50` North: 1 June 2008

Sunday 1 June 2008

Ukraine to Russia

We left the Ukraine on Thursday 29 May. We got lost finding the border and ended up in the countryside close to the Russian border; and the Police found us! After much sign language to indicate we were lost, we got an escort to the right road. It took us an hour to get across the Ukraine side; then 1 1/2 hours to enter Russia - what a hassle! So much paperwork (all in Russian) and thanks to another biker that was also crossing, we got some help with the interpretations and filling out the forms.
It took us 2 days to get to Moscow; we stayed in a small hotel just across the Ukraine border. We were met on the outer ring road to Moscow by a contact from the HUBB (Nadejda). Thanks to her, we got a fast ride into the city and our hotel. We would never have navigated the roads without her. The traffic was unbelievable. Six lanes of crazy drivers, just about stand-still. and when they got moving - mad crazy unbelievable speeds. We used a small emergency type of lane on the left - only 1.2 metres wide (the bike is about 1.1 metres! We travelled most of the ring road (about 50km in the emergency lane overtaking all the stationery cars in the adjacent 6 lanes!
SATURDAY 31 MAY 2008
We made contact with friends from Rolling Anarchy who met us later in the day. The morning was spent braving the Metro and finding our way into the city. Walked around the Kremlin and saw Lenin in his tomb! Strolling down some of the major streets surrounding the Kremlin and inner cuty area.
We were picked up at our hotel later that day by Sasha and Dimitri and treated to to tour of the major sights around the city. After, we went to a favourite biker's meeting palce and met some of the locals and had a fine dinner.
On our return to the car, Sasha found it missing! It had been towed away. No problem, a few words with the local cops and some directions, Sasha's car was retrieved a few minutes later; at no cost!
All in all, a fantastic day seeing Moscow - a city as large as the ACT, but with 12 million people - all crazy, but heaps of fun!