Had a really nice run on the Viluisky Trakt today.. rigidy again (that’s my new word), but feeling comfortable and cruisin’. Walter waves me into a café for some lunch. The villages are more frequent along this stretch and there are roadside café’s for travellers. This is a true pleasure. After travelling the Road of Bones, new road and old...
I spent my first day in Yakutsk just catching up on regular life stuff. Doing laundry, and washing each piece of our riding suits one by one. Two hours in the...
Walter did carry on that night so as to meet his French friend Arnaud, who was staying in the next town called Khandyga, but needed to move on the next morning. I arrived in the rain about 9 AM, and called Walter to get instruction of where to go. Arnaud was just ready to leave and they would meet me instead. As upset as I was the night before, I was really glad...
We had ridden 150 km from Tomtor and crossed the big river. Walter doesn’t tell me, but we actually still have a full day’s ride ahead of us. It’s 3 or 4 in the afternoon by time we had crossed the river at Kyubeme and started the main road again. He does tell me there is some of the most beautiful scenery of the whole trip coming up.. So what was all...
I wasn’t looking much forward to getting on the road from Tomtor, because the road into town was so gravelly.. I didn’t like it. But I was pleasantly surprised that the road was good for a really long time! There had been a bit of rain, gravel was gone, and it was more like compacted hard mud. Very easy, and I was cruisin’!! Walter stops at one point to check...
I’m coming!! That little spot headlight down the road, is slow Sherri Jo! I’m slow, but I get there.. There are times where I can speed up, but I don’t get too crazy about it, as this road is completely un-maintained and unpredictable… There are serious hazards everywhere – and they love to surprise me! Sometimes they have these little creeks...
After leaving the deserted town, it’s just a small hop to the turn off that officially begins the “Road of Bones” Walter pulls off for a quick photo and all he says is “Now the hard part..” After the hundreds of kilometres on dirt roads, which is not particularly easy, as well as that gruelling test to the Gulag… I thought that was hard! You mean it gets...
Yay! I survived the Gulag road! Now that it’s over, it was actually quite an experience that I am glad I didn’t miss. I certainly learned a lot! About motorcycle riding in all sorts of ways, as well as the interesting history of the Gulag. Not many people know about them at all and particularly where they are, because they are such a dark and...
After breakfast we head for the Gulag. As with most things Russia.. for me anyway, I have never heard of a Gulag. Ilya from Magadan told us about this place, but again they all speak in Russian and I only pick up bits and pieces. Since then I have looked up more on the internet.. and we have also had a chance to visit a Gulag museum. I will give more...
Doesn’t look like much, but I can not tell you what a welcome site this is! Didn’t sleep much the night before, anticipating getting the bike from the boat, starting the trip, etc… Then many many hours of dirt road riding took it’s toll.. Most of you would know that you have to keep a strong concentration while riding, especially on...