Good news is we found a good bicycle shop in Novosibirsk. Bad news is we will spend an extra day here for repairs. On our first rest day I walked around the city and found the Test Centre (ТеÑÑ‚ Центр) … Continue reading →
We were warned by Lonely Planet that “Novosibirsk Hotels, already overpriced, have a weird rule preventing most from accepting foreigners unless prebooked through a tour agency†and similar disclaimers. I tried to prebook an apartment from Omsk but this didn’t … Continue reading →
Today we arrived in Novosibirsk after seven days on the road from Omsk. It took some work to find a hotel and that was a little more expensive than we might like. However, still decided to take two rest days … Continue reading →
Russian roads have no need for rumble strips. Paved shoulders are often minimal and at times the entire surface rides like a rumble strip, so drivers might not notice. We had some roads like that today, though my expectations were … Continue reading →
Overnight the wind started howling through the trees. I was pleased to discover it was going to be a day with tailwinds. It was nice and cool when I left. Today started with many open areas and good roads so … Continue reading →
Mosquito patrol at midnight. Quick shut the window! Now with towels we zap as many as we can. A few leave red blotches. Others are smashed against the walls. We had left the door and window open in the motel … Continue reading →
I found a town in the backwaters of Siberia without internet connections for tourists. In Чаны, I asked three normally reliable sources: the post office, the telegraph/telephone office and a teenage boy – and none could find an internet connection … Continue reading →
Its hot! Chocolate bars are melting in Siberia. We came to the major ОмÑк/ ÐовоÑибирÑк highway today. So far the road is in reasonable condition and traffic has been light. It is a straight and flat road. There are occasionally … Continue reading →
Today we left the big city and started our ride to ÐовоÑибирÑк. It is interesting how much contrast we have between rest days in the city and days on the road. Several factors conspired to make today a slower day … Continue reading →
Best wishes for the summer solstice from a rest day in the city of Omsk. At 55 degrees north, we have some long daylight hours. At 73 degrees east, we are now three time zones east of Moscow. We cycled … Continue reading →