Leaving it all

The first day on the road is always the worst. Especially if you just left what has become your family over the past 5 years not knowing if you will ever see them again.

I had to go north of Moscow to exit along the Baltic Sea into Estonia. I didn't want to but, due to restrictions, I had to go there. Along the way I passed through the Luga area where a lot of fighting took place during WWII

I have no idea how many were in this cemetery but it was huge and many of the fairly freshly dug.

And an old bunker located in Luga.

I wanted to get as close to the border as I could. About 60 miles away I found this little campsite beside the river. The road to get there wasnt the best so it was an interesting ride!

I was dreadfully cold during the night. I was in my sleeping bag with long underwear on and all my clothes piled on top of my yet still cold. In the morning there was frost on the ground when I looked out so I went back to sleep.

This is what it looked like when I finally got out of the tent at 10:00.

Yoshi was cold and wet!

I started off towards the border. I got there and it went fairly painless. They actually asked for the proper documents, which is a first in about 10 crossings during my time here in Russia.

After the border I stopped at this little airfield to eat breakfast.

I got to a town in Estonia, Tartu, I was looking for some lunch and stumbled across the Stihl Timber Sports event they were having

I was trying to convince them to let me have a go on this bike but alas they told me it was time to move on.

The main square in Tartu

I found my way to a little farm that advertised camping. Got my tent set up just as the rain came!

This is what dinner looksl ike for me more often than not. Bread, cheese and some kind of sausage. It looks strangely like breakfast to!

Woke up the next day and headed out.

Beautiful weather! Estonia is one of my favorite countries in Europe!

Leaving Russia

After 4 years 8 months and 19 days my time has come. My contract here in Russia is up and I dont have any commitments until the beginning of August. I have a little over 2 months to enjoy life and putz around Europe!

I will be leaving Moscow later this week my first goal is Brussels to meet some an old friend from Antarctica. Then to France for the 24 Hours of Lemans!!!! After that the plan is pretty vague. I know my Dad will meet me in Frankfurt in June and I plan to make it to a Yamaha Warrior meeting in Germany in July that's about the extent of the plan at the moment. 

My Warrior is a 2008 that is slightly modified

That picture is from another little adventure I had Not loaded quiet that much for the trip, but you get the idea.

I affectionately call it Yoshi, named after the Yoshi in the Super Mario video games I played as a child. 

In the game Yoshi carried that arsehole Mario all over the world. This Yoshi carries my lazy kiester all over the world.

In the game Yoshi ate berries and crapped out egss with all kinds of fun things inside. My Yoshi eats 92 octane and puts out pure fun and excitement!

Yoshi in the game occasionally would kick Mario off and run away. This Yoshi has gotten a little to excited twice and invited me to get off rather quickly

Yoshi in Super Mario World would eat the enemies in front of Mario protecting him. My Yoshi eats up potholes, rocks, sand, water and a multitude of other things that end up in our path.

Lastly just like in the game under certain conditions my Yoshi can fly to!

Here is the bigger tool kit I carry with me. I keep the tools inside an old Dewalt drill case.

The tool kit above is what I have with me usually it goes with me as I travel but if I am stationary in an area for a while I dont carry it. It gets left in the hotel or where ever I am staying. 

Here is what it includes:

Wrenches 22, 19, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12 ,11 ,10, 9, 8, 7, 6 and also a 27 mm wrench for the rear tire.

Sockets a set from 4mm to 19mm plus 36mm for the steering head, 30mm pulley nut and 27mm for nut on the swing arm pivot shaft. 2- 6" 3/8 drive extensions and one 9" extension. also a set of hex sockets.

Electrical tape, tie wire, lighters, emergency belt, 10 in 1 screwdriver, 12" long 3/16" flat time screwdriver, one small instrument screwdriver, no-ox for electrical connections, crimping pliers, small vise grips, clutch cable, bag a miscellaneous electrical connectors and spare o rings for my dry break. 

1/4 and 3/8 drive ratchet

Here is the packed product

I have a small leather bag I made up and have strapped to the forks. This little tool pouch is always with me.

It has the stock tool kit along with some plugs for tires, zip ties, a bit of tie wire, flashlight, heat shrink and a small pair of channellocks

This is the spare parts I will be carrying with me

I got a fuel pump, fuel injectors, a new LAS, a new relay unit, CPS and a few random nuts and bolts. The spare parts will be riding in a little box I made and have mounted to one of the saddle bags

I also have a small compressor hiding in the mess can you can see mounted on the right side of the bike just above my exhaust

Decisions decisions and the end of the trip.

I had some decisions to make. I was having issues getting money from the ATM's and didnt have enough cash to go on seeing everything i wanted to. After some thought I decided to head to Tver and stay at Okcana's home the rest of my vacation. There I could relax and she is an amazing cook!

So off I went. First through the town of Ustyuzhna. I wasnt expecting much from any of the towns I passed through. Considering was was going through the middle of the Tver district and nobody I had ever talked to said there was anything interesting there.

I ran into this church

I was kind of smitten with it and right across the street was their memorial to the war.

Then down the way I went until I ran into this church on the outskirts of town.

Something about it was just amazing

So i eventually kept driving and the road turned to dirt/gravel again. This only lasted for about 100km though so it wasnt to bad.

Finally made it to Bezhesk where I saw this bus as I was waiting for a train to pass

After Bezhesk there was this old abandoned church. 

After that smooth sailing to Okcanas house about 400 km total for the day.

So I stayed at Okcanas house the last few days of my vacation. Finally being able to find an ATM that would give me some money on the next to last day of my vacation.

Saturday night we ordered some pizza and ate and relaxed. I woke up Sunday morning about 3:00 am the pizza I had eaten didnt agree with me! I had to get home on Sunday so about 7 am I felt well enough to give it a shot. It felt like a long ride home, 160 km, hoping and praying I didnt have to make and "emergency" stop. Luckily I made it and have had time to recover now.

I came up with this map. Thats the approximate route I took

Total of about 3,600 miles or about 5800 km! I think something about 400 miles, 650 km, were on dirt or gravel roads.

Bike now has just shy of 43,000 miles on it.

Cant wait for the next adventure!

WWII in Vologda

On my way out in the morning I stopped here to take some photos. It is some kind of recreation of an ancient ritual site where magic was performed.....

Started to drive to Vologda. It was 600km away but luckily the road was almost new the whole way!!!!! 

Found this little church along the way dedicated to the people from the area who died in WWII

Finally got to Vologda and was needing some more money, the whole tire fiasco added up in a hurry. tried to go to a ATM my credit card was denied.. tried my Bank card denied.... Called them up and they said ohh its not us it probably has to do with the sanctions from America placed on Russia....

Well **** I guess I am not staying in a hotel tonight.

Anyways I checked out Vologda This building was used as a hospital during the war.

During the early part of the war in Russia a lot of people were evacuated to this area as the Germans advanced. So there are a lot of graves around from the wounded men who were evacuated and didn't make it. After the war a lot of POW's were kept around the area also.

Anyways Vologda walking park

Lenin saying hello as normal

There is also a Kremlin in Vologda though I somehow failed to get a decent picture of it. Here is the best I got you can see it in the background

After that I headed on down the road first to Cheropovits I had been told there was a grave/monument there to the POW's that died in the camps. There is supposedly an American buried there.... I never did find it and it was rush hour so I kept on going. Finally found a place to camp but it was horrible so I didn't get any photos.

Another tire and a day at the beach

So after the cemetery I started with the closest place which was the Yamaha Dealership. I walked in saw new motorcycles and boats and thought I had hit the jackpot!

Then I was informed they had no tires in stock since it was Saturday they could order some and maybe they would be in by Tuesday.

I went to the next place same story only scooter tires.

Last place I knew of I walked in and the Salesman and Mechanic where the only ones there. They said no they had no tires. I was a little dejected and about to leave when the Mechanic stopped me and started making some phone calls. I thought he located one. We were having issues communicating though as to how I could get there. Finally the Slaesman said get in my car I will take you. So off we went the salesmen explaining that essentially the shop was closed because the Mechanic couldn't make any sales.

We got there but they had no tire. So we stopped in a car tire place on our way out to ask if they knew of anyone. They said wait we have ONE motorcycle tire in stock. I am thinking yayaya ok ok so they bring it out and its a 190/50/17! Not my ideal size but I think it will work

We strike a deal that if it doesn't work I can bring it back for my money back. so off the a tire changing place

So for the third time in about 5 days off the rear tire comes.

IT WORKED!!!

I headed back to the motorcycle shop to tell them the good news. I tried to give the Salesmen, Pavel, some gas money but he would have none of it. So I offered to buy lunch but again no. So I asked when they closed I can come back and buy a couple beers for them. Finally it was decided that I would go to the lake that evening with Pavel and his friends and I would buy some beer!!!

I had almost no clean clothes but I did what I could then I had no sunscreen lotion and getting burned sounded no fun. We all drank and had a god time though.

Pavel and I

Friends

We all had a good time and went back to the city for a couple more beers. After that I went to my hostel where I got to listen to someone snore like a chainsaw all night

Next day I woke up and went to an outdoor museum Mallie Karellie. it is the largest outdoor museum in Russia, and I believe Europe. It is dedicated to wooden architecture

They have taken old buildings from around the Russian north and moved them here for the museum

An example of how the onion domes were constructed back in the day

After that I headed back to Arkhangelsk to see the downtown a little better eat then head down the road

To the victors in the 1918 war

A new church being built

I stopped by the police station on my out of town to ask about my missing license plate again. They looked at me like I was stupid and told me not to worry about it just keep my documents and head back to Moscow it will be fine

I saw this Monastary on the side of the road and decided to check it out

Then I saw these old buildings off in the distance I wanted to check out. I couldn't figure eout what road to take so I took one and ran into some kids about 14 years old. I asked them about the buildings they were just staring in amazement at me. Finally one said ohh ya its a big building. Well is this the road to it? uhhh ya. ok is it far? uhhh no probably no.

With that I continued on only to figure out it wasn't the right road lol kids....

Finally I got there it was an old church built in 1688

this old church was beside it also falling apart

After the old chuch I found I started looking at the GPS and the next big town I wanted to check out was 700km away... It was almost 6:00pm so I decided to start looking for a camping spot. I try to start looking around 6:00 sometimes I find one real quick other times it takes an hour or 2. Tonight was one of those times I just couldn't find anything good.

Finally settled on this place