We leave the Vlad Motor Inn, on the northern outskirts of Vladivostok, ready for a long day (with only a 30 day Russian visa, we need to motor to cross Russia, Mongolia, re-enter Russia and exit before the end of the 30 days) and excited to be starting this leg of our trip. The weather is not the best (just very wet fog again) but we are grateful it isn’t raining.

Just left Vladivostok city limits

Typical Soviet era apartments along the way

Beautifully painted houses brighten our dreary day

95% of cars in this area are right hand drive, reportedly a major cause of accidents

Such a good road this A-370!!

First road works

No time to wait for the steam roller

Where we had an early dinner outside Luchegorsk

Just south of Luchegorsk – it’s getting brighter!

Luchegorsk city limit monument

I have pinned a gostinitsa on our MapsMe – will they have a room for us we wonder?

Heading to Astoriya Gostinitsa (yellow and cream house) for the night, Luchegorsk

All I could find in the news about Luchegorsk that evening were articles on the town having being besieged by an invasion of 36 hungry bears back in Sept 2015! I am glad we weren’t there then.

We made good progress on day 1, having covered 470kms so we plan on covering only 270kms today and have the whole afternoon to visit Khabarovsk.

Our early morning fog north of Luchegorsk

Beautiful birch forests north of Luchegorsk

Typical Russian house, Dormidontovka

Old Russian church, Dormidontovka

Look!!!!! Blue skies!!!

Khabarovsk city limit monument

Lenin Square, Khabarovsk

In front of the Grado-Khabarovsk Cathedral of the Assumption of the Mother of God

Memorial to victims of WWII from Khabarovsk – so many dead…yet wars still continue…

Close up of the Memorial to victims of WWII from Khabarovsk – was there anyone left in the city?!

Spaso-Transfiguration cathedral, Khabarovsk

Street vendors, Khabarovsk

Bringing power to your home, Khabarovsk

One of many parks we walked through in Khabarovsk

Lenin street, Khabarovsk

Army Surplus store selling camouflage and equipment, Khabarovsk

I thought I’d make the most of the wifi here to share these photos with you now (no time for much commentary this time) as we don’t know what it will be like further along the Trans-Siberian Highway.

Anyway, all is well with us both, the road has been great, people friendly as always, the food pretty good too and I even had a cup of my favourite coffee from Ethiopia in Khabarovsk!! Life is good. And once again, thank you to our faithful followers for your messages and comments – it is great to feel connected to you all. Don’t expect to hear from us for a few days now. Til next time…

– Anne