Today a full day of cycling on gravel. It is a slow, dusty and bumpy ride at times. The road is broad but we have multiple obstacles to slow things down:

• craters; large holes and also small ones
• crater fields; collections of many craters where it is tough to ride between
• cracks; where water had made a small gulley
• ridges; large bumps to ride over
• washboards; long successions of ridges one after the other
• soft sand; sand, particularly on edges of the road
• hard rocks; rocks protruding from the surface and sticking out

We had some of everything today, frequently multiple at once. Some parts of the road were worse and meant travel less than 10km per hour. I was surprised with such a broad road that there frequently wasn’t a good choice.

We left cycling amongst trees. After 13km we reached the intersection at Богомягково and stopped at a cafe here. It was early and farmers were herding cows across the road. We had a slow climb over the hill and then passed another cafe at 23km. Overall, I was surprised at how many cafes we’ve seen in this part of the road.

Mickey passed us not much later. We cycled mostly flat terrain to Новоберезовекое at 40km and stopped at yet another cafe for an early lunch. The staff was particularly friendly and curious. They gave us two cucumbers as presents to take along.

Most of the traffic on the road are cars in transit from Vladivostok. We see some local traffic and one or two trucks but the vast majority are small used Japanese passenger cars. Several times today, they would slow and ask where we were coming from or stop and take photos. Some would speed along kicking up dust but most were driving slowly. Most were taped up to protect the car finish.

After our cafe stop, the road to Знаменка was rough and open. We crossed the Нерча river just before Знаменка at 57km. We didn’t expect much chance of water after this, so we filled up. We made one last slow ride on the gravel from here. There were several large hills to climb. At 74km was an inviting farmers field. They let us camp in their field next to a hay pile and later came and talked some with us. It was a nice end to a long ride.

74km today, 10144km across Eurasia [Photo: 1192, 1195, 1196, 1200]

Posted by john as Siberia, Amur Highway at 10:15 PM EDT

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We started on gravel portions of the Amur Highway (also known as M58 or Чита-Хабаровск). We had 57km of gravel and 38km of asphalt in a long ride. The gravel road is wide, but is a tougher surface to ride. There is a fair amount of washboard road and some areas with rocks protruding from the road surface. Sometimes I would shift from side to side looking for smooth parts, though often there weren’t any.

The day started with a 3km climb, followed by a 3km descent. The road then followed a river valley with a cafe at 16km near intersection to Урульга. While it was an asphalt surface, the road was rough. From here we started a climb again and then some bouncing amongst hills.

At 24km we saw signs for 9km of road construction, and the road turned to gravel. A kilometer later I stopped to celebrate 10,000km of cycling from Amsterdam. The gravel was wet and started to stick under my front fender. I tried riding the left side of the road as it was smoother. The road construction went down a hill and to a cafe at 32km across from Нарын-Талача. We stopped and ate plenty as we weren’t sure when we would next see a cafe. After this there was some more gravel to ride but my front fender was all gummed up. I stopped and decided to remove it. It now hangs on a 40km road construction sign. After this we had 14km of asphalt.

Without much fanfare sign at 47km the asphalt simply stopped. We would see cars coming the other way. A majority had temporary “in transit” stickers from Vladivostok. It was a slow and bumpy ride. We stopped briefly at 66km at top of a hill for food and here we decided to try for 80-85km for the day. Bert and Mickey were ahead and at 81km we reached our designated bridge. A car told me they were ahead and that there was a cafe in 15km. Apparently someone had also told them, though they were told 5km.

There was indeed a cafe at 94km. We filled up for end of the day before camping next to a bridge. This bridge was built in September 1995 so work on this road has been going on for a while. It was a long day but nice to finally get a start on some of the gravel.

95km today, 10070km across Eurasia [Photo: 1181, 1182, 1184, 1187, 1188, 1189]

Posted by john as Siberia, Amur Highway at 10:12 PM EDT

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Paved road all day. Slept in tent.

Position N51.90547, E114.48008. See Map

Today we started on the road to Хабаровск. This was still a good quality paved road. We had some gradual climbs as well. Yesterday we stocked up on extra food since we weren’t certain when we could find cafes or stores.

Bert was up early to fetch his bicycle from the baggage train. We packed our bikes and gear. It all took some time, so it was 9am before we left. There was a disturbing scene as we left town: a young girl lying on edge of the road, a mother screaming hysterically, a man stopped with his car phoning on the cell phone, several other motorists stopping as well. It must have just happened.

We cycled slowly up to the top of the hill. We then descended through Песчанка and then a left turn at 9km. This road was already marked for Хабаровск. We rode this road for another 8km to reach the “M58” road. Here was our first stop at a café.

We had 2km of descent followed by a 7km climb to the top of the hill. The road bounced around at the top and then we had 11km descent to pass Танха at 41km. We had our second stop at a cafe at 47km at the turnoff to Новотроицк.

We cycled from here over several gradual hills. It was mostly forested areas with just a few houses. I enjoyed this as nice forest riding. By 80km it was getting late, so we started looking for camp sites. We tried once or twice, but then found a nice stop along a stream. This is the first time we fetched water from a stream rather than getting it at a village or store/cafe.

Nice to be on the road again with three of us. Also nice to start with pavement before the gravel roads ahead.

83km today, 9975km across Eurasia [Photo: 1173, 1175, 1176]

Posted by john as Siberia, Amur Highway at 10:40 PM EDT

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We reached the city of Chita today. During the past week our landscapes changed again as we cycled from Улан-Удэ. We went along several large open valleys without trees. Fortunately it wasn’t very hot, but the dry open valleys reminded me some of places in the American west (dry grasslands like the eastern plains of Colorado, but not yet so dry as the sagebrush valleys in Nevada). It was relatively flat terrain, though at times the road builders seem to have found the available hills on sides of the valleys to send the road up and down. The insects this past week have also significantly diminished, so hopefully we’ve seen the worst of them in June and July. It was nice to even sit outside the tent after arriving in camp.

In Улан-Удэ we had met with my brother, Bert, and sister-in-law, Jean. It was nice to see them again. It was also a bit like Christmas in July as they brought a new wheel and new tent. Both were used during this past week and are working well. Jean returned to the US and Bert is now with us in Chita and ready for the next phase of the trip. We’ll take a rest day here first in Chita.

After Chita we anticipate some tough cycling. The road from here to Khabarovsk was officially opened in 2004, but there is reportedly still ~1700km (over 1000 miles) of gravel and a lot of road construction. We’re getting info we can about the road and will also need to bring a few days of provisions as we anticipate up to 300km between towns. It may be a bit before you see photos or full reports of our progress since not sure we’ll find internet for a while. We do have one experiment to give a limited progress update [no photos or text], which is to use a cell phone SMS message to send along a brief update. If that works you might see brief one-liner SMS message and the map page will have our location.

However, before all that, plan to upload text and photos from this past week travels from Улан-Удэ as well as take a rest day here in Chita to get everything prepared.

Posted by mev as Siberia at 8:55 PM EDT

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Today a bike ride back to the big city of Чита. It was once again nice to get to a larger town. We had a brief shower as I went to pack the tent in, just enough to make the rainfly wet. At 8km I passed through a road control post and then at 9km was a turnoff from the M55 highway to the smaller back road to Чита.

The road went past two small villages. For once, most of the traffic was heading our direction rather than against us. We followed the railroad tracks and I saw at least five trains this morning. It was a flat road and we had a slight tailwind so cycling went quickly. We climbed a low hill or two and then reached city limits at 30km. The road into the city was nice and smooth. We rode along a lake and stopped briefly at what we thought was a cafe. It was a new restaurant, however it was still being built. The folks outside at the tables were construction workers rather than patrons. They shared a coffee with us and then we were back on the road.

Our small road went past the city center on a hill along the south side and we then headed into city center itself. Without much difficulty we found the hotel where Bert was at. It was nice to have a room already and not have to search different hotels. Now time to wash clothes, update web sites, check bike shops and other city tasks along the way.

51km today, 9892km across Eurasia [Photo: 1162, 1168, 1170]

Posted by mev as Siberia at 6:26 PM EDT

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Some long fairly flat riding today. We continued to follow our broad open valley on the way to Чита. The road was narrow and surface was bumpy but it was flatter. We had some gentle grades.

I left early and had quiet riding. There were three cafes in the first 25km but I kept going. We came through Аблатуйский Бор at 18km and then a nice stretch of forest. After this wide open road again. At the 2nd turnoff to Улеты was a nice cafe and place to stop. This was 47km into the ride.

From here more steady riding. Signs said Татаурово would be at 90km and we hoped for a cafe there. We came past the first entrance but nothing. I had eaten my extra food so was running on empty. Nothing at the second entrance or in the next small town. Fortunately, at top of a low hill at 103km we had a nice small cafe. From here we cycled one more hill into Лесной Городок. This town had everything: cafe, store, small church and some friendly young boys who showed off their bicycles while taking us to the pump house for water. We then cycled over the railroad and camped not far from the river.

In the evening, our excitement for the day came. We had camped not far from a populated area and my tent is orange. Two guys in a motorcycle with side car had parked at nearby pond and drove over to my tent to investigate. I sat in my tent watching them. They saw me. Once the engine switched off, I made a friendly introduction in Russian. Something like: “I am a Dutch tourist. I don’t speak much Russian. I am bicycling from Amsterdam to Vladivostok and am camping here.” They asked one or two normal questions such as my age, if I was cycling alone and how fast the bike would go. The conversation started fine.

However, I didn’t like the way the tone of the conversation headed after that. They asked if I had money. I told them I didn’t understand the word “деньги” (money). So they instead asked for 100 rubles. I said, “no”. They asked for a match. I said I didn’t have one. How then did I make tea? Frustrated with this, they lit cigarettes with their own matches. Did I want to drink beer with them? “no”. One came over to investigate my panniers. As soon as he started to fiddle with them, I gently placed my hand on his chest and pushed him away while saying loudly but firmly in English, “don’t touch!”. I also got completely out of the tent, stood up, while putting panniers behind me into the tent. I am taller and larger than either of them. I repeated “don’t touch!”

At this point things were a bit tense, and it was time to end the conversation. I stood in front of my tent, arms crossed with a firm stare and scowl. I decided not to understand much Russian as they tried, lets sit down, drink beer together and talk about Dutch football. They grew frustrated with the quiet stares and not much later hopped on the motorcycle and left me alone.

110km today, 9841km across Eurasia [Photo: 1157, 1159]

Posted by mev as Siberia at 6:25 PM EDT

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We crossed watersheds today. The rivers now drain to the Pacific Ocean instead of the Arctic Ocean. I’m not certain of the exact location, and it wasn’t a dramatic pass but somewhere between 41km and 45km among several low hills.

We had a good solid rain last night, but it was dry in the morning. The road has been rough and narrow but fortunately, not much traffic. It was flat terrain with an occasional low hill to climb as we followed the same broad valley. At 21km at top of the hill was the first cafe. It was still early, so I passed it by. At 39km I came to Арей and after that some low hills as well as the continental divide. After 49km the valley opened up more and was without trees. At 52km a stop at a cafe in Новосалия.

After our second breakfast, it became warmer and the valley more open. We passed Танга at 62km but didn’t see road-side businesses. At 76km we decided to take the entrance into Николаевское and see if we could find a store. We saw three shops in town, but all were closed: two for lunch hour and one with a sign on the door. There were many houses but few people around town. We left at 83km without having found a place to buy food.

The road went over a low hill from here. The valley was wide and open and it was dry. It reminded me of some grasslands in Eastern Colorado. We crossed one river and then descended into Горекацан. Fortunately, this town had both a cafe and store. There is a group cycling through from the Slavic Gospel Association. We haven’t seen them but suspect there was some mistaken identity in Горекацан. One patron in the cafe told Mickey he had seen us on TV. Another asked her if she was Polish. I had someone point to the heavens, look at me and say “Jesus”.

After filling up at the store, we went to look for water. This was more difficult than normal. Two different people saw us and purposefully walked away. We decided to go up to a house and knock on the door. The dogs started barking, so people came to the side gate. When they saw us and bicycles, they said something in Russian along with body language of “go away!” This is different from the normal curious and friendly reaction.

Fortunately, a car driver was able to tell us to look behind the cafe. We found a pump house here with two youths chilling a vodka bottle in the running water. We filled up on water and cycled up the hill to one of few groves of trees we found in the area.

102km today, 9731km across Eurasia [Photo: 1154, 1155, 1156]

Posted by mev as Siberia at 6:23 PM EDT

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When studying our maps, we noticed that the train distance from Бада to Чита was more than 100km shorter than the road. Hence, the small road along the tracks was intriguing. Was it paved?

Our maps also showed few places to stop until Хилок. The first 10km of the ride were flatter than yesterday and hence pleasant cycling. It was nice to go a little quicker. After this, the hills began again. Nothing big, but a steady set of ups and downs. The train was in the river valley below. We made steady progress and by 52km reached Хилок.

We asked and were directed into town for food. We bought plenty here. We also asked about the road along the railroad and were told it was in poor condition and not paved. Oh well, off on the main road then. We next left to find a cafe back along the main road. This cafe was busy with travelers from a bus. We waited in line and had a good meal. We thought we might try for an early day and cycle to Хилогосон which showed at 40km on Mickey’s map. We had a few hills on the way but it was flatter and we reached it 34km later at 88km.

At Хилогосон we looked for water and were treated to another instance of very generous Russian hospitality. Victor came out with a bucket of very cold tasty water and refilled it when we finished the first. We drank some, but Victor told us to leave room for tea. Victor and Julia (and two small sons) treated us to a meal of bread, salted cucumbers, tomatoes and tea. It was delicious. They even gave us cucumbers and tomatoes to take with us. They were busy fixing up their old house and their handiwork showed. Overall it was wonderful hospitality – though we did refuse the sauna offer – by making excuses to get some photos and get on the road.

From here the road slowly climbed following a small river valley. At 95km the road went over a small bridge and started a steeper uphill climb. Right before the bridge I passed a man on the left who yelled “are you traveling far?” On the right, there was an overturned truck which had rolled down the embankment. Mickey made the connection between the two. The man had been driving the truck, lost control and rolled the truck with it ending upside down. This all happened 30 minutes before. He was still in shock. He complained of a sore shoulder and head but didn’t have other visible serious injuries. We talked with him for a bit, gave him a banana and some water. He had a cell phone and had called and otherwise was looking for a ride. There wasn’t much else we could do, so we closely cycled up the rest of the hill.

At 98km we reached the top. There was a little Buddhist monument and small store/cafe. We went in and told them of the accident. Hopefully someone with car might notice and give him a ride if he hadn’t already gotten one. From here, it was 6km of descent and back to the original river valley. We went a little further and then found a place to camp. It was an eventful day where we expected the big choice to be whether to take the fork in the road.

108km today, 9629km across Eurasia [Photo: 1148, 1152, 1153]

Posted by mev as Siberia at 6:20 PM EDT

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A lot of climbing today, particularly since the last two thirds of the day followed a river valley. It was overcast and misty when I started out. I rode slowly and stopped to clear my glasses a few times. At 5km was a turnoff to Петровск-Забайкальский. After this a few kilometers of climb. I climbed out of the mist and could see clouds in the valleys below. However, the road then descended back into the mist. At 16km was a cafe at the second entrance to Петровск-Забайкальский. We crossed the railroad tracks and had a few more ups and downs. At 30km came a nice looking building on the left. It looked like a Buddhist prayer center with a spring and also a cafe. We had a good breakfast at the tables outside. The road continued with ups and downs as we passed two other towns. They seem to have placed the road on edge of the valley and hence it crosses many of these small hills on the sides.

At 43km we started a more serious climb with a long moderately steep stretch of perhaps 10km. It was getting warm and hence I was extra slow. I finally reached the top and had just as steep of a downhill. Fortunately at 60km I saw a “cafe 20km” sign.

After the last 3km of descent, my goal was to reach that cafe which seemed to line up with Хототуй on my map. There were a few more steep hills and then it finally became flatter. The road also got closer to the train tracks. When I reached Хототуй, there was a “cafe 1km” sign pointing to the village. Mickey had taped a note saying she had gone into the village in search of food. I followed. I asked a few times and was told the cafe was up on top of the hill on the main road, along with a female cyclist. I returned back to the main road and saw cafe and Mickey about the same time.

From here we cycled the next 20km to Бада. There were gentle ups and downs and a headwind. On the hillsides were some forest fires. A wedding party passed us with decorated cars. A different visibly drunk driver stopped his car and stumbled to greet us. We bade him farewell. At 105km we turned into Бада, found a shop, filled up on water and then cycled back out of town. With dry conditions and forest fires nearby, we camped in more open areas with smaller trees. Some cows wandered by but we scared them from being too curious.

113km today, 9521km across Eurasia [Photo: 1143, 1145]

Posted by mev as Siberia at 6:17 PM EDT

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We crossed some wide open valleys today and had long gentle grades to climb and ascend. We also crossed an oblast boundary and are now six hours ahead of Moscow (8 hours ahead of Amsterdam, 16 hours ahead of Denver). Yesterday I heard a low whistle outside the tent. When I peeked out, I saw a teenage boy on horseback. “What time is it?” He asked and I told him. A while later I heard more sounds. This same time the same boy on horseback, but herding cattle across the meadow and by the tents.

This mornings ride started with a nice gradual descent. The valley opened up and you could see for a long while. It reminded me of some wide open and desolate places in Nevada though was a little greener. At 18km we started a climb again. A gentle grade but long gradual climb. This was followed by several kilometers of descent and then a climb into Мухоршибирь at 32km. Unfortunately the cafe wasn’t yet in service. We asked some people and through misunderstanding thought there might be a cafe at the other end of town. We climbed two more low hills but nope, no cafe.

From here we followed the road. Some areas were planted with wheat, some hay and also many just fallow grasslands. We passed two more villages. At 66km we met two Australian cars decorated with “Vladivostok to London”. It was nice talking with them about the road ahead (rough) their attempt to drive to Magadan (rained out) and similar things. I caught Mickey at the next bus stop.

We cycled into Николск at 78km. The cafe here was shut, but we found a store in town. We were told of a cafe before Харауз so off we went up and over the hills. Along the way, at 88km we crossed into the Chita oblast and Moscow+6 time zone. One more descent and the first cafe of the day at 92km. We decided to get water in town and then cycled some more hills to find a camp site. A nice solid day of cycling today.

112km today, 9408km across Eurasia [Photo: 1136, 1137, 1139, 1142]

Posted by mev as Siberia at 6:13 PM EDT

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