We have been promised to write a report on our honeymoon spent traveling from Moscow to Vladivostok. Finally we came to do it. Below is a short story about our trip and link to the photos.
Our honey moon «Moscow – Vladivostok» started on the 10th of July. Oleg (Vara) and our friends –twins Kirill and Andrey (BMuu GS 1200 and 1200 Adventure) started from Moscow. The first week passed without Anna because she was able to leave only for 3 weeks, not more.
First 4000 km passed under rain and bad weather. Nothing interesting – just road full of big trucks and very slippery asphalt because here in Russia roads are built and repaired with a lot of tar. Somewhere near Ufa Oleg slipped on the go overtaking a truck. Leather trousers and side trunks and bags saved Oleg’s ass and bike. So after few minutes and few cigarettes journey was continued.
After a week and 4000 km we arrived to Krasnoyarsk. We met a guy on fuel station who invited us to local bike fest. In the night Anna arrived by plane and the next morning our friend also arrived by plane and received his BMuu GS800 from a transport company (he had only 3 weeks’ vacations also).
So we were together and we started with bike festival near river and local sightseeing. We never knew before that we have the nature which reminds us Aveyron, France ))) – river, mountains, bending roads. Also we had a day walking 17 km a foot in the National park “Krasnoyarsk columns”. In the end of the day we were sitting on the top of column looking at a green sea of Siberian Taiga. That was very beautiful. Here is a link with translated text about this park and columns -
http://everydayrussianlanguage.com/en/stories/krasnoyarsk-stolby/Then we continued riding to the East.
The weather was very hot. Our thermometer displayed +38 C on the go and “--” when we stopped. In two days we passed from Krasnoyarsk to Irkutsk. Nothing interesting on the road. Sometimes we passed road under construction (the main and only road to East still has gravel sections)
About 20 km to Baykal lake our WhitePower shock-absorber exploded (again!!) on gravel. Oil from WP dropped and smoked but we stopped fire with water. Anna changed a bike for this 20 km and Oleg continued with a broken WP on a spring. Then was a ferry to Olkhon island. It is Russia (we had to forget about Norway ferries). People in cars were waiting in queue more than 24 hours. Bikes may pass without queue and take small parts of floor which are left after cars loading but people doesn’t know it and they were ready to eat us because we passed to the head of queue. That was unpleasant moment.
It was very late when we arrived to Olkhon and we stopped on a wild coast using our tents. Two guys from Tomsk accompanied us and we stopped all together. We made fire, prepared common dinner and started thinking what to do with Vara and this WP. There are no trees and for fire we had to find dry cow shit. Honey moon!! looking for shit in darkness with light of cell phones. But we were in so good mood and this evening and night, dark sky full of stars and milky way left very nice memories.
In the morning we find a house to rent in village. We asked our friend (Alexey – we were together in France) to send us our old factory detail from garage by DHL to Irkutsk. So we had 3 days’ for rest on the lake. Baykal is really a king of lakes; it is very beautiful but it is for wild tourism. Comfort is too expensive there.
From the Olkhon island Anna was “evacuated” by shuttle bus with side trunks in hands ))). After 10 hours we met together near DHL office. Using a help-list we found a garage and Oleg changed WP to an old shock-absorber. Thanks a lot to Aleksander from Irkutsk and his family who spent few hours with us. Our trip was continued on “chopper” Vara – that is not good for Russian roads.
Next few days we spent on a bike-festival “Baykal coast” where we met new and old friends.
We came to Ulan-Ude. We stopped there in a bike-post. There was a big party. Many bikers from different parts of Russia met there in one day. From Ulan-Ude we decided to go to Mongolia. It was very interesting. Mongolian steppe, hills and vast expanses are great. They make to fill respect to the Genghis Khan homeland. The only one road with asphalt cover from Russian border to Ulan-Bator is bad. We suffered because of our “chopper” suspension. Cows, horses, ships, pigs, dogs, goats – they all walk crossing a road. But our friends with their BWM with suspension in order were very happy.
Then we returned to Ulan-Ude. And we decided to spend one more day there because of Ivolginsky datsan. Here is information about it -
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/russia/ivolginsky-datsan-buddhist-temple. It was not so impressive like article says. We couldn’t enter inside to take a look. So we returned to hostel, had a dinner and prepared to continue our trip on the next morning.
Then started the worst part of our journey. BMuu GS800 was stolen in the night. We spent all the day with police, guys from local MC arrived, we were really shocked. They stole traveler!
Unfortunately, our friend stayed in Ulan-Ude and then returned by plane to Moscow.
This story is disgusting. Criminals and government seems to be together. Using relations in police and prosecutor’s office in Moscow our friend returned his bike. Partly broken (as we understood they didn’t manage to start engine) but it was sent by transport company back to Moscow.
Because of non-planned day and late start from Ulan-Ude we met cyclone and 4 days we spent under rain. Slippery road again, bad view and not good mood. The road Ulan-Ude – Chita – Khabarovsk was finally constructed just few years ago. It has no facilities – no cafes, no motels, problems with fuel stations (once we used extra gasoline stock which we had with us). We had to make night stops in Mogocha – homeland of gold but miserable city – there is a garage which was built special for traveling bikers – no facilities, 2 sofas and table and very hospitable owner Alexander who was ready to feed, to warm and to converse with many people riding during 2 months thru his town.
The next stop was arranged by Alexander – he made a call to his friend in city Svobodny and we were met in a private house be very nice couple. They used to receive guests during a season for their safety.
Then we arrived to Khabarovsk. It is a big city full of crazy young people driving their cars like to the last way to hell. We arrived too late in darkness and haven’t seen the famous Amur river.
Next day – Khabarovsk – Vladivostok – during a day we were looking for hotel with parking in Vladivostok and finally we decided to spend more money than planned but make a stop in a big hotel with guarded parking – more money but more tranquility. We arrived to Vladivostok on the sun set with different feelings – yes we did it, but we lost bike and our friend returned home and we suffered from the weather and were tired.
Next few days we spent in Vladivostok and Nakhodka. The was a bike festival “on the edge of earth” – friends, beer, dancing, swimming in Japan see. 4 days of rest.
Then we returned from Nakhodka to Vladivostok, sent our bikes by transport company and flew 9-hour flight to Moscow.
