SUPER VARIO WORLD

Hi All

Firstly, many thanks to our WebMaster Andrew for the previous update. We were unaware of the disaster until we heard from home the day after, by which time we were already in Russia. 

Thanks also for the birthday wishes, it was great to hear from home, particularly on what would become a stressful day. 

So after Kiev we basically just drove towards the border for 2 days. We stopped at some very cute villages and met some lovely local shop keepers who were most amused at our impressions of milk (squeezing teats whilst making a moo noise) and chicken (obviously clucking and doing the arms)! We spent our last night in Ukraine in Hlukhiv, which from experience we were expecting to be a dodgy border town. But in reality it was quite like Cheltenham, lots of lovely parks, well dressed ladies but unfortunately it also had the pigeons. 

After a night in a hotel car park it was up early for Bry's birthday and the challenge of the Russian border. Whilst purchasing Russian car insurance from a very sweet woman, Caroline was told she only looks 27 while Bryan was told he looks liked like Bin Laden - despite this she insisted we should be having children and she loved Bry's "skin painting"!!

Just getting out of Ukraine took an hour, the last of our Ukrainian money and a pack of cigarettes to the border guards - and that was the easy bit. Next was the 4 hour ordeal which it apparently takes to bring a generator into Russia. Initially (via a phone app) we were told it was illegal and they would have to turn us back, despite us having completed in advance the correct paperwork for temporarily importing it. After the guard made many phone calls and us standing our ground, a huge army officer with the dopiest drugs dog ever went over the vehicle and let us through. They made us rewrite all our paperwork with no mention of the generator, stamped our visa and said to Bry happy birthday! We will see if there's a problem later when we try to leave Russia. 

Finally through customs and on the motorway, after half a mile we get pulled by the 'truck' police, but luckily this is just a cursory once over the vehicle and we were on our way - unbelievable that we've managed to drive our own vehicle into Russia!

That was Friday and we're now Sunday evening, 500 miles further on. All that we've seen so far is big flat expanses of agricultural land and huge blue skies! The locals are patient and friendly with our attempts at speaking Russian and the roads range from perfectly flat tarmac to cavernous holes, and that's within 100 yards! Not seen that much wildlife other than stuffed things for sale at the side of the road. Seen plenty of storks and probably a few eagles. "Dead Dog Tally" is currently 4. 

On the domestic front, beer has gone up to 80p a pint, but diesel has reduced to 56p a litre - that's why we are currently driving more than drinking! We have invested in a washing machine (a plastic bowl and a sink plunger) for the princely sum of £2 - anything to keep Caroline happy! We hope that we've sorted the leaks in Mario, but the weather forecast suggests it will be a while before we know for definite. 

We're both getting into life on the road. We had a few days last week when we were struggling mentally, but we're now realising we can actually cope with whatever we're faced with and are now really enjoying it. 

We're currently sat in an American style diner, with what appears to be the Russian version of Live At The Apollo on the massive, very loud TV! We've met our first fellow "overlanders". A couple of Uzbeki brothers visiting the Stans, and a Kazak family. Both spoke excellent English, which although was quite humbling, it was lovely to have a proper conversation with other travellers. 

Finally can we say Happy Birthday to Karen for the 22nd, we'll raise a bottle of piva to you on the day, and make sure we have ketchup with our dinner!

Spakoiai nochi

B&C