Pavlodar to Yarovoe

“It was after 1pm when all of us had our bikes inspected and sniffed by the dog, and our picture taken with a very lovely border guard. She really only wanted big Mike in the picture. We had to wait until he completed his inspection. All the Russian women are smitten by Mike – it’s his smile.”

Read the full story by Lee-Ann and David here.

Randy McClanahan wrote: “…I like to listen to books on Audible.com while I ride. I try to pick a book that is set in, or about, the place in which I am riding. I am currently listening to “Eagle Dreams–Searching for Legends in Wild Mongolia.” So how cool was it when we came upon a giant statue of a female golden eagle on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere? By the way, did you know that a twelve pound female golden eagle can take down a wolf!
What is it about Asian girls and motorcycles? They seem to all be beautiful and start liking motorcycles at a very young age! Note the sunflower field in the background behind my new young friend. It went as far as one could see, as in all the way to the horizon.
We have now left Kazakhstan and re-entered Russia as we continue eastward toward China. We are in Yarovoe, in the Altaire region of Russia. It was home to a U.S.S.R. air base during the Cold War. It is on a salt lake that is very similar to our Great Salt Lake in Utah. We are staying in a “sanatorium resort.” Does that mean we will be committed? Not too sure about the “resort” part, however, as there is no restaurant, no bar, no beer, and the shower, sink and toilet are in the same little room. When you pull up the little plug over the sink faucet (the one you use to close the drain in America) you take a shower, ready or not! That was ok, however, as the thermometer on the bike hit 103 today. I thought Siberia would be cold!
There is, of course, the obligatory statue of Mr. Lenin in front of the train station. But there were fresh flowers. I thought we lost him a while back. It made a nice transition, however, because in my book, “Eagle Dreams,” they talk about how the Mongolians love Mr. Lenin’s books! Oh, not for the reason you think. It seems the paper is very sturdy, and is excellent for use in the out-houses because one’s finger does nor easily poke through — but that’s probably more detail than you wanted!
Finally, I have included for your enjoyment the community wedding chapel. There is supposedly one in every town. Good thing that we had already passed the border crossing, as we had several takers for the cute Russian Army dog handler. (Beautiful yellow lab, not Russian wolfhound.) What IS it about Asian girls and motorcycles?”