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Date:   22-30^th September 2007

Current Position:  Devon in the UK

Highlights: Not having to go back to Russia when Latvia would not accept my drivers licence, Holland, and catching up with friends in Holland and the UK. 

Total Distance of the trip: 25,560 Kilometres  

Diary Notes: Our drive west to London started with the 4x4 track out of the Russian 4x4 competition area and continually improved from dirt roads, to country roads, Russian two lane highways with their usual unevenness, to Poland’s 4 lane toll freeway, then Germany’s  6 and 8 lane autobahns. The reality had hit us that the adventure was drawing to a close.  There would be no more visits from the Mongolian herdsmen, or the Vodka drinking friendly Russians. Now we are just one of the many vehicles zapping along the highway a hurry to get somewhere. One does not even feel part of the country as you pass through. These super highways are contained within by long concrete barriers keeping out the surrounding world.

I had driven over 24 thousand kilometres when we arrived at the Latvian border, and only then, did one of the officials notice that my international drivers licence was valid up to 3,500 kilo, when our vehicles weighed 4490 kilo. (The GMV on the registration papers.)  In Australia our standard licence is valid for 4,500 kilo, but not the international one. This I had also not noticed. After 2 hours of discussion the three stared official came out of the ‘Control’ building and said “One vehicle Latvia, one vehicle Russia”. Bill fortunately had a truck licence hence he did not have a problem. When we said to the official “How do we get to London?” his response was “You can walk, or go by bus, but the vehicle stays in Russia”

“But…But.” Etc as I try to persuade him

 “It is not my problem!” was his response as he walked away to prepare the deportation papers.

We had a young lady, one of the border control officials, translating for us, who I felt was on our side. With her help, I thought we may have a solution, that if we returned to ‘No mans land’ in the middle where the Duty Free Shop was, we could perhaps arrange for one of truck drivers to take my vehicle through the border. The three stared official stated there were cameras watching and the paperwork had already been done, so that could not happen.

Our hearts sank, and as we were madly planning our next move to leave the truck in Russia and fly back to Australia to obtain the necessary paperwork, a second three stared official arrived on the scene. He seemed to grasp the situation and immediately arranged a driver from a passing van to jump in my truck and drive it to a holding area within Latvia. Lyn and I could now proceed to have our passports stamped and walk through the gates into Latvia.

Somewhere in this whole process we had also become real people, not just another number in the procession through the border. That, and some fast, and friendly talking saved the day. This may also serve as a warning to other travellers to recognise the weight difference on our driver’s licences. Technically I am driving illegally in Europe – but only if I get caught!

Approaching the border from Russia into Latvia there was a long line of trucks but nothing like the 49 Kilometres that were waiting to enter Russia from Latvia. The distance we measured; and yes, 49 kilometres. There must have been thousands of trucks and one can only imaging the costs of all that freight standing idle for days.  It is a fair indication of the exploding demand in Russia for foreign goods and the rapid growth of the economy.

Similarly from Germany to Poland the truck line stretched for 22 kilometres.

We caught up with Fred Krijgsman in the Netherlands. Fred, a freelance journalist and photographer for many 4x4 magazines, I have known for years having met him during events in Malaysia, New Zealand and many Outback Challenges. We camped in the trucks out side his house is family has occupied for 98 years. The house and street were both narrow, the vehicles making an unusual addition to the old neighbourhood.

Following doing the Holland windmill thing, we headed south and crossed the English Channel by ferry.  Feeling initially a little uncomfortable back on the right side of the road, we settle in quickly, and drop in at Canterbury, Stonehenge, and Bath for the tourist thing on our way to Devon.

The vehicles are now cleaned. Bills prepared for the container journey back to Australia, and ours, left here to be collected when we return to continue our travels.

Currently our plans are to return in the European summer (late May 2008) spend 4 months exploring Europe from Scandinavia to Spain and Greece, with the eventual plan to then cross into Africa and drive to Cape Town.

Many travellers would ask, “It must be expensive travelling like this?” I do not believe so.

Firstly we carried our own accommodation, and we only stayed in hotels for a total of 6 days in 4 months. Food we mostly purchased in local markets and prepared ourselves, or eat at small truck stops. Travelling in undeveloped Eastern Russia and Mongolia was the best, western Russia was a too much a road trip. Our costs in Mongolia for food (and we eat well), drink (wine, beer, spirits) and entry to national parks etc was A$2.90 per person per day. Eastern Russia was around A$4.50 per person per day.

Hence fuel is the main expense:

• Vladivostok to Magadan – 5,400Km, 900Lt, A$861.00. 17Lt/100Km or 16.5mpg. - We were driving fast on this section.
• Magadan to Mongolia – 5,950Km, 792Lt, A$849.00. 13Lt/100Km or 21mpg
• Mongolia – 5250Km, 604Lts, A$1017.00. 13Lt/100Km or 21mpg.
• Mongolia to St Petersburg – 7027Kms, 1008Lts, $698.00 12Lt/100Km or 23mpg.
• St Petersburg to Devon(UK) – 4280Kms, 275Lts,  $816.00

The trip has been great. The best experiences happened when they are not planned.

• The friendship and help provided by the Orista Company in Port Vostoychny during our two week delay in getting the vehicles.
• The 3 Russian firemen who arrived at our camp site to go swimming, and ended up drinking mates.
• Breakfast at the Zamacta Weather Station, after asking directions on the logging tracks to Lake Baikal.
• The numerous Mongolian herdsmen who dropped in to say ‘hello’ and finished asking us back to their ger camp.
• The camel train that arrived out of the desert at our ‘isolated’ camp.
• The invitations to the 4x4 competitions
• And the wonderful people we met along the way.

You can view our other adventures on our web site www.goannatracks.com

and also contact us through that site.

Soon it will be also updated with our Russia & Beyond adventure + more pics.

Until the next adventure

Cheers

Kym & Lyn

Date:   18^th-21^st September 2007

Current Position: Near Russian Border      

Highlights: St Petersburg and its Hermitage Museum, Top Russian 4x4 Comp. 

Total Distance to Date: 22,094 Kilometres Diary Notes: St Petersburg is spectacular, and as I said with Moscow, a must see before you leave this planet. The city was built by Tsar Peter the Great in the 18^th century as his summer residence and a showcase city to the word. He achieved this and created perhaps one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Exotic and opulent buildings, canals and fountains. Without creating a tourist log, our highlight was the hermitage; the winter palace that is now a museum. Stocked full of Rubens, Rembrandts and the odd Leonardo da Vinci; thousands of other paintings; then there is the palace fittings; gold leafed roofs; malachite and lapis lazuli 2metre high vases; marble staircases, thousands of square metres of inlayed floors using up to 75 different timbers, etc etc. As I said a must see, our photos only touch on the grandeur.We spent the next day touring other sights, but being Wednesday many were closed, hence we headed out of town, but not before stopping in at the Piskaryovskoe Cemetery where half a million WWII victims are buried in mass graves. The result of starvation, when the Germans surrounded the city and tried to wipe St Petersburg from the face of the earth. Actually one million died in the 900 days of the siege; up to 30,000 died per day. Very moving. On to more exciting things, we had an invitation from Yuri Ovchinnikov, who runs the Ladoga 4x4 Trophy, to see one of the finals of the Russian 4x4 Challenge – The Vesskiy Forrest 4X4 Event. We arrived at the competition site around midnight some 300 kilometres from St Petersburg. The vehicles were varied and some very impressive chain driven, with up to 3 winches weighing only 1300 kilo. The competition is very well run all ‘controlled’ by GPS tracking. Over 400 PS points, 280 Kilometres all to do in 52 hours, through mostly swamps, clay overgrown hills and chest deep rivers. Interesting is that all four levels of trucks, and the quad bikes do the same course. All done with only 5 competition managers/marshals. The full details I will publish later. Now we have a 4 day drive to London from Russia via Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Holland, and France. 4 days 8 countries.