The road from the border to Vladivostok stretches an interminable distance of just over 4000km. It’s not exactly challenging driving-by Mongolian standards at any rate. And the scenery is not unpleasant in that it is lush, green and heavily forested in parts. But it’s a bloody long drive and what you see on the first day, you see on the second, third, fourth . . etc. About ¾ of the road until you reach Birobidzhan is unpaved and sometimes very poor. There are stretches of good tarmac intermittently and for no apparent reason. However, the road is being upgraded and in a couple of years, this journey will be a breeze. The other major problem (apart from the ever present blood-seeking mossies) is the dust, mostly created by the oncoming traffic. For this is a busy and well used road, used by car dealers transporting Japanese cars into Vlad and then onwards through Russia. A quick count averaged over 100 an hour-continually, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Someone must think it’s a financially viable operation!

Bizarre really having this single road with so few villages and ridiculous length ! us Brits not used to seeing roadside markers every 2 kilometers where on one side is a number between 1 and 2400 and the other the corresponding kms still to drive !

Our journey was not without its exciting and at times slightly anxious moments. We visited the prosperous city of Ulan Ude with its oversized Lenin Head dominating the city square. We bypassed Chita and pretty much all of the other towns as they generally meant a detour off the main road.

The truck also had a few problems . . . Phil’s side window cracking in numerous places . . .a puncture . . . . the breaking of the track-rod end and so much movement in the front windscreen that we feared it was about to fall out at any moment(in fact at one point it bounced so much that a piece chipped out of the corner). However, all these problems were resolved with the help of many very friendly people. The three mechanics who welded the track-rod (on a Sunday) in Winnie-the-Pooh slippers, wanted no payment. Neither did the two guys that helped us with welding bars onto the front pillars in an effort to strengthen them and stop the screen from falling out. Oh and the two guys who stopped, just for a chat . . .and gave me a handbag! Another bonus was the abundance of fresh vegetables being sold roadside once we hit the tarmac.. . tomatoes, onions, potatoes.

Khabarovsk - now this little town is a gem, it rolls into view at the end of long and very dusty 2500kms, you cross the huge river via a very impressive bridge and eventually find yourself in this little haven with extremey pleasant shops, bars, cafes and grat place to hang out and recover. Superb buildings, real port town feel left over from it's river frontage advantage. This city really is in middle of nowhere and yet it feels like a meditarian provincial resort. But the big thing about this place is it's position; Khabarovsk is E135' yep, this is the furthest we drive East, it's pretty much the furthest it is possible to drive West to East from Europe. Amazing, I started way back in UK at 0' and here many months later, two continents and about 26000kms I now have to head back Westerly to get back to those far Eastern countries such as China, Japan or (in our case)South Korea. WOW.

The truck now looks a bit like a vehicle belonging to Frankenstein but it continues to motor extremely well and there is now a definite possibility that we will make it to Vladivostock, then on to Zarubino where we will load onto a ferry to South Korea. After that? . . . . . .We are currently making plans to ship to the Americas. It seems that L.A. is now a good (and more cost effective) possibility.