New chain and making my way east
Set off after I discovered that I missed a time zone change. Said goodbye and my heart felt thanks to Vova and Jenya. They were amazingly kind and hopefully I can repay them next time they make it to Germany. The drive was uneventful to Novosibirsk, which I just drove thru to continue on to Kemelovo….
20 - 30 miles before Kemelovo after a stop at a petrol station to get something to drink. I heard a crunching noise, then no drive. So pulled in and horror the chain lock had disintegrated. Crap, pulled the chain out to see if it was OK but the whole chain was twisted. So that was scrap metal, also chain guard and chain oiler were ripped off. So installed new chain and for the first time riveted a chain lock in place. Hopefully this will hold. While working on the bike a guy stopped to see if I was OK.
Once all the work was done and the tools packed away I added one to the dropped bike statistic. Just climbed on and leaned the bike to the right so I could get the sidestand up when I lost it. Tried to pick it up but no go just to heavy. Tried flagging down the first car that drove by at 70 mph. Of course didn’t stop, or so I thought. Started unstrapping the luggage when I heard a car reversing. The guy must have overshot me by quiet a bit but still he had reversed back and helped me pick up the bike.
I got lost in Kemelovo because signs are so seldom so if you miss one you are screwed. Stopped at a truck stop / motel. I like those places. Cheap, good food and guarded parking. Had not quiet climbed of the bike when drunk truck driver started talking to me. It was actually a trio of truckies (Eugene, Stas, Sergey). Very nice guys that helped me order food and gave me two CDs with Russian music as gifts.
Its amazing that it seems to be in the culture to make gifts. The Russian couple I met on the road in Kazakhstan gave me a small carabiner, Vova gave me a Lenin pin and now the truckies. I feel really bad because I have not really anything to offer, because I only carry the essentials and I forgot to get some small thing from Dublin or Euskirchen to give a way. Hmm.
Day 48
2. June 2009
Start: Barnaul, Russia
End: Bergozovski, Russia
Miles today: 337
Miles total: 8305
Odometer: 14559
Bike Dropped: 3
Speeding Tickets: 1
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