The Kaz government restricts internet sites and I will not be able to get on this site or update my blog while in Kaz.

I fly to Almaty tomorrow at 5am uugghh via Moscow and arrive in Kaz at about 10pm Kaz time

I will spend the weekend trying to find a cheap bike there and next week getting another Mongolian visa. This is because the Chinese government has not allowed us transit papers to get through one of their provinces. So we travel into china up to Mongolia bypassing the province and then back into china. If I cannot get a cheap bike I will ride with David and Lyn in their 4×4. It will be a pity not to be on a bike but at least I’ll still be going overland 🙂

I must leave Kaz before the 20th august as that is when my Kaz visa expires, so lots to do and plan, most important of which is to meet up with the group.

Cheers for now until I can get back on the blog 🙂

I have now been in Irkutsk for 11 days and things at first went from bad to worse. I was towed here by an amazing Russian couple who found me on the road. We had a great adventure getting to Irkutsk together and I was very sad when they left to complete their trip. I stayed wafting for my bike to be fixed and in the mean time sorted my Russian transit visa out.

After a week I was told my bike is fine the mechanic has fixed the hole in the radiator and all is well. I was a bit worried as I could not see how it would be fine with just affixed radiator when it was totally dead due to overheating. So off I went to collect Dizzy on Sunday and things were not good at all. He sounded bad felt bad and cut out every time I slowed down. I went back to the mechanic who called a friend of his who speaks English and told me this is normal. So off I went back to the church thinking this is no way normal. I spoke to a few bikers on the net who agreed and I returned to the mechanic and his English speaking friend who said I should just clean the air filer and carburetor. So on Tuesday I did that plus changed the oil filter since that just needed to be done.

Well this did nothing and I got another biker to take me back to the church on my bike so he could see for himself. WELL I am not a nervous passenger and have never been but I literally closed my eyes during the journey these Russians are crazy. But when we arrived that church (where I am staying) I noticed that Vadim was looking quite pale too. It’s no fun riding a bike that cuts our every time you slow down thorough peak hour traffic I a city the size of Irkutsk. So Vadim immediately call the mechanic and said this bike is very sick. That was when the story was translated correctly. The overheating has bent / warped (whatever the tec term is) the piston and piston rings. The mechanic (apparently the best in Irkutsk and I do now have renewed respect for him) manually fixed the piston and made new rings. He did this because it would take a month to get the new parts which were really needed for Dizzy.  The piston is therefore vibrating in the cylinder and that is the bad noise and the bad fit is the reason it cuts out all the time.

I spoke to more people on the net including my brother, Anthony, who is an aircraft engineer and they all said no way do not ride this bike. Ant said Please don’t ride this bike just accept that It is over (first time I’ve ever listened to my big brother) this bike will not get you 200km let alone 2000, and never  the 10000 I need to go,  it needs the right parts. SO I accepted that Dizzy was beyond repair in Russia. Many conversation and investigations later, including my friend awesome Eric in Laos offering to ship his DRZ parts piston, values etc etc to me it looked like nothing would really guarantee success. Even if the parts did arrive on time and thought customs etc (and we would be cutting it very thin) we could not guarantee that the bike would be 100%, something else may just be wrong too.

So I sadly decided to ship dizzy back to Europe, but this left me in Siberia. Now this sounds really simple but it took days to discover that there was no way I could hire a car and get Dizzy to Almaty. Unless you are in a country where you do not understand the language or read the alphabet  you cannot understand just what it’s like to organism something as “complicated” as  a hire car. In Europe one simply hops on the net and in 2 minutes you have a car that you can take to any country.

Well deciding to ship Dizzy back home is one thing paying for it is another. I finally received 3 quotes from usd3000 to 4050 hmm well that isn’t gonna happen. SO Dizzy will stay in the garage of my friend Vadim and he will try and sell him for me. If he can great and if not well that’s life maybe I’ll come back next year fix him up and ride him back home.

 I had decided to chuck up the china trip and fly to Laos and hire Eric’s DRZ and just spend the rest of my trip there. Although that would have been great on one hand I felt really bad as my trip is all about Zurich to Singapore OVERLAND. Not wussing out and flying to Laos. So after many more conversation and a couple of nights sleep I decided to give it one more go. I’d fly to Almaty and try getting a second hand bike there. If this did not work I would hitch a ride in the 4×4 with Lyn and David, as least I’d still be going overland. Then when we all got to Laos I’d rent Erics DRZ and spend the last month of my trip back on a bike.

So today, my birthday, I bought the best gift I have ever given myself a ticket to Almaty and although I have really enjoyed Russia and have been made to feel VERY welcome in the church I am very much looking forward to just moving on.

My favorite ladies, in the church: Olga, Alexandria, Maria and Masha, feeding me as usual.

Just rereading this post I relaise that I really am not a very eloquent person, since I just cannot describe the last few days very well. I feel like I’ve been on such a rollercoaster. One minute being really down and just wanting to dig a hole and pull the soil over my head then been told my bike is ok, then back to the hole then picking myself up and deciding to drive my bike in a van to Almaty and get Erics engine only to be told at the airport ‘’you want to drive a Russian car to Kazakhstan no way are you crazy Niet niet’ . Although I was feeling very sorry for myself I did realise that many many people in the world have far worse things to deal with and worry about so I did try and keep that in mind, which I think was one of the things that made me man up and just get on with it even if it meant riding shotgun. So it’s been all ups and down but finally light at the end of the tunnel and a plan of action.

Goodbye Dizzy 😦

I have now spent a week in Irkutsk and although it is a nice city and the church people have made me feel very very welcome I not only do not want to overstay my welcome but I desperately want to get back on the road. I should be collecting my new visa today and heading off tomorrow but things do not look good. The Dizzy is still not going well. The mechanic insists he is fine but he keeps stalling and does not sound good. So today I will change the oil and oil filter, put a new air filter in (the current one is a mess) and clean out the carburetor as I hope (and though many online discussions) we think the problem may just be dirty fuel or dirt in the carb, we will see. I am therefore going to postpone my leaving day until Wednesday the 8th August – my birthday which will hopefully bring me luck 🙂

I need to feel good again as I am now nervous and alone for the first time on the entire trip, if Dizzy gives me more problems I have no idea what to do as I am not ready to give up yet. However I need to shake this blue mood 😦 I know it sounds silly but I feel like a bird whose wings have been cut off, I feel so trapped and frustrated I am just itching to get back on the road, but on a bike that works.

In the mean time I have managed a trip to a Cossack village, the lake Baikal museum and Lake Baikal with father mark and it was a great day. The museums are wonderful so well done and very interesting. My favorite part was seeing the lake Baikal seals, they are fresh water seals and the cutest things. They are so small and fat they are almost round like little balloons not like the big sleek seals we usually see.

I also took the translator Andrey (who helped me with my visa) and his family to dinner on lake Baikal. His wife Anna and I got on very well and he has the cutest 3 boys ever Simon 9, Alexander (Shasha) 7 and Nicolai 7 months. They kept us in stitches and it was a great evening.

My dad on his adventure biking trip in South Africa back in the 80s, and people wonder where I get it from 🙂

At 80 (now 82, 2012) and still on a bike 🙂

My brother Anthony (ant) when he got his new bike a few years ago.

My newphew Mathew (Matt, Ants son) on his bike

My griffin tatoo and dedication to my parents: The Eagel – my Dad always dreaming of the sky and wanting to fly, my dad gave me my adventurous side and taught me that nothing is impossible. The Lion – my Mom the strongest woman I know, my mom gave me my pragmatic side and taught me compassion

what a day … spoke to the mechanic who said bike is fine he fixed the hole in the radiator and now it is ok. I am VERY worried as I know about the hole and have been toping Dizzys radiator every day and trying to limp him to a mechanic. Then he died completely and everyone i.e. mechanics, me couple who towed me (and one is a mechanic) said this was really serious so I cannot understand how just fixing the radiator has cured him…well I guess I can only wait and see.

Then my Russian friend in Zurich managed to find a translator for me in Irkutsk to help me with the Visas. I called him and asked him how much he charges and he said “if it’s ok with you I won’t charge you as I have not done this process before so can only try and help as best I can” WOW how nice is that and he was great spoke amazing English and has been a HUGE help. So basically we get to the immigration office and they go NUTS at me. Tell me I’m going to be arrested get me to write a whole doc with all details and then get interpreter to write it in Russian. Get every detail of date’s hotels where I stayed and then call them to verify that I stayed there. Then we go upstairs to the big boss and fill in a ton of bleeding Russian paperwork. We are there for 3 hours NOT waiting but actually being interviewed or should I say interrogated and filling in paperwork.

Then the boss says to the immigration officer, I want this (i.e. this stupid tourist) dealt with today get a judge and sort it out. The immigration officer he put in charge of the case then was actually nice sweet. He sported a judge out filled in the court forms and off we go a few blocks to the court house. I SERIOUSLY thought I was going to be arrested. We wait and wait and wait then the judge walks past and the court clerk calls us into court. I mean SERIOUSLY actual Russian court judge in black robe, court clerk saying (in Russian) please stand honorable bla bla bla She reads the file, YES I now have a Russian case file and can partition the counts for a copy if I want one. She then tells the translator to go over all the legal jargon my rights etc. We do the whole court things I give the story the translator translates then immigrating officer gives his bla bla etc

She turns to the immigration officer and says why are you wasting my time this lady is clearly here because of circumstances beyond her control, why do you want me to punish her, you are wasting my time. He says it’s protocol that the senior immigration officer is on leave and no one other than him or a judge can take responsibility so that is why we are here. The protocol is that I must be fined. Judge goes off to her chambers to deliberate. Comes back and says ok guilty but I will give you the minimum fine of 2000 roubles and I hope this small incident doesn’t’ spoil your impressions of / or time in Russia. Hey what a cool judge, and that all took just 3 more hours.

SO 6 hours later I finally get in a taxi home. Oh yes they took my fingerprints and everything to now put in my Russian legal file, damn I should get a copy of that. Now I have to go back to the immigration office tomorrow after going to the bank to pay the fine. Strange system but the immigration officer said it’s because of corruption the fine must go directly into the bank account. I still have no idea how long it will take for them to give me that visa but I’m holding thumbs it’s not long 🙂

Not a very good picture but I had to take it sureptitiously on my phone while the judge was out the room. Why they had a seriously outdated phone on the judges bench was beyond me, but I liked the plant in the window making the room seem homely …NOT… tried to take a picture of the docs which had bars (no I didn’t need to sit behind the bars) but it didn’t come out.

Father Mark and Vadim

 We finally set off to find a truck to take the Dizzy to Irkutsk to a mechanic. Well again no luck the drivers are just not having any of it, so once again we must tow Dizzy the now last 100km to the city. Uuuggghhh I hate this part but we have no choice. So poor Joan and Ihlena do yet another great things for me and finally get me to Irkutsk. There they call the local bike club and one of the members come out to meet us on the city outskirts and show us where the local mechanic is.

They take one look at Dizzy listen to all the details of his death and shake their heads. Then grin and say no problem stupid English woman (well they’re speaking Russian so I’m guessing here) we’ll do our best and take care of your bike. They say they will open Dizzy up and give a proper diagnosis then but at the moment from the description think it’s a cracked cylinder but know that I need to travel another10000km or more over the next 4 months and decide to put their heart and soul into getting me back on the road.

In the mean time Ihlena has contacted another biker who we will be staying with. In the translation I thought she meant a pastor (church man) but soon found out she actually meant a Russian Orthodox church priest black beard and all. Father Mark arrives wearing a black leather jacket and riding a Harley. He unfortunately he does not speak English but is with his closest friend Vadim who speaks very good English and is a real character. Vadim is an actor in the traditional Russian theatre and we just get along like a house on fire. He explains to me that Father Mark got special permission to have his bike and do bike pilgrimages around the city of Irkutsk so they have this whole Russian Orthodox bike club as well as a normal bike club. They showed me photos of one of the pilgrimages and it’s amazing seeing this Russian priest in his church gear riding a bike with a passenger carrying a large gold cross…surreal

No of course we don’t drink alcohol here this is a church, we only drink yoghurt 🙂

Father Mark is great and said (translating through Vadim) I am very welcome to stay at the church annex for as long as I need and make myself at home. The ladies who are in and out of the church annex some working there make me feel very welcome and keep feeding me 🙂

Ihlena and Joan sadly left today to continue their journey but we will keep in contact and I genuinely hope to see them again one day, my Russian angels.

I am very worried about Dizzy being fixed and at the moment feel like a grounded bird sounds crazy and silly but seriously I feel like a bird with its wings cut off.

Ihlena, Joan (John) and Father Mark

Joans cousins live on lake Baikal in a very small village and in a very traditional Russian house. I fall in love with them instantly they are fantastic. We arrive with no prior warning as Joan does not have their telephone number, at 10:30pm

Kolya and Valaria are overjoyed to see him and welcome us in with open arms, even though it is obvious they were just heading to bed PJs and all, Russian hospitality at its best. Within half an hour Valeria has potatoes peeled and on the boil, salad made and chicken out the fridge. We sit down to a very normal everyday meal…. Sorry Ihlena did you just say everyday Russian meal? This was a feast and the Russians take their meals seriously eating slowly eating a lot and enjoying themselves and their company. Kolya and Valaria grow their own food, have a cow and many chickens, pigs and dogs on their small holding. So everything we ate came out of their own garden.

Then the vodka came out with the question, Laura (what all Russians call me, I kind a like and may just change my name) would you have  a little bit of alcohol tonight, beer, wine, vodka? Damn I should have said no sorry I don’t drink. But instead said sorry I don’t drink beer or wine but will have one very small half vodka shot. Hmmmmm Russians do not do small shots…ok I think I can survive a real Russian vodka shot. When the second one is almost poured I quickly protest niet vodka niet vodka spasiba (Thank you) oh no Laura this is Russian tardyon you must drink 3 vodkas you cannot only have one. Well ok I guess I can survive 3…8 shots later and I am on my ear everyone was for a special reason one shot before you go and have a Russian Sauna, one shot after the Sauna, one shot before bed …. Mid way through the evening Joan brings out an accordion and then the singing starts but it was great, obviously I could not join in as it was all Russian but just great entertainment, what an experience.

…Oh no we’ve decided not to go to bed yet so another shot to celebrate women oh Laura you must drink that one since you are a woman, ah the bottle is almost empty ok one last shot before bed an dot finish the bottle. OMG I think the last time I drank that much was when I was a student, and I must quickly explain that although I was a rather naughty student I stopped drinking years ago and now drink very very little in fact I have become quite  a lightweight drinker, and the first vodka went straight to my head so image what the 8th did… FORTUNALTYE since I was in someone’s house as a guest I managed to behave but had a great time and slept like the dead. Which I might add was 4 am

So a quick word on the house and the Russian sauna. These old houses don’t have toilets or bathrooms but out houses and saunas. The sauna is not as hot as those we know about and in the Sauna are two large barrels one of very hot water and the other cold water and you are given a huge ladle and you go ahead and wash in the sauna and they are great….oh yes I was allowed the privilege of being able to sauna alone 🙂

The next day Kolya showed us his barrel, he has made a HUGE barrel and is trying to get permission to sail it on lake Baikal from top to bottom 600km. He is just a crazy and fantastic Russian.

It’s fun riding with another bike again and we stop at lake Baikal for a swim and park the bikes right on the pebble stone beach  (DAMN it’s freezing so I wussed out and just got my feet wet)

Hope back on the bikes and about 15km later Dizzy just stops. Game over we push him we do everything and he is completely dead. Joan has a good look and says this is not good it looks like there is anti-freeze in the cylinder (I am not sure about this as it’s kind of mimed Russian and Ihrena trying to translate)  So I am now royally stuck. Joan pulls out a rope and says ok he’ll tow the bike to the next town and we’ll try finding a trucker to take us to Irkutsk. Well there isn’t a trucker who is willing to do this so decide to carry on and tow the bike all 146km to Joans cousins’ place where we will stay the night.

Now I have to say being towed in a car for 146km would be no fun but try it on a bike. JEEEZ exhausting you need to concentrate so hard and keep the rope taut but not drag behind the other bike so need to be very careful on the breaks. Uphill’s are bad on the first bike but downhill’s are  a nightmare for me. And let’s not even mention corners or hair pin bends (I came off on one as the bike swung around on the rope and I lost control) Since we were travelling along lake Baikal we are talking about very windy roads and some pretty steep hills and descents, my nerves were shot. I really hope I never to have to be towed on a bike again (famous last words more posts to on this come later)

Also my bike although light at 146km has me 60km plus my travelling crap 45kg. The GSX has 2 people on it and a month’s worth of luggage. This was tough and every km I just prayed that the GSX would hold out.  We finally rock up at Joans cousins place and WOW what a night 🙂

Dizzy and I head off and I feel great again, I just love riding this and am once again happy and content but beginning to feel like I am in Groundhog Day and cannot get of Russia as the Km crawl slowly by.

I do about 650 or so km and start to get really tired and see a sign for Ulan Ude. We stopped there before on the way to the BAM road so I decide I’ll do the same and try persuading the hotel we were in to take me in.  3 km along the turnoff to Ulan Ude and I hear the most unbelievable bad noise. This grinding scrapping screech. YIKES I immediately stop get off my bike and have a look at it . I cannot see anything falling off so think ok let’s try and slowly and try assess where this noise it. I immediately hear it again and know it’s the back axel and now the wheel is starting to feel strange too. I have a look and can see bits of steel poking out and the rubber seal totally disintegrated. DAMN well I think at least I am close to town so can try grab a lift and find a mechanic.

Just then a Russian couple pull up on a bike, Joan (John) and Ihlena (who speaks some English) and are on their way back after travelling across Russia to Vladivostok for a bike festival. Just then a local biker pulls up and Joan asks him to show us the way to the mechanic. This guy does so but says the mechanic and most of the bikers are away for the weekend at another festival. Joan is a mechanic and offers to see what we can do once we get to where the mechanic workshop is. Surreal.. It’s an old abandoned building that the local bike club have taken over and turned into a workshop but sadly that is locked. Anyway we camp outside and Joan takes the wheel apart. It is so depressing there we sat with pliers pulling bits of steel out of the axel tube from the shredded whatever where the ball bearings sit and there is one ball bearing left. Joan takes the tube to some worksite on the road and gets them to rebore the middle. The next day he goes into town and finds a new part with bearings and voila my wheel is back in shape. DAMN how lucky am I. He also gets some stuff to put in the radiator to plug the hole. They are an awesome couple and we had a great evening so decide to travel together for 2 days as we are going in the right direction. We pack up and head off in great spirits.

So much has happened since my last blog I do not even know where to start so I will go back to the hotel that reluctantly let me stay. Since I was so panicked about my visa situation and the hotel not wanting me to stay I could hardly sleep that night. I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom slipped flat on my backside and hit my head on the wall HARD. I saw starts but did not pass out or throw up. I sat there for a minute and then put my hand to the back of my head and it was wet. FRACK I’ve split my head open I turn the light on grab a towel and there is seems to be a whole hell of a lot of blood pouring out the back of my head. My heart just stops, this hotel already don’t want me there and I do not want to draw attention to myself, what to do….I wet the towel and hold it to my head and it seems like ages but the bleeding eventually stopped. I decide I am not concussed and need to “man up” and reassess the situation. SO I go to sleep and the world seems brighter in the morning. I have a huge lump on the back of my head and can feel a small cut and scab where it slit but am now absolute sure it will be fine…wussy girl. Time to leave the hotel and head back out on Dizzy. I am in Chita and am going to try get as close to Irkutsk as possible so want to cover about 750km today.