Sunset over the Volga  5th June 2011

This city’s rocking! It all happens on the river bank. Just been for a stroll and dinner. All very civilised

Morning after up early. Found a Yamaha dealer selling everything from boat motors to off road bikes and quads. They showed me where to get new tryes fitted. The guys at the tyre fitters looked at the bike, the Nissins and disks and explained, yes they can fit them, but I’d have to take the wheels out and put ’em back in again. Not a problem after Jason’s expert training down at Jack Lilleys before I left. Like a berk I forgot to ask them to balance the front so am having to put up with a low speed wobble on the front. Will try to find a garage in KZ and get them both balanced.

Wheel Out

The Tyre Fitters in Astrakhan

Volgograd to Astrakhan  5th June 2011

Free Wifi! And it’s quick.

Thanks to Heidi for pointing out that two girls working the pumps and three on the tills makes 5 girls not 4. Maths was never my strong point. Thanks Heidi!

Another “quick blast” between Vologograd and Astrakhan. Roads are pretty good except for cows, goats and other farm animals in the road. Came over the brow of one hill to find two calves asleep in the road. Not a problem, just backed off and weaved around them, but some of the locals in cars are doing well over 80 mph … that’s going to get messy.

The churches dominate all the villages I drive trough … this one loomed out of nowhere on the M6 between Volgograd and Astrakhan

Church before Astrakhan on M6

Here’re a few videos

New Pics In Gallery  4th June 2011

Finally managed to upload a few pictures to the gallery this morning ….

Volgograd  3rd June 2011

Arrived in Volgograd a few hours ago after a “brief” 250 mile, 5 hour ride. Just spent £20 quid on wifi access. I’ve had faster dial up connections! So again attempts to upload vids & pics from my camcorder impossible. Very frustrating. 3g seems ok though.

Anyhoo … Volgograd is the first major milestone for me. And looks like an fascinating city. Doing a sight seeing trip tomorrow then tracking down a mechanic to do some work on the bike.

Will try to find internet caff tomorrow to do uploads.

In Russia  2nd June 2011

Crossed the border into Russia about 1 ish uk time! Took an hour to sort paperwork so no real problem. Just parked up in a scruffy motel about 3 hours from Volograd. Will take a leisurely ride to the city tomorrow and will stay for 3 days.
Got some good pics and video to upload as soon as I can find wifi.
More in a bit, but in the meantime here is the view from my sumptuous dinner table

UPDATE:

Called into Donetsk this morning to find a bank. What a difference in that city!! All shiny and new, mainly down to the fact they will be hosting Euro 2012 I imagine. Quite a contrast to the city I had intended to stay in last night – Dnipropetrovsk – rode in and straight out and kept going til I found a TIR truck stop with little chalets and secure parking, all for £7.

On the way out of Donetsk I stopped for fuel at a new petrol station. The sort of place that if Carlsberg did petrol stations they’d be like this one. Staffed by 4 of the most stunning women I’ve ever seen, two working the pumps and three on the tills. Marvellous.

Song of the day has to be Candy Man by Thunder. Stood up on the pegs visor up, singing my little heart out riding up to the Russian border.

Today’s stats – 464kms, 12 hour day, av speed 67kms. Roads pretty reasonable all things considered but they still need total concentration.

Litre of petrol in UKR is about 45p. Same as Russia.

Here’s a pic of what I call a Mig On A Stick

Mig Fighter About 2 Hours From Russia Border

And the road leading up to the border

The Road Leading To The Russia Border Crossing

Day 6  1st June 2011

Near Donetsk after 10 hours riding. Would have stopped sooner but all hotels & motels have shut. Knackered so shower food beer and bed.
The roads today were a whole lot better than yesterday.

The landscape is like one enormous farm. Square km after square km of spuds, rape seed and cabbage. No trees other than wind breaks designed to stop the soil blowing away I guess.
This is punctuated by small farming villages each with it’s own cemetary, reservoir and church. I get the impression that not much has changed for these people since the fall of the Union, just different masters now, I guess. I love the reservoirs. They all have big grassy banks with wooden piers, old fellas fishing off them and all the local kids swimming in them and they generally have a little make shift bars alongside. Bet they are a cracking place to be on a Saturday night.

Spotted what looked like an old Junkers bi-plane flying low across some fields. Was about to stop and grab some video when I spotted two Ukraine old bill looking at me a little funny so decided to move on.

Today’s stats: 420 miles, roads fair to middling and to be honest the drivers ate no worse than in Portugal. Yes, they tend to get a bit close to your back tyre but that happens all the time on the M25. 10 hours riding time.

Quick visit to Donetsk tomorrow mainly to find a cash point that works, then the first big one. Russia and Volgograd! ere we go ere we go ere we go.

Sound track of the day. Stormy Monday performed by SRV and Albert King. Don’t ask me why ‘coz it was neither Stormy, nor Monday

Sound track songs  31st May 2011

Almost forgot, yesterday’s song was What You Gonna Do When The Money Runs Out (started playing just after I was fleeced by the bent coppers)

Today’s was Just Like Paradise by David Lee Roth for no other reason than it’s a damn fine song

Day 5  31st May 2011

No 3g or wifi here so this is on my iphone via gprs (i hope)

You know I said I was having a love/hate relationship with Ukraine? Today I love it.

iphone Tom Tom took the most direct route from Ivano Frankikivsk to Vinnycha. I’m sure there was probably a better road but this was awesome straight through a big agricultural rural chunk of the Ukraine. And the most demanding riding yet. My off road skills are improving no end and the Tiger was born for this. Total concentration required.

Even the “good” roads are pitted with pot holes so am having to keep my eyes open. Where they have fixed some holes but they’ve just filled them with tar so the first truck that goes over them on a hot day creates these little launch pads. Great on a skateboard but not on a motorcycle and you don’t spot ’em. Rough on the testicles.

First minor drama today. Managed to drop the bike off the side stand while doing a roadside re-fuel from Jerry cans. No real damage but I was struggling to get it back up til a farmer stopped to help. That’s a worry in Kazakhstan in the middle of no where. Going to have to jettison some of the spares to lighten it up a little.

Iphone keeps overheating in the SW Motech pouch on the tank bag. Any ideas on keeping it cool anyone? Gonna punch some holes in the back to try to get some airflow round it. Need it for sat nav.

Staying the night in the most luxurious truck stop I ever came across. These are just the gardens

Did i mention it’s hot? Dusry and very hot.

More later

Day 4 into Kosice into Ukraine  30th May 2011

First up, thanks to everyone for the emails, comments calls and texts and offers. It’s good to know you are all keeping an eye on me. I plan to have a day off in Russia so I will reply to everyone then.

Special thanks for all the donations. Make me proud! And to those that haven’t yet made a donation, whatchawaitingfer 🙂 Please please please (Davina moment there).

It’s 6 am local as I right this. A little blurry still.

My Overnight Near Kosice

The Ukraine border at Uzhorod was about a 90 min ride from my overnight (great room, good food and lovely people) through the centre of Kosice. Now there’s a proper Steel Town if ever I saw one. Dirty, grubby and dusty dominated by what looks like a new-ish US Steel plant. Upcoming attractions in Kosice? Roxette (she’s looking well, but he’s had some work done judging by the pictures, either that or the airbrush has been out) and Matt Bianco. Is this where old pop acts come to retire? Surely not.

Uzhorod Border into Ukraine

I don’t know what it is about borders, I expect them to be a bit Vegas with flashing lights and dancers and people waving bye and new people beckonining you in, but no, they never are. Only took about an hour to clear the border, pick up insurance and head off.

I’m having a love/hate relationship with the Ukraine. One minute it’s Dirtsville with arse crackingly bad roads (practice for Kaz?) the next sweeping roads through stunning valleys (think Wye valley only bigger, much bigger, and longer).

One minute getting the international Rev It! sign from kids on the side of the road (duly obliged by pulling in the clutch, giving the throttle a few quick blasts, to which they all shout like mad) to getting fleeced by the old bill at check points (I was warned).

I have to go been summoned for breakfast. More later.

And thanks again

That was the hardest 252 miles I have ever done. Part great part bloody awful. Parked up for the night. Will write some more in a bit as I think I found a wifi network.
Had to stay here, great looking place. Does medievel banquets and all that stuff. …

Day 3 West of Vienna to Kosice  29th May 2011

What an amazing day’s riding.
650 kms from about 90 mins west of Vienna to Kosice. Now enjoying a cold beer.
I’ll write more later but what a day.
Blue skies
mid 20s
Great roads – A21 into Vienna and R1 across Slovakia both spectacular. Some of the A roads in Slovakia are in poor condition but the scenery makes up for it I have some videos and pics to upload once I find a decent connection. 3G is intermittent.
Had first run in with the long of the law. Fair dos, guv, he had me bang to rights. Nitra in Slovakia. 64 in a 50. Parted company with 40 euros.

Sound track song of the day … It had to happen eventually …. Steppenwolf – Born To Be Wild on an empty stretch of road just before the Slovak border. Cheesey, I know

Like a knob, the helmet cam video that I shot of the A21 and R1 are useless as I had the camera pointing at the dash and handle bars – DOH! Take my word for it.Breathtaking in the sun.

Here’s some raw footage of the early part of the run into Slovakia (after I was nicked)