a feeling of huge elation that we had arrived. 32 days riding from London, 8,192 miles, 10 time zones, 1 puncture (8 on the Land Rover) and pounds lighter.

Highlights?
Getting there
Lake Baikal
Realising that we had chosen a really great charity to support.
The constant astonishment, friendliness and encouragement from Russians we met.
Not having to share a tent with Johnny.
Getting the last 4 beds in a hotel when it was getting dark, raining, cold and the next one was 40 miles further on.

Observations/Memories
The highest point we reached was only 1,100m (3,600ft) - extraordinary when you consider the distance.
From west to east the people look the same, dress the same, there is no dialectal difference, they have the same shops and live in the same houses. It is only the landscape and vegetation which varies.
It only rained once in the whole trip.
The twin tracks of the Trans Siberian paralleling our route - it was rather reassuring.
Unbelievably long goods trains - counted 86 wagons on one.

Conclusions?
It is a truly great journey to have made.
In 4 years time there will be a tarmac road right across Russia and the adventure will be over. If you want to go, go now.
Would I do it again? No, but St Petersburg to Uzbekistan sounds fun.....

The website has been painstakingly maintained throughout our trip by Neil Ford who is a genius on computers. Should anyone based in London be looking for help with websites, office or home networks, programming etc. he is your man. It is going to stay active for about 2-3 years and we will post some information on equipment we took, dos and don'ts and useful hints.

Vladivostok is well worth a visit. I would not fly there specifically but if you are in the area it is the San Francisco of Russia. A busy port, steep city streets, tram system, funicular, turn of the century architecture, fog in the mornings, a vibrant atmosphere but very heterosexual.

Thank you for taking an interest. Hope the reports were not too long and involved. I am putting a slide show together so if anyone wants me to give a talk let me know.

Nick
On an airplane from Vladivostok to Moscow.

They made it!
June 1, 2005

John and Nick arrived in Vladivostok on Tuesday May 31, 2005.

Congratulations to them both on completing the 8000 mile trip.

More news and photos to follow.

Hotel Versailles, Khabarovsk
June 1, 2005

Thank you to Vladimir Syromjatnikov for supplying some photos of Nick and John from their stop at the Hotel Versailles, Khabarovsk. The photos can be seen in the Gallery.

Nick's Weekly Report
May 31, 2005

Nick updates us with the latest news as the adventure nears it's end.

Sunday 29 May
Well we made it through the "Empty Quarter" in 8 days and emerged shaken but in one piece. Our worst fears, thankfully, were not realised, although the road varied from bad through really bad to diabolical. The bad bit, which was most of it, was hard packed earth and stones. Very, very bumpy but fine if you took it carefully. The really bad bit was when there was lose gravel on top which was what I imagine cycling on ball bearings might feel like. You ride these bikes standing up on the rough bits which may sound strange but it throws your weight forward giving more control. It is quite exhilarating flying along at 50 or 60 mph standing up. On the gravel you aim to follow previous car tracks, but a simple glance sideways or a puff of wind can take you into the thicker bit either side and then your back wheel starts to wag behind you. The sensation is akin to suddenly hitting sheet ice when skiing. Every muscle in your body clenches when you know they shouldn't and you fight for control trying to remember what you were taught to do on the BMW off road course we attended. And then you are back in control and you relax knowing that what ever you did was wrong and it was either good luck or the St Nicholas icon taped to the windscreen that got you through it (or maybe it was the Buddhist charm hanging off the handlebar). Johnny came off twice, but thankfully was unhurt. I, on the other hand have fallen off 5 times, but, much to the amusement of everyone watching, I have been totally stationary on each occasion! I confess to being ever so slightly jealous of the dent John now has in his pannier. He is obviously that little bit wilder. The diabolical bits simply should not feature on a road map. You wind your way through a construction site, manoeuvring between diggers, rocks, rollers, up and down hastily made diversions, through streams and constantly keeping an eye out for on coming vehicles which are sharing the same narrow piece of dirt. The relief at hitting tarmac again after 1,000 miles was total.

Once we had left Chita, the landscape suddenly became that much wilder and unkempt. We drove through non descript towns and stayed in non descript hotels, some of which had running water, but mostly it was just a bed with aging sheets and synthetic blankets. One proudly announced hot water in the rooms and it turned out to be an electric kettle! None of us could understand the mentality of the people living there. Each town hundreds of miles from another. No work, no money and no way out - no wonder alcoholism is such a problem. As security is a real issue on this section, we had hired 2 policemen to travel with us. On the night we camped for a night we amused ourselves and frightened the locals (if there were any) by firing tracer rounds from a Kalashnakov into the darkness. It seemed quite normal to the Russians - imagine doing it near Cirencester?!

The landscape remained low hills with pine and birch forest. A few cows and a little cultivated land. Extraordinary change as we approached Khabarovsk. Suddenly everything was greener with blossom on the fruit trees.

Vladivostok is a long day's drive - feels strange to be coming to the end of it all.

Ê Nick
Khabarovsk

SMS Updates from John
May 31, 2005

Notes from the last week

May 22, 2005
Have stayed in Chita one more night as have meeting with PDS tomorrow morning to arrange escort for next section. Head off tomorrow.

May 24, 2005
Safely in village of Mogocha. May have to stay outside camping as hotels full.

May 25, 2005
Safely in Skovodeno. All well. I had two falls yesterday. Both bike and me a bit bruised but nothing serious. Bikes coping brilliantly with non existant roads

May 26, 2005
Camping just north of Shimanovsk. Clear blue sky. All well.

May 27, 2005
Staying tonight hotel in Novobureyskiy. All well.

May 28, 2005
In hotel in Obluchye. Khaborosk tomorrow. Russian mobile not working, this is my Blackberry.

May 29, 2005
Safely in Khaborask. Staying in Verseilles Hotel.

Gallery format has changed
May 24, 2005

The gallery is now being handled by some proper gallery software, making it easier and, hopefully, quicker to get photos online, and allowing people to leave comments.

Please do go and check it out here.

Neil.
Webmaster

Nick's Weekly Report
May 22, 2005

Once again Nick provides an update on the week's adventures.

Sunday 22 May - My Birthday

Lake Baikal has, for most Russians, a magnetic attraction, and, rather like the Haj, most aim to go there at least once in their lifetime. It holds a mystical fascination which up until now I have never really understood. This time, however, we arrived on a gorgeous afternoon with clear blue skies and snow still sitting on the hills 40 miles across on the other side. It was really lovely and suddenly I woke up to what it is all about. We stayed in a simple but delightful little family run hotel with individual bungalows, hot water, flushing loos and delicious home cooking. Omul is the famous Baikal fish and you have it at least twice a day - hot smoked, cold smoked, raw, baked, fried - you name it you have it. Gets a bit monotonous over time.

The statistics for Baikal are extraordinary. Bigger than all 5 American Great Lakes put together, it would stretch from London to Edinburgh, is over a mile deep in places and holds 17% of the world's fresh water. There are numerous flora and fauna endemic to the lake and found no where else, including the Nerpa seal, the only fresh water seal in the world.

We drove round the bottom end towards Ulan Ude and camped for a night beside the Selenga river which flows through Ulan Ude and into Baikal. The following morning the brand new Discovery 3 Land Rover suspension failed. Under warranty and about 2,000 miles from the nearest dealer. What do you do? The answer is mend it with whatever is at hand. Dima and Alexei were amazing, with a bottle of whisky we got the use of the local police station garage and narrowed the search down to the compressor which controls the air suspension. Decided nothing more could be done there, found a truck which would transport it to Ulan Ude and got it to a garage. 2 of the staff were MIG fighter pilots from the nearby base earning extra money working as mechanics. They painstakingly stripped the compressor until they found a small seal had disintegrated. One of the mechanics knew there was a very similar part on a MIG, retrieved a couple from the nearby base, re-worked one and put it all back together. We were back in business and had only lost a day. The question now is whether the warranty is null and void for tampering with the car!

Ulan Ude is an interesting city and well worth a stop. Set in the autonomous republic of Buryatya (larger than Germany), the Buryats are essentially Mongolians who were separated from the main tribes. Religious belief in the area is complex with Buddhists, Shamanists and Old Believers flourishing side by side. There are two Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and several excellent museums.

The drive from Ulan Ude to Chita was beautiful although we were helped again by glorious weather. Like Scotland I assume it would be totally miserable on a bad day! Wide flat valleys, separated by low rocky hills covered in trees, were bisected by mighty Siberian rivers flowing north to the Artic. Very similar to Mongolia but with more signs of people. In a small town we found a lonely 19th century wooden church falling apart but with a new cross attached to the roof. It was a symbol of hope. I write to you now from Chita, our last point of civilization before we cross the Russian equivalent of the "Empty Quarter". 1,000 miles of dirt road, no towns of any consequence and our hope is that it does not rain, turning the road into a mud bath. The Land Rover computer does not understand we have fixed the compressor and is complaining. Dima has now gone to find someone who will doctor it. Warranty well and truly gone now!

My next email should be from Khabarovsk in 8 or 9 days time.

Nick
Chita

Nick's Weekly Report
May 15, 2005

The world is a strange place when I think that last Sunday I wrote from Miami and this Sunday I write from Irkutsk. 8 hours ahead of the UK and lying a little east of Bangkok one could be forgiven for thinking that we had completed three quarters of the journey across Russia. The reality is that we have barely made half of it and the tough bit is still to come.

When we left Tumen, we travelled east across the Russian steppe, following a seemingly endless road which disappeared into the hazy horizon miles ahead of us. The landscape on either side was flat grassland interspersed with clumps of silver birch and pine and larger areas of forest, the first hint of spring appearing on the branches. Occasionally the monotony was broken by huge areas of farmland, 4 or 5 tractors working abreast either cultivating or sowing spring crops. It was difficult to judge the size of these fields but somewhere between 3 and 4,000 acres would be about right.

We passed cities with familiar names such as Omsk, Krasnayar and Novosibirsk now thriving under capitalism but drove through countless nameless towns whose economy had once been sustained by vast sprawling factories producing something useful to the Soviet economy but which now lay abandoned. Their broken windows and rotting structures echoed by the seeming helplessness of the town itself. What do you do if your are caught in such a place? There is no work and no prospect. In more remote areas there were picture book pretty Siberian villages with intricate carving around the brightly painted windows of the wooden houses. Children pulled water from the wells, horses pulled carts and there was not a shop for a hundred miles. It is all a far cry from the excesses of Moscow.

East of Novosibirsk the land climbed up into rolling hills and with beautiful clear skies it was just a joy to ride through it with Tchaikovsky playing in my headset.

Irkutsk itself is fascinating. Founded in the 17th century as a Cossack garrison town to collect tax from the ethnic fur traders it grew and flourished as rich mineral deposits were found in the surrounding area. At the height of its prosperity it was known as the St Petersburg of the east. Today there some beautiful churches, streets lined with 18th century wooden houses and interesting museums. Close by, of course is Lake Baikal but I will give you the statistics on that next week after we have driven round the southern end.

Touch wood, the bikes have so far behaved impeccably helped by the service given to them in the BMW dealership in Moscow, which, I have to say, makes anything in the UK look like a small county garage. Here there is a full restaurant where you can have lunch or dinner as you decide which BMW you will buy. Long legged, glamorous girls climb in and out of the cars while their black dressed, over weight, rather ugly boy friends look on. In Irkutsk there is also a BMW car dealer ship and although they do not service bikes they have found someone who will and the bikes have been whisked away to have the tyres changed and remove some of the mud which seems to have clogged every part of them. So helpful.

On the road we remain a recurring source of interest. Few can believe we have come all the way from London and even fewer believe we will go to Vladivostok. Why; how much did the bikes cost and what size is the engine are recurring questions. But everyone is so friendly and welcoming.

I have no idea if I will achieve an internet connection for next Sunday. I suspect it will be 10 or 12 days before we hit any form of civilisation so I might make it an earlier communication from Chita, the last outpost before we lose the road completely.

Nick
Irkutsk

Stage Two Week One photos are online
May 12, 2005

Photos from John are now online in the Gallery.

Brief message from John
May 11, 2005

Nick arrived about half an hour ago and we will start moving in about 15 mins. Try to do 3 hours on the road towards Omsk this evening.

Note from Nick
May 8, 2005

Nick writes from Miami with details of the team's adventures so far:

Well, amazing as it all seems, we got back to Moscow as planned, repacked the bikes having bought one or two missing items and set off last Sunday on schedule. We arranged to leave at 10.00 but anticipated we would probably not leave until 11.00 - eventually got on the road at 2.30. The first weekend in May coincides with the start of the May holidays in Russia when every Russian goes on holiday and the country closes down for a week. Those that have not gone to Dubai, the Maldives or Cyprus go to their dacha and as a result the city was empty, and, like any big city devoid of cars, was a joy to drive through. This year the weekend also coincided with Orthodox Easter and many thousands of Russians went to the midnight service on the Saturday. Waiting patiently outside the church until midnight with unlit candles when the priest throws open the doors and announces "Christ has risen". All candles are then lit and, bathed in candle light, you walk round the church 3 times. It's a very moving service.

The first day we drove to Nizhny Novgorod, famous, in pre revolutionary times for its trade fairs and markets. It has an imposing walled Kremlin which sits high on a hill over looking the Volga which must be over a mile wide here. The following day we set off for Kazan, the capital of the autonomous republic of Tartarstan. This year the city celebrated its 1,000 anniversary and although we arrived late there was time to walk around the even bigger Kremlin and visit the cathedral which, although under renovation on the outside was beautiful inside. A friendly Russian took us to the top of the bell tower where we had magnificent views out over the town.

Dima has a game with his son Timothy. Every police check point which does not stop us he gets 30 Roubles ($1) by the end of the second day he was up 160 Roubles at the end of the third day he was minus 60. At 10 am we were stopped and taken into the station. I was breathalysed which was either indicative of me, Russian drivers or the Russian view of the English. Whatever it was, it was quite intimidating sitting in a room with 2 policemen shouting at you in a language of which I have only a rudimentary grasp. They wanted a bribe but could not pin anything on me and we left them empty handed.

The landscape south of Kazan opened into huge horizons and gave an idea of just how big a country we are planning to cross. Cultivated land stretched for miles into the hazy distance and although it appears devoid of any settlements, everywhere you look there is a sense of something that is unmistakeably Russian. The trees are just coming into bud, the grass has greened up and the cattle are being let out for the first time.

The roads remain diabolical. There are some great stretches where you can cruise at around 70/80mph and then suddenly you hit pot holes and I am not talking about the size you get on the Cirencester to Fairford road after winter, I am talking bomb craters that would swallow a Lada. Then fill them with water and you have no idea if you can get through them and that is approaching at speed. But for the most part it is fine with everyone very friendly, curious and then incredulous that we should have come from London let alone going to Vladivostok.

As we climbed towards Ekaterinburg we entered an area of forest and lakes and then, once through this bottom tail of the Urals, we officially entered Asia and the landscape opened up again. Just after Ekaterinburg, for me, disaster struck and I learnt that my father had had a stroke out of the blue and had died. The others were wonderful and realised I would have to return but in any event we had to press on to see if we could make an airport with suitable connections. I have to say that cruising a bike along an open stretch of road was an unforeseen opportunity for reflection and it gave me a valuable moment of time to remember him alone.

I write to you now from Miami where I have arrived with Katya and my youngest son George to attend a short, private, and incongruous American service. We left the bikes in a hurry and both Dmitry and Alexei (his co-driver) are sitting in the middle of nowhere awaiting our return. They remain at risk, so the plan is to be back out there on Wednesday of this week to resume the trip.

I was hoping to include some low res photos with this email, but in the rush to leave, my camera remains with the bike so I have not downloaded any. Hopefully John Raymond will have some onto the web site soon (he came back to London with me - bless him) and these should give you some idea of the area we rode through.

Nick
Miami

PS - before we left Moscow we paid a visit to the offices of the North Crown Foundation. They really do a remarkable job in some very remote areas and it is interesting to note that orphanages in Moscow and St Petersburg are so well patronised that they will no longer accept second hand clothes. Where North Crown work they have nothing and take anything however small or insignificant it may seem. They are a small, deeply dedicated team and we left all the more delighted we had an opportunity to support their efforts.

Stage Two Underway - John and Nick leave Moscow May 1st
May 6, 2005

The team headed out from Moscow on Sunday May 1st as planned. Here is a brief note from John about their travels so far.

John

Photos from John of the first few days of the trip can be found in the Gallery.

Stage One Completed
April 19, 2005

John and Nick made it safely to Moscow in just over 4 days. Here are some notes from Nick on their journey.

Well - Stage 1 is complete - we made it, without too many hiccups, to Moscow in 5 days. The Garmin GPS system guided us effortlessly across Europe and even when the guidance mode finished at the border of Poland, the positioning showed us exactly where we were on a general map from there until Moscow.

We eventually found Harwich, took the overnight ferry to Rotterdam and then drove across Holland and Germany into Poland. The northern part of Germany was predictably dull and after riding for 5 hours, largely on motorways, and covering only 350 miles, the enormity of the task ahead began to dawn on us. ItÕs a long way to Vladivostok! From Poland onwards we did not have the luxury of motorways and our average speed dropped right down, necessitating even longer hours to hit the 300 miles per day target we should achieve. Sore bum, aching wrist, stiff knees and only 8,150 miles to go - could they be age related! Into Russia and it becomes worse as great long sections of road are littered with potholes and shattered tarmac. You need an eye on the road surface, one on oncoming traffic and another open for the very regular police radar traps because if you drive at the regulation 90kph (56mph) you are trampled by every other vehicle.

Northern Poland is gorgeous and surprisingly civilised - surprising to me at least. A week spent touring through there in the summer by car would be a joy. Easy driving, well signposted, plenty of petrol, good restaurants and interesting hotels. We stayed in a lovely small 18th century hotel in Torun (Hotel Heban) and took an early morning wander through the streets of this largely intact medieval town before continuing up through the lake district. Idyllic little villages, isolated farmsteads, pine and birch woodland, sparkling lakes and rivers, simple agriculture, horses being worked in the fields and all spotlessly clean. The highlight was being stopped by an English speaking Pole who thought we were McGregor and Boorman returning from the East - a disappointment for all concerned!

Lithuania and Latvia had a more "Russian" feel to them and although both are in the EC it would appear that the police in Latvia are just as open to a backhander of Euros as their Russian counterparts. Mind you, €40 for a fabricated infringement was a bit steep - but it was either that or staying a night and paying a fine the following day - probably money well spent.

Russian customs took 3 hours of form filling before we were allowed through - how good Kendal mint cake tastes in situations like that. As a result we were left with 200 miles to reach any recognisable form of accommodation, failing light, driving rain, pot holes and speeding lorries. Not something either of us want to repeat. The Intourist hotel in Velikiye Luki has absolutely nothing to recommend it (nor has the town itself) but for a brief moment in time it was better than the Ritz. 500 hundred rooms and we were the only occupants - £14 including breakfast was a bargain.

The fact that no guide book mentions a single town on the road we took to Moscow probably says enough for the region. We would echo their sentiments. Dmitry Paltsev, who will accompany us in a Land Rover across Russia, kindly (and thankfully) met us outside Moscow to guide us in. Driving in Moscow is, not putting too fine a point on it, bloody terrifying until you realise that you just have to go faster and be more aggressive than the cars around you. White lines, pavements, stop signs, even tram rails are seen as minor inconveniences to most drivers rather than defining the parameters of the street. However, like everything in life, if you can't beat them, join them.

The real adventure starts on 1st May

Photos from Stage One of the trip can be found in the Gallery.