If Russia was Hell, then welcome to Heaven.... South Korea

Well the ferry went smoothly, though I wasnt happy about leaving my bike overnight at Russian customs.
Infact the first thing I did when I got on the ferry was ask to see my bike :-) it felt very strange to be parted after we have been together for nearly 3 months.

So after paying almost £700 for an overnight crossing to Donghae South Korea. I was finally on my way out of Russia.

Dazzer and Leigh also managed to get booked onto the ferry, so the 3 musketeers where together again.
Stepping onto the boat was like stepping into a different world, people were happy and smiling, all the crew spoke English or should I say Engrish !! Anyway, they really couldnt do enough for you :-)

Once we arrived in port the crew called for us and pushed us through the usual customs and immigration. where we were met by the South Korean shipping agent, who took us to an air conditioned office and provided tea for us.  It wasnt long till we turned his nice tidy office into a temporary changing room

Within 30 minutes the bike were off the ship and cleared thru customs.

The shipping agent then took us to the city to find a motel, he really couldnt do enough for us.

The motel was a love motel, it can be hired for a few hours or for a full night. I did ask if they did a 10 minute rate but got no reply !!

It was also cheap at £25 a night but when we tried to book another night it appears that either we have hit high season or all the rooms over the weekend double in price.

So we went off to find a campsite. we headed 8km up the road to Mangsang to a free campsite with free wifi and a fantastic tourist information who have been fantastic to us.

The beach is just one big party! they have concerts on and during the day the have volleyball competitions, in fact there's never a dull moment here.

We also eat at Lotteria, its the Koreans version of McDonalds but with big differences. The first time we used we managed to cock up the order and forgot to include drinks. The manager appeared and introduced himself and apologized for not understanding and brought us free drinks ! everytime we go there now he comes over and asks if every thing is ok.  In fact the burgers taste 10 times better than anything I have had from the UK.

Today, we rode 100 miles up the coast to see the North Korean border, though it was red hot with the temps in the high 30's it was a lovely ride, however it was spoilt by the fact we couldnt proceed to the observation tower because we were on motorbikes, it appears that cars only can travel to the tower. I am also puzzled why motorbikes are not allowed on the highway which is there version of a motorway, quite strange restrictions on motorbikes here.

Well we hope to ship the bikes from Busan to Seattle USA around the 7th Aug. Then fly to Bangkok Thailand for a couple of weeks before picking the bikes back up :-)

So till then... Ride Safe :-)

PS just had a brilliant 10 minute fireworks display probably better than you see in Florida !!

 

End of the road for Russia

Well I am now sat in the Hotel Acfes Seiyo Vladivadstok.

So here is the story of how I got here !

My days in Ulan Batar were coming to an end, I knew it was time to move on or otherwise I would have to apply for Mongolian citizenship !

After having spent a few days with my mate Alec it was time once again to hook up with Daz and Leigh and head out of Mongolia.

Alec enjoying a Mongolian bus ride

So on the 12th July we headed out and up to the border. we took it quite easy, stopping to take some last minute pictures of Mongolia and enjoying a few brews on the way.

we stopped here for a brew

While I was sorting out my back box which had became loose after my crash in Ulan Ude, I noticed a small bell lying on the ground. So I picked it up and put it in my pocket.

The next lunch break we stopped at a roadside cafe where a couple of Mongolian guys were admiring the bikes. When we finished I went out to discover my small brass combination lock had been stolen off my bike! Well I know it was only a lock but I was furious. Despite the Mongolian being really nice people theres still some light fingered gits amongst them!

So we headed for the long road to Vladivadstok. Whilst having a nights rest just outside of Chita I received news that my mum had taken ill and was in hospital. I was beside myself and desperately trying to work out a way to get back home. Then my mum said under no circumstances was I to come home. I must finish what I started. Thankfully my mum is now out of hospital and resting on her way to a full recovery.

A few days later we stopped the night at a memorial for a Russian biker who was murdered by locals 2 years ago. There were hundreds of bikers gathered to remember him. So we stayed the night and had a fantastic time.

I left a pair of earplugs for him

In the morning I discovered that my tatty banda headscarf had gone missing, the Russian bikers did not believe that any biker would take it. So I have to say, I left feeling quite disheartened.

I started thinking back to the bell I had picked up in Mongolia, maybe after the padlock, my mum and then my Bandana it was really a bad luck omen. So at the next petrol stop I left it on the wall. So if you see it dont pick it up lol.

About an hour later we stop for lunch and when I take my jacket off, my bandana is stuck inside the sleeve! I have no idea of how it got there. All I could think about was how bad I felt that I thought a biker would steal my bandana. So if any of the Russian bikers are reading this. I am REALLY SORRY  for thinking anyone would have taken it.

The next few days just seem to be a blur in my memory, long hot roads with lots of road works and temporary roads, meaning just hard core rock or gravel!

I did stay in a lovely little motel and this young lady knocked on my door at 1 in the morning to see if I wanted to go in the car with her mates and go for a drink.

Well I must be getting old or I was very wary of going drinking late at night and I politely turned down her offer, I did however spend the next few days pondering over whether I made the right decision lol

I met some lovely people on the way, one young man wanted to give me a 1000 Roubles (£20) towards my trip. I said no, then he asked if I could exchange dollars. I said I have no dollars and felt sorry for him so I dug out some Mongolian money and gave him a 20 note (worth about a quarter of a penny) He gave me a 100 Rouble note (about £2) I refused but he insisted and shoved it into my tankbag. 5 minutes later he was back with an ice cold bottle of sprite.

Later that day I met this man, Sergi

He was the cook at a cafe I stopped at, I ordered a bowl of Borsh (Russian soup which is really tasty) and he brought out smoke chicken. then my Borsh, then he gave me a lighter, bottle of water and then disappeared returning with a Russian military water bottle and mess tins set.

When I went to pay for my meal, he completely refused any money.

So it took me 10 days (including a rest day just outside of Chita) to cover 2,450 miles. I have to admit, it was the most toughest of roads I have completed so far.

Now I am booked on the ferry to South Korea, my bike will be loaded tomorrow and I will head out on a very expensive overnight ferry to South Korea on Wednesday the 25th of July 2012.

Where I go from there........ I will let you know as soon as I know myself :-)

Feel like I am taking roots in Ulan Bator

Well I had to move out of the Kaiser Hotel, I did manage to get 2 more days there but with the up and coming festival the hotel was fully booked.
So I think I spent a total of 6 nights there. I couldn't give enough praise to the owners and staff, there was nothing they wouldn't help me out with.

Belle finally turned up after waiting nearly 3 hours in the scorching heat with my tyres. Which was just as well as my rear tyre, though it had plenty of tread left, had started to crack ! It wasnt till I took the tyre off that I realised how bad the cracks were becoming. The tyre change went really smooth, I suppose it helps when you can leave your tyres out in the baking sun for a hour before changing them. They went on like a pair of cosy house slippers.

So it was onwards to the edge of the city to the Oasis Hostel, run by Rene and Sibylle. I was given a very warm welcome and was allowed to pick a camp spot at the back of the garden, So I am now tucked away in the corner surrounded by the Gers.

The weather has been a bit of a hit and miss. One minute its scorching and the next a downpour, few minutes later and the suns out again and all is good !
Today however has been the worst of the rain, Went to the Black Market with Alec (another biker from the UK) and it tipped it down most of the day. I am so glad we had our umbrella's with us, Alec also had his bike boots on so I used him to test the depth of some of the rather deep puddles !

So I think now I will head towards Vladivadstok and try and store the bike in South Korea and head towards Australia for a few months tour. It seems its not allowed to sell your motorcycle in Mongolia, however I am going to investigate things further on Monday.

So lazy days in Ulan Bator and loving every minute of it, still got plenty to see and do. My bike needs some more work on it and I would like to see some more of UB.

So until the next instalment, take care and ride safe

Lazy days in Ulan Bator Mongolia

Well this will be my 3rd and last night at the hotel. I have to check out tomorrow because the hotel is full!

Going to head off to try and meet up with the GobiGirls, Belle and Nads. I am getting a bit worried as I havent heard from them in a few days. I am sure they are fine and its just me being typically worried lol

I spend most of my days wandering down to the park and watch the older people play chess and draughts. I even had a game of chess but got my butt well and truely whooped!

The cost of living here is relatively cheap, today I bought 3 cans of beer, packet of cigs, 2 bananas, bottle of water, packet of peanuts and a packet of biscuits for £4.

I have a couple of downer moments. I went to get paracetamol and the girl on the reception desk said they were really cheap, when I got to the chemist they asked for nearly £7. So I said no thanks. 

Walked to the tourist place, I often pop in to say hi... anyway, she says paracetamol are really cheap. So tried another chemist and got charged 40p for a pack. so you can see I was being ripped off!

Also this morning walked to the Sky supermarket, to replace the beer from the mini bar I had used (£1.50 mini bar price, supermarket 50p) and she asked me to put my daysack into the locker, not a problem, so off I went to get 2 beers and a bottle of water. Paid for them and while I was putting the stuff in my daysack, an older woman asked to see my receipt. I was furious because this woman had stood and watch me pay for the goods. Luckily for me, the receipt was in the carrier bag. I said to her "Do I look like a shoplifter". sorry but that incident left a sour taste in my mouth.

Of course with all cites you get statues and monuments. so here are a few

You also get stunning women, not that I spend much time looking at them but I do tend to spend a lot of time down the park lol

I am also looking at changing my route, well after all it is an adventure!

If I can get the bike shipped back to the UK cheaply, Then I may get the train or fly to China, from there make my way south and visit Hong Kong.

In Thailand I will try and buy a small cc bike and head down towards Australia.

The only country I need to get a visa for is China (Australia has an on-line application form) the rest I can buy quite cheaply at the borders.

Well I check out of the hotel tomorrow and not sure where I will be staying, so heres till the next time I have internet access.

Ride Safe Will

Mongolia welcomes me with a big smile :-)

So I am now in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia or UB for short.

So heres the story of how after 9,000 miles I arrived in this fantastic city.

After leaving Irkuts with a working back brake and a slighty lowered bike I was glad to be back on the road, the oil leak continued and I have to check and top up daily, not a lot of oil, I reckon about a teaspoon a day.....I have now started to think of it as a constant oil change !

Dazzer and Leigh decided they wanted an early start, I was happy to take my time to Ulan Ude where I would meet up with the Gobi Girls Belle and Nadine, they had travelled on Chinese copy Honda C90. I had previously met them on "The scooters in the Sahara" trip to Bansang Hospital in Gambia and couldnt wait to see them again :-)

The Gobi Girls

Riding along, having rode some very tough sections of road where they were digging up the old road and replacing it with a new one (they lay a temporary one of rocks, gravel and mud). I hit disaster or should I say I hit the road or rather slid down the road!  I had hit a diesel spill. The front end start to slide and weave and just as I thought I had everything under control the back end jumped out. This resulted in a tank slapper and I knew I wasnt going to recover from this.

So I low sided the bike and let go! I bounced and slid for about 50 metres watching the bike slide away in front of me! my bike came to a stop just on the edge of a 10 foot drop. As soon as I wriggled my hands and feet I was up and heading to the bike. Some kind Russian road workers helped me get the bike up and much to my surprise it started .

Of course my screen was gone as well as my right mirror and massive scratches down my pannier cases but all in all I think I came off quite well despite the fact that I was travelling at 55mph!

I am ok, a little bruised!

The new streamlined version lol

This car had came off at the same section of road

Russian workers who helped get my bike on the road

Unfortunately I was wearing my gortex waterproofs at the time

Gaffer tape fix needed lol

So after a wee delay I was off and soon to meet up with the girls ( I had last seen them in Turkey, which seemed like a lifetime ago).

The next day after a lazy start and some sight seeing in Ulan Ude we set off for the Mongolian border. We couldnt have timed it better because we got there just before the border shut for the night so they rushed us straight thru.

We stayed at the border place in a very rustic hotel with no shower but at £4 for all 3 of us we were not complaining.

The next day we set off to see the monastery and a wild camp, However my leg was in such pain due to the accident I couldnt even stand up on the pegs. Even getting on and off the bike was a struggle, so I decided to head straight for the capital UB.

I stayed in the Ghengis Chan hotel but at nearly £100 per night that was way over my budget, So I used Hotel Booking.com to find a cheaper one. So I am now staying at the Kaiser hotel just off Peace avenue right in the centre of the city.

Mongolia is so different to Russia, the people are so much more friendlier, though this may be that more people speak English, in fact, on my drive in to UB the traffic system is a nightmare as theres only one main road thru the city. The lanes are marked as a dual carriage way but often you see 4 lanes of traffic.... its defiantly No Prisoners lol. Anyway back to the point, many people shouted out of the car windows "Welcome to Mongolia" or the would toot and wave madly!

Well I have some more pics to post of the city but that can wait till tomorrow because now its time for a read  and bedtime :-) 

Heading for Mongolia

Still on the road heading east, it seems like every night we put our clocks forward by 1 hour, we are now 8 hours ahead of the UK.

So a couple of days ago my back brake started to play up, so we bled it and it was ok. then one day no back brake!! quite scary as we hit the bad roads.

The roads have been a mix of fantastic smooth tarmac to chewed up bumpy roads and then you get this... without any warning. So you find yourself constantly watching the road ahead, which is a shame because theres a lot to see.

So, one day I notice Daz and Leigh have stopped at the side of a road, at first I thought "they have left something at the hotel" so I turn round and there 100 metres from the road is this

Two bears!!! fascinating to watch but scary at the same time. we sat on the bikes taking photo's, just incase they decided we looked like a tasty lunch !

So I put an SOS out to Sveta in Samarah, telling her that my brakes need looking at. She finds a guy called Dmitry who speaks English, so meet him and head for a Hostel. The hostel owner knows a biker called Alexy. He turns up and organises a trip to a motorbike service shop.

So we go off and the service guy strips my brake to find dust is the problem. At the same time the lower my bike and chop a little of my sidestand because I have been struggling to stand my bike up.

So all is now well and we make preparation to head down to Ulan Batar Mongolia where I have a new set of tyres waiting for me.

okay, this is a stuffed bear, there was 4 stuffed bears..... good job I do not have a phobia of bears !!

and that is sweat on me... the days are very hot and sticky! I am not complaining when I think of the weather we get in the UK.

Long roads of Russia

Well it has now been 2 weeks since I entered Russia with Dazzer and Leigh. We have rode many many long and boring roads together. Every now and then we split up and meet up further up the road, bit like a massive game of hide and seek !

I have met some fantastic people in Russia, starting with Dennis, I was sitting eating pancakes when this massive bloke jumped off his bike to say hello, Dennis is like a tower block ! I like to think of him as a Gentle Giant :-)

Talking of pancakes, it too me almost 20 minutes to order 2 pancakes with cheese on! in the end I had to resort to my little book of pictures to get some, I went off muttering to myself as I found a quiet corner to eat the said pancakes.

Anyway, back to meeting Dennis, I told him my clutch cable had broke and he said no problem come to Samara and took me to meet with Alexander and his lovely wife Sveta.

As we were riding along we passed Dazzer n Leigh, they tagged on to us and we all made it to a lovely motel, food and drink was enjoyed as we talked the night away about motorbikes and travelling.
The next day we set off for Samara and after a long days ride (where Sveta had decided to do a Superwoman impression and come off her bike..... thankfully no bad injuries and her bike was up and running within 30 minutes) we arrived in Samara.
we then dropped off the bikes at a motorbike service shop and headed off to the Hotel for the night.
The next couple of days the bikers took us everywhere and got the bike all sorted, They even managed to get my clutch cable repaired :-)
I dont ever think I could thank the guys n girls enough for all the hard work they did for us :-)

Sveta, a real SuperWoman !

The next few days were just long riding days, can you imagine riding a road that is straight for the next 40 miles ! or the sat nav saying, next turn off in 122 miles ! its crazy and quite boring, the only way to pass the time is to sing to yourself... so you can see.. I have now gone "Road Crazy" 

Some days I have to look at my watch to work out what day it is... often I think back to Turkey or Bulgaria.. thinking it was months ago when it was only a few weeks ago !

I forgot to say, spent 2 days in Volgograd or Stalingrad where we spent the day doing the tourist thing. The memorial of Mother Russia is spectacular and is well worth a visit

So I now find myself in Novosibirsk, I think this is the halfway point. Tomorrow I head off towards Ulan Ude and hopefully within a week I should have entered Mongolia...... Until the next time.... Thanks for reading and ride safe :-)