S.E.Asia Part 25: Russia - The Road to Vladivostok, Shipment to the USA.
Thursday, 30 September 2010
Date: Monday 20th September 2010.
Our watches are turned forward one hour so it is an early rise at 7.30 and to a 4degrees morning.
Following about 20kms of typical rough Russian tarmac I decided to let our tyre pressure down only to then have continuous new road surface for the next 2000kms.
The road is all new, very different from how it was 3 years ago on our last crossing of this area. The quality is amazing; three lanes wide for anything over a 3 degree slope and guard railed most of the way.
Beautifully smooth so travelling at 90kph plus is easy, thus 500+kms a day is comfortably achieved. The only down side of the new road is that there is no commercialism established hence no cafés or restaurants for coffee or lunch stops.
Winter is definitely approaching. The Birch trees are already golden and the Spruces are already turning to yellow.
Camp is possible on many side tracks to old road camps or road quarries. Beside this camp a small water flow that we were surprised had already frozen.
During dinner preparation it began to snow. Definitely time to head home!
Camp101: Frozen Water Camp N53*30.769 E119* 24.950
Distance Travelled: 502 Kms
Total Distance: 20,794 Kms
Date: Tuesday21st September 2010.
A very cold start to today at ZERO degrees. John had thick ice on the inside of his windscreen so leaving was slightly delayed whilst that melted.
The new road is still great but fuel stations are few so the first one we see is a top up of fuel.
Price is still very reasonable at R22/Lt (US$0.73) this one very old and antiquated.
The mythology of buying fuel has not changed for decades. According to the pump number you order the number of litres required and pre-pay the cashier at the little box. The pump will then deliver that amount. WARNING: Ensure the fuel nozzle is placed in your tank first because on pushing the start button fuel will flow. Also ensure that your tank will accept the full quantity otherwise the balance will be on the ground!
Despite the great road the thought process is lacking. This speed ramp is at a 70degree angle to the road and would be impossible to approach when needed.
Some have a ‘tennis court’ style net across the escape and at the top a religious cross before the vertical drop. I image if you drove through the cross you will take note of the symbol as you sail into the void!
Occasionally we see dark clouds around us, then finally:
We pass through one and snow!
At an off the main road village we tried to buy lunch (just to experience local food) but the café was closed between 1.00pm and 2.30pm.
So many years of communism have not been a good educator of commercialism!
Camp is on a side track just off the main road.
Camp 102: Road Side Camp N53*43.759 E124*46.575
Distance Travelled: 478Kms
Total Distance: 21,267Kms
Date: Wednesday 22nd September 2010.
The temperature dropped below freezing last night and this morning all the little puddles on the track were covered with thick ice.
What a change the bitumen had made to this place. No longer a dusty road for hundreds of kilometres to and from, the establishment has been repainted and cleaned, gone are the tens of broken vehicles out front and the pile of written off damaged vehicles out back. All of the many tyres repair businesses have closed as have the several vehicle repairers, including the welding shop we used. Now only the café and fuel supply outlet continues.
A good driving day today and all along the road Silver Birch trees for hundreds of kilometres. The road is perhaps too good. This is our third day of travelling 500+kms per day and it is becoming monotonous. As much as the corrugated and rough road took us twice as long, previously it was an adventure; now this road is just a road trip!
Finding an ideal camp spot is also proving more difficult with the cold wind howling. Tops of hills, bottom of valleys and near rivers and lakes are all out of the question. Now only in the woods is good.
Camp 103: Amongst the Trees Camp N50*37.335 E129*01.307
Distance Travelled: 516 Kms Total Distance: 21,783 Kms
Date: Thursday 23rd September 2010.
It’s snowing!
The temperature was dropping all night and at 2.30am it started to snow and continued well into the morning.
What a sight. For a group of Queenslander’s from the ‘Sunshine State’, this is a real novelty.
On the road the snow and sleet continued covering the trees and ground, this years first and an early September snow.
Outside the temperature continues to drop to a low of minus 4 degrees at 10am.
Chita 1758Kms and Khaovorosk 407Kms
Water is challenging to get from towns and the service stations or Cafes. They just do not cater for water supply other than the bottle type so we topped up at running creeks. This time it was pre-chilled.
Further south now and at only 200meters in height the snow/sleet has turned to rain.
Then 100kms from Khaovorosk we camp well off the road and down what we believe is an old fisherman’s track to a river. With the rain easing and a fire going it is time for our usual afternoon vodka drink and chat.
Camp 104: Old Fisherman’s Camp N E
Distance Travelled: 486 Kms Total Distance: 22,269 Kms
Date: Friday 24th September 2010.
Still cold this morning and back on the black top for an hour or two before stopping at a road side café for coffee and Blinies (Pikelets with Condensed Milk – a Russian Favourite).
Outside the café the owner kept a Black Bear for a pet.
I
n Khavorosk it is still wedding season and on the steps of the Church of the Transfiguration the bride and groom arrive via a stretch Hummer.
Camp is again off the main road and near water holes that were originally quarry sites for the road building.
Camp 105: ‘Water View’ Camp N47*46.701 E134*56.276
Distance Travelled: 239 Kms
Total Distance: 22,508 Kms
Date: Saturday 25th September 2010.
On the road to Vladivostok, John is leading and gets pulled over by the police for passing near a pedestrian crossing. But the conversation must have proved just too hard for the police and decided to just wish him a good trip.
Between Russia and China is Lake Kanka.
A considerable large lake that is only a few meters deep so we decided to try and find it. With the help of the GPS and about 10 or so directions in Russian we eventually found this old sign, from which we still needed further assistance.
The lake is full of bird life and it would seem that it is a good fishing spot as many locals are sitting in the hope of a feed.
Finally down a rough track we find a very nice camping position for our final bush camp.
Dinner is a mixture of all our leftovers and it ended up being very tasty.
Camp 106: Lake Kanka Camp
N44*39.116 E132*33.317
Distance Travelled: 491 Kms
Total Distance: 22,999 Kms
Date: Sunday 26th September 2010.
With the truck containerisation approaching a further clean up of the vehicles before a mid-morning departure towards Vladivostok.
Past our last old Russian houses with their typical blue painted windows,
Past the old ladies selling their fruit and vegetables that they grow in the back yard to supplement their retirement pension.
Just outside Vladivostok we stop at a large road side market for some fruit
and a jar of delicious Russian honey.
I lead the way into town, competing with the Sunday afternoon rush traffic heading home, finally turning into the car park of the Hotel Vladivostok and our final destination in Russia before we fly home.
Our final parking 'camp' outside of Hotel Vladivostok ends four months of travel, and 23,000 kilometres through eight wonderful countries, some spectacular scenery, and some very friendly people.
Camp 107: Hotel Vladivostok Camp N43*06.842 E131*52.513
Distance Travelled: 277 Kms
Total Distance: 23,276 Kms
The Final week
We have now successfully arranged shipment of our four vehicles from Vladivostok to Long Beach California.
On Thursday we loaded the containers for a sailing date of Tuesday 5th October.
The anticipated arrival in LA is around the 1st November, whence we will fly to the USA to take on that challenge of clearance of the vehicles for our travel in the USA intermittently over the next 12 months.
Once home I have a few vehicle issues to sort out. The major one is the broken front springs which for the last few days have been tied together with fencing wire.
Both the bottom leaf and the top main leaf is broken. It is the top one that holds the axle to the vehicle so rather important !
From Vladivostok the 7 of us caught the local bus to Harbin China for a couple of days. Then a flight to Beijing and home.
