13-14 - 07 - 2006

Novosibirsk – Tomsk

I start on time and actually ride all day. Nothing much to say about that. It is turning into a race now. I want to catch up with Doug, but Russian roads and Russian motorcycles are not meant to be ridden all day long. It would actually be great to attend the bike meeting in Tomsk. Might be interesting. Anyway, by the end of the day I have done about 700 kilometers and the hotel that I stop at is full. It is midnight. I was hoping on getting a room to recharge my phone and myself. No such luck. This is really the middle of nowhere and after a few cups of coffee and a can of Red Bull I decide to just keep on driving. Tomsk is still 500 kilometers away and I really want to ride in there with Doug. It is a long night. Fog, cold, Russian roads and cars with no lights make night-time driving quite an ordeal. After I pass Novosibirsk I meet a couple of Russian bikers that are escorting a German. Gino is driving a BMW and has been all over the world. He is an interesting guy. While we stop at a kafe to get a drink Doug arrives. I apparently passed him earlier on just before Novosibirsk. He was camping along the road with Russian bikers. I remember seeing the camp but not his motorcycle. Normal, since he puts a cover over his motorcycle at night. Anyway, we’re all together now and we make our way into the bike meeting compound. It is an old army base abandoned a long time ago. We set up camp and our Russian friends immediately fence off our camp and gather enough wood to build a small banya. I had a great conversation with Gino and go to bed too late. Need it be said that I am absolutely exhausted? I hope not. I ache all over and feel like an old man. I am not going to ride at night again in Russia and racing to get to a place is crazy. I’m taking it easy from now on. I look forward to some relaxing at this bike show.