The road to Khabarovsk is M-60 - we think. The GPS says it is A-370 so we are not entirely sure. The road signs and compass indicate we are heading in the right direction so we are going with it. In any case, the road goes from good, to fair, to bad, and then to total crap - then repeats the cycle in no particular order. The total crap sections are the parts under repair and/or construction - sometimes a section of road is abandoned and they just start over next to the old section. This area of Russia experiences 120 degree temperature swings between winter and summer and this basically destroys the roads throughout many sections. Going through the construction zones it is a free for all with cars, trucks and us using any bit of available gravel and dirt to get through. Some sections they put down gravel chards the size of baseballs, so you must pay attention to the terrain as well as the other vehicles doing crazy stupid shit - just like they do on the good road sections. Many Russian drivers turn passing into a game of chicken - passing a string of vehicles even though cars are coming in the opposite lane. If the oncoming vehicle is a car they force it off the road and continue to pass. If it is a truck, then the just get back into the right lane - even if you are in it. We tend to follow the principle of yield to anything bigger than you - which is most everything except scooters and other motorcycles. "Right of way" just isn't a consideration. It does no good to be right and dead, so we basically just ride like we are invisible and try to anticipate the next stupid, crazy, insane move the other cars and trucks frequently make.
Smoked Oscar for lunch at Sergei's.
A church in one of the small villages we passed through.
Utility road camp on Thursday.
The forbidden tower where we were trespassing.
We also have to look out for unmarked road damage on the good sections. It's not like in the US where you normally see temporary signs to mark damaged road or bumps. With all these variables going on we keep the speed around 80 or 90 kph. A bit faster when passing big slow trucks. Mostly we are getting passed because apparently Russians don't give a crap about their cars and beat the piss out of them on the marginal roads.
It is Friday and today we will meet up with a contact of Marks in Khabarovsk. We also have a contact number from Ilya #2 at the local Iron Angles chapter in Khabarovsk. We will most likely spend the weekend there so it should be some good fun.
Last night was our second "Dutchman" camp in as many nights. We did a better job concealing ourselves two nights ago - last night we were discovered by Russian Security assigned to guard the communication tower up the dirt road from where we set up camp. The rolled up around midnight and told us we must leave the area. This would be a very bad idea as it would take a while to break camp and load up, it was late and dark, and we had just consumed the home brew whiskey a Russian restaurant owner Sergei had gifted us at our lunch stop - a very friendly, hospitable and generous man. He sat and chatted with us while we ate and offered us extra items to sample that we had not ordered or paid for.
We attempted to explain the situation in both Russian and English as the head guard (there were 3) did speak some English. They agreed to let us stay the night if we did not go up near the tower - and warned us that he had cameras up there and would know if we did. Whew! Got a bit lucky once again...
Wednesday's camp off a logging road.
No comments:
Post a Comment