Jacque and Mandy in a huge Toyota 4x4 arrived at the hotel. He was a South African living in Australia with a British passport. No I don't understand it either but they were heading in the same direction a s Phil and Dot, so Phil at least had someone to drive with. Providing his alternator arrives...
I headed off to look for another Aussie couple, Mike and Jo, riding a BMW GS 1100 who had left a note on my bike. Phil Joined me for a stroll so he could tell me his worries waiting for his alternator and being stuck in Vladivostok a long way from his family, without letting Dot know just how depressed he was. He had to put on a brave face to keep her spirits up. I was concerned about running out of money in the States as some of the shipping quotes we got were more than the bike was worth! We both knew everything would work out fine somehow and cheered each other up.
We said our farewells and rode to Vlad Moto. I didn't get much sleep as usual, choosing to sleep on the office floor giving Geoff some space upstairs. Very heavy rain all night and throughout the day, meant we had a damp bus ride back to the hotel to use their free WI FI! The quote for flights were ridiculous so we decided shipping the bikes was the way to go, we just had to find a company who would let us share a container, but that's not the Russian way of doing things. They have a set way, with no compromise and if you don't ask the rights questions, you won't get the answer you want. They don't give alternatives to their straight answers. For example, I asked Mikail if I could make him a coffee.
"No."
"Ok, no problem. Is there anything else I can get you?"
"I don't drink coffee in the afternoons, only in the morning."
"Ok, I understand, would you like me to get you something else to drink?"
"In the evenings I drink maybe, tea."
"Ok, would you like me to make you a cup of tea?''
"Yes."
Mike and Jo arrived to wash their bike the next morning, otherwise they would get charged $1000 for customs to clean it for them when entering Australia! We changed our brake pads and when Phil and Dot arrived in a taxi I went back to the hotel with them on the bus (about 25p) to use the hotel WI FI. Geoff sent a text message saying how enjoyable the Iron Tigers barbecue was....
They were celebrating a shipment of bikes arriving and were decidedly over refreshed with drink when I returned. I still had to help resolve the problem of the vodka bottle needing to be empty long after Geoff staggered upstairs. At least I slept well that night!
I headed off to look for another Aussie couple, Mike and Jo, riding a BMW GS 1100 who had left a note on my bike. Phil Joined me for a stroll so he could tell me his worries waiting for his alternator and being stuck in Vladivostok a long way from his family, without letting Dot know just how depressed he was. He had to put on a brave face to keep her spirits up. I was concerned about running out of money in the States as some of the shipping quotes we got were more than the bike was worth! We both knew everything would work out fine somehow and cheered each other up.
We said our farewells and rode to Vlad Moto. I didn't get much sleep as usual, choosing to sleep on the office floor giving Geoff some space upstairs. Very heavy rain all night and throughout the day, meant we had a damp bus ride back to the hotel to use their free WI FI! The quote for flights were ridiculous so we decided shipping the bikes was the way to go, we just had to find a company who would let us share a container, but that's not the Russian way of doing things. They have a set way, with no compromise and if you don't ask the rights questions, you won't get the answer you want. They don't give alternatives to their straight answers. For example, I asked Mikail if I could make him a coffee.
"No."
"Ok, no problem. Is there anything else I can get you?"
"I don't drink coffee in the afternoons, only in the morning."
"Ok, I understand, would you like me to get you something else to drink?"
"In the evenings I drink maybe, tea."
"Ok, would you like me to make you a cup of tea?''
"Yes."
Mike and Jo arrived to wash their bike the next morning, otherwise they would get charged $1000 for customs to clean it for them when entering Australia! We changed our brake pads and when Phil and Dot arrived in a taxi I went back to the hotel with them on the bus (about 25p) to use the hotel WI FI. Geoff sent a text message saying how enjoyable the Iron Tigers barbecue was....
They were celebrating a shipment of bikes arriving and were decidedly over refreshed with drink when I returned. I still had to help resolve the problem of the vodka bottle needing to be empty long after Geoff staggered upstairs. At least I slept well that night!
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