On the road again but alone this time

Since I had gotten so confused about my days it seems like my planned day to get things for the bike and go to the post office was a Sunday. This meant I had to do these things on Monday before I left. So quickly after the post office I went to the area where all the mechanic and trucker shops were to try find a spanner (I had lost my wheel spanner, a damn important tool) the bolts to fit my pannier (they had vibrated off on the BAM) A couple of shop owners just said no, others very carefully measured the bolt and then said no. I was panicking a bit and went to the same shop where I had got some cable ties. They guy studied the bolt mimed wait a minute and went to the back for ages. I could hear him scrabbling around what sounded like a huge box of steel bits. He came back and presented me with 2 bolts and a frown indicating that they might fit but he was not sure. I took them outside and voila perfect, I had my bolt and a spare. I asked him ‘skolka’ how much and he just smiled and said nieto. He was also the guy who had just given me a bunch of cable ties a couple of days before. Yet another example of how nice and helpful the Siberian Russians are. If only he knew just how important it was too have those bolts and how grateful I was.

Needless to say all this plus changing my tire and fixing my panniers and packing my bike took me until 2:45pm DAMN and I wanted to leave at 12. I decided that I still needed to push on as the hotel I was in was expensive and I am now on a TIGHT budget. I rode down to the ferry and had to wait 45 min for it and it takes an hour so I only got to the other side at 5pm. I happened to meet another 2 friendly Russians on the ferry and they told me that there is no way I’d get to Tommot before it was dark and suggested a town I could stay in as they ‘thought’ it had a hotel.

So off I set on the M56. Oh yes on the map the M56 is a highway well we had quite a laugh at that because this has got to be one of the worst dirt road ’highways’ ever mapped. Anyway I get to the town Natasha suggested and WOW talk about a one horse dive, but I am getting used to these little ugly towns with no redeeming features except the people. I stop at the shop and ask for a guesthouse and get told there isn’t one. It’s now 7:30 and ultimate deadline (I aim to stop at 5:30 when on my own) for stopping so panic that I will have to continue till quite late to get away from the towns and to a secluded campsite.