It's finally happened! We've gone a whole day without anything going wrong! I say that in jest as most of our days have been very good especially the last two.
We left Magadan yesterday after visiting the tyre shop. The manager was disappointed with the apprentice who didn't balance our tyres, but when they did, they discovered one was impossible to balance as it is warped. It sounds obvious in retrospect, but when I fitted the wheel the night previous, there was a rough, but swooshing noise when I rotated the wheel. I figured it was a brake rotor, but in fact may have been the rim touching the outside of the caliper. Oh well, it's been moved to the back and so far has posed no problem. We didn't do a post last night because we didn't have much to say, that and we were really enjoying relaxing. I got my book out for the first time this trip which ironically was on Siberia. It was difficult to get into before now, but suddenly everything is relevant. Oh, and I re-attached the kitchen unit to the car, it had rattled four screws loose and three out all together. It's also fixed by a bolt underneath the car, and the nut had only ~10 rot
ations till the nut fell off. Just in the nick of time. That reminds me, I should check the other two.
Stopped in this quarry tonight, I've grabbed a few photos of rocks that are fractured by freezing tempratures. I am naturally skeptical about everything until I have a chance to test it or do a whole lot of research. Seeing these rocks tonight now has me convinced. They are complete, but even a rock as big as your hands looks like it's been through a paper shredder but in perfect formation. Our new tyres even have cuts in the tread, it's perhaps because they are new and the tread is so deep, that the rocks are not getting a chance to cut anything important. Fingers crossed.
It's also interesting, that natural skepticism I talked of above is often satisfied by the Internet. If I need to get a decent answer about something, I can quickly use the internet to build understandong. Only once I have a fairly good understanding of something can I store it as fact, but not until. I often get rubbished by work mates because I'll ask a question, then re-ask it a few minutes later. I do this when the response given didn't match any my preconceived responses. I just can't 'lock it in eddy' until I have a complete understanding. What does that all mean??? I miss the Internet! I miss that ability to pursue an idea or figure out a problem within a few short minutes. Out here, it takes days for anything to sink in for that reason alone.
On the way up we postulated that driving back would be totally different - and it is! A smokey haze engulfed the trip to Magadan, but the return trip has been lovely and clear.
Nothing has been particularly photo worthy though - I'm not sure why. Got some footage from the waterproof camera outside the car. At one section of roadworks where they are creating/repairing a bridge a bypass through the river was created. The standing water depth was at top of the rim which I estimate to be about 600mm. It amazes me that cars (Honda Civic's, Toyota Corolla's etc.) are expected to, and obviously do cross this without complaint. This is a highway!
I'm not really sure if we're going to capture much photo and video on the way back as we've seen most of it. That sounds disapointing, but it's kind of nice to just absorb without trying to capture all the good bits for everyone else.
The temperature today is brilliant. Hot in the sun, cool in the shade of the car. The weather as a whole has been very generous, with only one morning of rain since we left Vladivostok.
Cassie has done the washing up tonight which is impressive while I've been writting this - nice! There's a tip for you guys, if you look busy, no one interrupts you with more work. Refer to Seinfeld the TV series for acomedic dramatisation of this rule. Sorry, I can't remember the name of the episode.
And sorry this post isn't real interesting. We'll see what the next few days have in store.
Position: 12-07-18 17:40:14 +1200 +0000
http://maps.google.com/maps?&ll=62.65787,147.6975&q=62.65787,147.6975&z=16
#END
Glad to hear you are taking time to smell to roses and relax a bit. Sounds as though you are enjoying the experience. I think you should get back to the washing up, and don't lose the habit when you come home! Love to you both
ReplyDeletestoked to here of smooth sailing, another trick to avoiding nasty jobs is to f#$k it up the first time , then they never ask you again. he he {just coped one to back of head}.
ReplyDeletepostulater chris..xxoo
Graeme and Cassie,
ReplyDeleteGood to hear that things are going smoothly.
The Russian Outback is a good description. It is indeed vast, with limited resources. Most of the locals genuinely seem to care that you pass through their country safely (the offers of help from Bolot and Ilya are examples of this).
We looked at options of starting in Magadan - but sorry, you have to do what you guys have done, start from Vladivostok and drive... there is no easy way to ship a vehicle to Magadan, and hiring a vehicle in Russia is difficult (a motorbike can be lifted onto a ship, so their plans are different). This is why it is an endurance adventure.
I guess you now will head direct to Chita as you wont need to cross the Lena back to Yakutsk. Some British bikers we met in Vlad recommended a hotel in Chita which was OK, and had good wifi. Hotel Panama, or Panorama or something. Located on the outskirts of town. It is weird what makes a good hotel on an adventure like this (clean room, shower, wifi and somewhere OK to eat).
Advice we received over the border crossings is that they can take a while, with mad queues. So chill out and go with the flow. Don't forget to re-register your arrival when you return back to Russia (after Mongolia). Our travelling companions didn't, and had dramas exiting Russia. Best to stay in a hotel in Barnaul and register your passport.
When we did our trip our original plan was to drive to London, but work pressures and our stuff up with Customs in Vladivostok meant we turned back to Vladivostok after our run to Magadan. We are envious of your trip - you are on an awesome adventure. When you are back in Australia you will have the same thoughts as us... what next? (South America is meant to be a good trip!)
Best of luck.
Jon
Post the pics on the rocks. I have a geologist friend who loves rocks and is keen to see them. She said "Russia has some of the coolest rocks in the world"
ReplyDeleteShe did ask what you mean by
"...Seeing these rocks tonight now has me convinced. They are complete, but even a rock as big as your hands looks like it's been through a paper shredder but in perfect formation..."