Jul 7 2014

Out of Moscow

We enjoyed a delicious and leisurely breakfast knowing such luxury would not happen again for a long time, before loading up the bikes again and making our way to Samara as our next long stop.

It’s great how we can easily go from a local motel, with basic facilities, dubious decor and even more dubious bed covers to the luxury of a Hilton hotel (we may as well make the most of Anthony’s status with that chain) and then back again to cheap and cheerful. So long as I have my pillow, sleeping bag and sleeping bag liner, I can sleep anywhere.

First stop today, was a restaurant somewhere off one of Moscow’s ring roads and meet Max, a guy we have connected with via the Horizons Unlimited group to travel through Myanmar. Max is our Myanmar trip coordinator and lives in Moscow so we all thought it would be good to meet up before we all get together in India in October.

Max and Anthony

Moscow Transport Museum

Finding the location of the restaurant was a little challenging with the ring road under construction, and several on and off ramps closed or moved. Anyway, we turned off at a new junction and travelled in the direction of the suburb we needed. Eventually, we thought we should stop and give Max a call as we were now doubting we were on the right road. Right across from where we had pulled over, I spotted a guy waiving at us. It happens a bit to us, so I waved back. We were outside what looked like an old army place, so after he waived again, I wondered whether we were not meant to stop there. And then I thought, Max?? Yes it was him! We had stopped literally across the road from where he was waiting for us to guide us into the ‘army’ place!! Synchronicity or guardian angels once again…

The place was in fact Moscow’s Vadim Zadorozhny Technical museum! A fantastic place, full of all sorts of old military equipment in the open air, and vintage cars.

It was great to meet Max – we are so lucky he has the time and energy to coordinate the Myanmar trip for us and speaks fantastic English. Meeting Max and then making the most of this museum was so worthwhile, too bad for our ‘schedule’ today. We would have to ride later than expected. We eventually set off at 1pm.

The only way I can describe today is: it was horrid riding but a hilarious day!!

The traffic jams all around Moscow were absolutely horrendous – really tested our clutch hand and slow riding to the limit. The traffic jams are due to the fact that every single bridge, including all the ones over small creeks, are being rebuilt, so lanes go from 3 or 6 in places, down to one or two. Then the main turn offs into the city centre do the same and cause massive traffic jams kilometres before the turn off. A number of bikes went by us in the fast lane along the central median strip, a couple even waved at us to do the same. But we had seen a number of police bikes pulling various bikes, we didn’t want to risk it. But after 2.5 hours and only 25kms, a police car with its sirene and flashing lights came though that ‘lane’ and we immediately took the opportunity to follow it. It was brilliant!! The police car got every car to make way for it and we followed. Too easy and thank goodness we did!! Our own police escort we thought!! So we eventually made another 25kms in 30′!!

After the ring road, we needed the M5 heading to Samara. Silly us thinking the road would be sign posted!! Lucky I can read the road signs. But when a big intersection came up with other town names we hadn’t seen before and no Samara, a police bike which we had just let through and thanked us for moving over for him, suddenly waved at us, pointing forward, guessing where we were headed for. So we followed him. A shortwhile later, at a traffic light Anthony stopped beside him to acknowledge his help. As the lights turned to green, he made a sign that we should follow him. So we did. This time, it was a true police escort!!! We followed him for about 30′, past more traffic jams, and through villages, at 75 miles/ hr!! It was hilarious!!

The mileage we did today is pitiful, a mere 260kms, but thank goodness for both those policemen or we would still be in Moscow now. While the odd photo of roads posted here so far show beautiful roads, they are not all like that but only on those can we safely pull over and stop with very fast traffic going by.

Road side stalls outside Ryazan

No idea what these ‘garden decorations’ are all about!

We are now in Ryazan, at a road side motel. My Russian is so scratchy it is frustrating, but we are managing. Everyone here is extremely friendly and helpful. Although it is a very basic motel, it has working wi-fi!!

Time for bed as we have a long journey ahead.

– Anne

Moscow Vadim Zadorozhny Technical Museum

Jul 5 2014

Riding to Moscow

M9 to Moscow – recently upgraded, with amazing turn offs leading to nowhere apparent

Major M9 turnoff to somewhere?!

Quick pit stop on our way to Moscow

Another nana nap before our last 3 hours’ ride to Moscow

A flower?!

We are in Russia, the queues, the waiting, the paperwork is behind us, we have crossed the border! The M-9 road to Moscow awaits us. We had read horror stories about the state of the road but were told yesterday by Anton, a Russian we met in the border queue yesterday, that the road was in good condition. Russian third party insurance was straight-forward to get and we were away. We then drove past a five mile, eight kilometre, line of park trucks waiting to cross into Latvia. This must impact the cost of trade. The road ahead is patched and bumpy but otherwise ok, no potholes so far. The road changes to patched sections, then a completely recently resurfaced road, Kilometre after kilometre of beautiful road, with dozens of well constructed turn offs, that mostly go to dirt roads, grass tracks and fields signposted with European names.

We had both seen scary YouTube videos of Russia driving, which we probably should not have looked at, but most seem to occur in winter. Over the course of the day we saw a number of actions that one could describe as “interesting”, but only three in all, and most Russian drivers seem quite courteous to motorbikes. The first incident must have involved a Russian driver from Melbourne, pull over to the right to let you pass and then indicate left and pull across in front of you. Melbourne drivers do this as the tram track run down the middle of the road. The second I describe as “Three into Two does go”. In Lithuania we saw cars and trucks travelling in both directions move as far to the right to create a third lane down the middle for overtaking. You then have to work out who goes first. In Russia you get two trucks side by side coming towards you, you just move over and no problem!

As we rode further east, the country changed from swamp and forest to forest and finally cultivated fields and then the occasional town. WiFi signs exist on hotels and cafes, but in each case so far, for us, they do not work.

Traffic builds as we approach Moscow, only seen one Traffic Police car all day, probably because it is Saturday. As we have a visa deadline to leave Russia and we have been to Moscow before, we have booked the Hilton Garden Inn at New Riga for a couple of nights. Seems to be in the middle of nowhere. We wanted a nice hotel for a couple of nights and being a Hilton Diamond member we get extras at no cost. Hard to find, but in its own forest and since we arrived on bikes we created some interest among the guests and will be in some people’s photo album. Time for a shower and dinner.

Tomorrow will be filled with our usual domestic duties: bike checks, laundry, emails, banking, software updates. No more news from us until we get to Samara in 3 days time.

– Anthony

Jul 4 2014

East to Russia

Our day started later than planned with a visit to BMW Riga, where the very helpful staff fixed the wheel alignment problem discovered the day before, checked the bike to make sure everything was ok, at no charge, while we enjoyed relaxing in their coffee lounge. Our route then took us on the E22 which is the European road designation to Moscow, so easy to follow. A pleasant ride took us to the Lithuanian border around 3:40pm where we joined a queue to enter Latvian customs and immigration of some 25 cars and 4 british guys on bikes heading to Vladivostok. They were about 20 cars ahead of us and had been there for two hours! Two hours later they were headed back to Latvia, with missing paperwork and we had progressed about 10 vehicles. At what is normally a fairly quick crossing point, the volume of tourists and the required paperwork to be completed had blown out the crossing times. Portable toilets provided along the roadside should have given us an indication of possible delays. Still, at 11:30 pm Russian time and after seven hours of chatting, Anne even had whole conversations in German, making new acquaintances, thinking about setting up the tent and other adventures, we finally rode into Russia. The crossing process and tips is covered in more detail in the visas and admin section.

Too late to buy our Russian third party insurance, but still dusk, and with the help of the local policeman and others, the only 24 hour motel was identified across the road from the first petrol station. While still light at 11:30 at night we did not wish to try to find a place to pitch the tent. Very basic motel, our room probably visited by the local cat, but after 7 hours on our feet queuing, sleep beckoned.

– Anthony

We saw so many stork nests, from Poland to Latvia

Little did we know when we arrived 25th in line in the Latvia/Russia border that it would take us 7 hours to get through

We are now in no-man’s-land, having just left Latvia after 5 hours queuing and waiting to get to the Russian border. Anthony is very good at getting 10′ snoozes and recharging his batteries.

Jul 4 2014

First week on the road

Today marks the end of the first week on the road. We have covered 2,500 kms and ridden in 8 countries. The week has been relatively easy apart from having to keep moving to make our Russian visa deadline. As we have travelled only within the European Union (EU), we have had no border crossings to slow us down. It was interesting to note that as we crossed borders further east and newer EU members the border post buildings still exist, except the grass is now growing up in the roads. In Western Europe only a sign indicates where the border is. We also saw in the east people at the side of the roads selling fruit and other foods from cars or just a small box next to a bicycle. No doubt we will see this more as we venture into Russia and beyond. We get used to our way of life and forget how most of the world lives

Apart from the boots, all equipment is working well, but with all the modern technology we seem to spend a great deal of time co-ordinating recharging at night. In 1982 in our trip through Africa, we had a short wave radio with two AA batteries. It would also be useful if electrical equipment manufacturers could produce standardised cables to reduce our rats nest of cabling!

Riga has turned out to be a beautiful city with a lovely old quarter and a number of art deco and art nouveau buildings that attracted Anne’s interest and camera. See some photos below. We had a relaxing lunch at a street cafe and then back to the room to prepare for tomorrow’s ride into Russia.

We had planned to leave early but a small problem with my bike was discovered while doing our daily checks The right hand lock nut had come loose and I now have a 1.5mm difference between each side of my wheel alignment. While I have a good toolkit, it lacks the a spanner large enough for the quick release nut, so off to BMW Riga this morning to fix and then look for a 17mm spanner for next time, which will probably never happen.

Russia and the open road are ahead of us…

– Anthony

Dedicated to the children who were deported to Siberia 1941-1949

Park and river running through Riga

The Freedom Monument honouring soldiers during the Latvian war of Independence 1919-20

Honour guards at the Freedom Monument

The Blackheads House

City Hall Square

Alberta Street

Building on Alberta Street

Jul 2 2014

Kaunas to Riga

We started the day in Kaunas with a walk through the town, having a very late breakfast at a coffee shop which turned out to be a pizza place, that had Illy coffee!! What a brilliant idea they had of providing live basil plants on every table!

We left Kaunas at noon and went through 3 police check points today including the one at the Lithunia/Latvia border, with the police letting us drive through each time, totally uninterested in us. That won’t last, we know…!

Today was the most enjoyable day’s ride so far. Weather was kinder than the last couple of days, the scenery was gorgeous and the drivers, both trucks and cars were the most courteous, pulling over to let us through, or thanking us when we pulled over for them. And they didn’t sit right up against our back tyre when they wanted to overtake (like in Germany), but waited patiently a safe distance behind us.

The temperature has been very pleasant too – from a low of 14.5 to a high of 21 degrees celcius.

Lots of walking around Riga tomorrow 😊