We saw our first bear today before our morning coffee. Luckily for us it was in a cage outside a cafe. Not so lucky for the bear, but at least we felt safe. Safe until Geoff got a bit close taking a photo and it took a swipe at his leg....
Here's a travel tip. If you leave empty drinks cartons on the bike because there isn't a bin nearby, be prepared for a thousand ants hitching a ride!
The road to Vladivostok is a busy one, mainly because it's the only road! We made it to Ussurisk and luckily found a cheap hotel with secure parking in the town centre. A big guy working as a doorman for the cafe next door has a broken Honda Blackbird and would keep an eye on the bikes for us. Top bloke. In the morning I found a note on the bike from a local guy wanting to ride to Vladivostok with us, but he had to go to a bike meet that weekend. It must be a big meet judging by dozens of bike we saw riding in the opposite direction from us!
The last 30km into Vladivostok was a very busy dual carriageway leading straight into the town square. We had made it!
Typically all the hotels were expensive and as all the bikers had left town we had no luck finding the elusive Iron Tigers. No-one had heard of them except for a scrupulous taxi driver wanting 500 rubles....
The Hotel Vladivostok was our refuge for the next three nights in order to be registered. A fiat Ducato camper van sat in the car park and the next day we met Phil and Dorothy Spain, a lovely couple from Ramsgate on there way back home from the States via Russia, Mongolia and a few of the Stans. All they needed was an alternator from the UK. Their van had been raided and most of their stuff stolen and the alternator had mysteriously burnt out. All this happened on the boat from USA! To say Phil was in high spirits wouldn't be the truth....
Follow their amazing journey at http://www.wrinkliesontherun.com/ and feel free to donate to their charity!
I found the Iron Tiger's shop on the internet http://www.vladmoto.ru/ but no address. No-one knew where it was and it took three days for someone to answer the phone. That someone happened to be Mad Max, who swiftly turned up at the hotel on a souped up Honda Blackbird. His bike turned into a swift through the busy traffic as he led me to the shop. Geoff stayed behind to meet with Phil's Russian fixer to see if he could help us ship the bikes to Anchorage.
I met Mikail Shlushkin, the owner and leader of the Iron Tigers. All were busy doing 'business' and I was left to wander around for a while. I didn't feel welcome at all and was beginning to think it was a mistake to be there until Mikail finally came outside and welcomed me, saying they help all bikers and we were welcome to stay at there shop for as long as we liked for free!
Like I said before, you can get better than a Kwik Fit fitter....
Here's a travel tip. If you leave empty drinks cartons on the bike because there isn't a bin nearby, be prepared for a thousand ants hitching a ride!
The road to Vladivostok is a busy one, mainly because it's the only road! We made it to Ussurisk and luckily found a cheap hotel with secure parking in the town centre. A big guy working as a doorman for the cafe next door has a broken Honda Blackbird and would keep an eye on the bikes for us. Top bloke. In the morning I found a note on the bike from a local guy wanting to ride to Vladivostok with us, but he had to go to a bike meet that weekend. It must be a big meet judging by dozens of bike we saw riding in the opposite direction from us!
The last 30km into Vladivostok was a very busy dual carriageway leading straight into the town square. We had made it!
Typically all the hotels were expensive and as all the bikers had left town we had no luck finding the elusive Iron Tigers. No-one had heard of them except for a scrupulous taxi driver wanting 500 rubles....
The Hotel Vladivostok was our refuge for the next three nights in order to be registered. A fiat Ducato camper van sat in the car park and the next day we met Phil and Dorothy Spain, a lovely couple from Ramsgate on there way back home from the States via Russia, Mongolia and a few of the Stans. All they needed was an alternator from the UK. Their van had been raided and most of their stuff stolen and the alternator had mysteriously burnt out. All this happened on the boat from USA! To say Phil was in high spirits wouldn't be the truth....
Follow their amazing journey at http://www.wrinkliesontherun.com/ and feel free to donate to their charity!
I found the Iron Tiger's shop on the internet http://www.vladmoto.ru/ but no address. No-one knew where it was and it took three days for someone to answer the phone. That someone happened to be Mad Max, who swiftly turned up at the hotel on a souped up Honda Blackbird. His bike turned into a swift through the busy traffic as he led me to the shop. Geoff stayed behind to meet with Phil's Russian fixer to see if he could help us ship the bikes to Anchorage.
I met Mikail Shlushkin, the owner and leader of the Iron Tigers. All were busy doing 'business' and I was left to wander around for a while. I didn't feel welcome at all and was beginning to think it was a mistake to be there until Mikail finally came outside and welcomed me, saying they help all bikers and we were welcome to stay at there shop for as long as we liked for free!
Like I said before, you can get better than a Kwik Fit fitter....
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