13 Aug “Speeding” up the M53 Aug 10th
We were complaining about the poor road conditions earlier this morning, so karma decided to punish us with a turn to gravel from asphalt. Yep, the main highway connecting southern and central Siberia is only paved about half of the time.
A long day, but thanks to the rising latitude, the sky doesn’t darken until midnight. We set up camp about 375 kms from Irkusk on a nice hillside overlooking a nearby lake. We all had camp meals for dinner, with Stefano expressing bewilderment at Caroline’s Spaghetti Bolognese in a pouch. After tasting it, he pronounced it better than he thought, but Caroline bet him he couldn’t make better. I sense another Italian challenge, this time a cook-off.
Strangely, we were all excited for the comparative luxury of camping in our tents instead of sleeping in the bus seats. All except Sarita, that is, who persists in staying in her seat at all times. She rarely sleeps in her tent, but says she will make an exception at Lake Baikal.
Morning, August 11 and another hour lost to the eastward travel makes it impossible to remember what time it is back home. No matter, we have no cell service out here, or Internet. It is just us, the bus, and lots of tiny Siberian lumber towns filled with wary yet tentatively friendly folks.
Great excitement today running into another rally team! Our first time seem other folks since southeastern Kazakhstan when we stopped to talk to the Flying Lederhosen. These folks are French ad driving an ambulance. They had four in the team orinally, but added one when a fellow Frenchman had an accident in Kaz that totaled his car. They, too are heading for Baikal and the northern border crossing. We are the first team they’ve seen in weeks as well, so the roadside story exchange was a welcome respite from the usual days of only our own company.
Good roads to Irkusk, which was nice. The lake is calling!