Sunday

We camped out for a night. I have got used to this and handle it much better now. Thanks to Denham and his advise I have good mat and I always have a good nights sleep. Dinner was soup and we went to bed early hoping for an early start.
The alarm went off at 6.30 and we packed and set off for 7.30.

Sunday morning in Siberia.
As we drive with beautiful scenery the mist has settled in the valleys. The morning sun streams over the mountains. The temp about 15 degrees on the cars dashboard. The long long freight train chugs away basking in the morning sunshine along the railroad in the valley. It is the trans Siberian railroad. Powered by electric. The train has about 55 carriages.

We are heading for a cafe for break.

Started with 2 fried eggs.
Cheyburek to follow. It is a large patty style delicacy with meat and savory to taste. It is deep fried and freshly prepared. Followed by pancakes and condensed milk. Pictures to follow.

We reached Chita after doing 400 km this morning. We stopped and had a walk around the city. It is Sunday and the place was quiet apart from the local market.

Andrei needed a more detailed map and we trooped into a big local book store. Everything was in Russian as expected.  I walked around it and by looking at the people you can sort of guess what section of the store you are in. The well dressed mum dragging the 10 year old daughter around a section meant she was trying to get her to read something above her class. The middle age gent in the grey trousers worn on his waist and a shirt, spectacles on the eyes and a another pair in the hand meant he was looking at the serious academic sections of the books. The 15 year old girls drooling at CDs trying to stretch her rubble. Then I worked out two sections myself. One said Windows 7 and books on Office 2007!! The other was on military. All the books had pics of Russian Generals in their finest. The last part by the cashier was where all the little girls were behaving as it was where all the stationery and colour pencils were on display. These children were holding mums hand and playing 'Watch me I behave' myself!! Till they mugged mum off rubles to get more stationery they won't use but will look good. Children all over the world are the same I guess!

Sunday Evening
We are on our way to Khabarovsk. It is a good 2000 km away. It is also the last major city before we reach Vlad. So far we have done 650 km today and the time is 6.34.
Last year the Russian Prime Minister Putin proved this part of the road is open by driving a Lada himself across this same stretch from Chita. He got a lot of publicity and PR for it. The road is excellent and motoring is good. Also being Sunday evening the roads are empty and straight for miles ahead.

It is cloudy and as the day draws to a close the Siberian cattle horseman on their horses are gathering their cattle for the evening. It is a regular sight in these parts.

The mood in the car is good. It was tiring over the last few days with poor road conditions and hard driving.

The terrain is flatter and the mountains and valleys have given way to more lowland terrain. It seems to be very little farming in these parts.

Our vision is to get to Vlad by Thursday night. We need to hand over the car to the transport company to get it back to Moscow by rail. We then plan to look around Vlad for a day or so and then take flights back to Moscow. Where we will all find our way back to our respective countries. However we have a good 3000 km to go before we reach Vlad.

Plan is to drive as far as we can. Find a Motel and book in for the night.

Pictures to follow

Ulan Ude

Surrounded by beautiful mountains and valleys. Ulan Ude is like a picture book. Most of the local folk are oriental in features following a sect of Buddhism very similar to form followed in Tibet. The temple is the main attraction in the town. We paid it a visit. Temperatures were a sweltering 35 degrees and very hot.
The temple is about the Ivolginsky Datsan. A Large complex with several building you will see in the photos belows the complex contains

 

Dugars or temples. Sume a temple devoted to one god
Buddhist university
Wooden buildings where the lamas and monks live
The residence of Pandito Khamno lama of the Buddhist sanga of Russia
The palace of Pandito khambo Lama Dashi Dorzho Etigelov
Folk workshops

Peaceful and serene like most temples. It is surrounded by mountains and valleys on all sights. When I planned this jouney I did not realise I will visit Buddhist temples in Russia.

One of the most interesting stories in these parts is that of the Buryat Buddhist Lama Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov. Before his death in 1927 he left very strict instructions on how he was to be buried. He was to be buried in the lotus position (a position he died in, mid-meditation) and his body was to be checked on in 30 years time. In 1957 and then again in 1977 his body was checked upon by the monks and in both instances it was noted that his body had little sign of decay. Due to the Soviet governments stance on religion at the time, this finding went un-reported and it wasn't know to the world till 2002 when scientists and Monks explored it once again. An offical report claimed the body was that of someone who had died only 36 hours before and didn't show any signs of embalming or that it had been preserved. As of 2005 his body has been on display outside with people able to shake his hand....