Valodia

Day 109 Tuesday 19^th July 2011

We packed and left the city of Irktusk early and we managed to find our way out fairly easily having studied the route on Google Earth the night before. Our aim for the day was to try and get to Kansk and find a hotel but the road was not good and many roadworks with long sections of no road hampered our progress. But the riding was fun if not challenging in places. There was one particular section where we realised that we were running low on fuel and petrol stations appeared to be sparse so we decided to pull off the main route and head down a potholed road to the town of Tashent. We were quite surprised how big the town was and had only expected a small village but Mark stopped and asked a guy where the benzine could be found and the directions given proved to be spot on and we were soon full and ready to carry on but the lateness of the day told us that we should at least try and find a hotel. We asked the petrol station lady and she handed me a bit of paper with Borata written on it and pointed down the street. We found Borata but it was some kind of salon and so we sat there confused until a Russian guy came up and started talking. He was trying to tell us something but I misunderstood it to be that he was a Russian biker tourist from Irktusk who was on vacation in Tashent and he wanted to offer us some hospitality.

We deliberated then took the plunge and followed Valodia back to his house in the town. He telephoned a friend who explained to me on the telephone that she was an old lady and that Valodia wanted us to stay another day so that he could show us the beauties of the region and she would come and translate but not walk far as her legs could not cope so we agreed to stay and extra night with Valodia.  We had a quick wipe down with wet wipes and met his neighbours, Anton plus another neighbour Sasha and his sons Dmi and Andre. Sasha was set the task of preparing a meal over an open fire in the garden whilst we were whisked away by Valodia in his car to a nearby village to meet Irene and her husband. Irene speaks very good English having studied foreign languages at university and so we were able to finally understand that Valodia actually lives in Tashent and during Soviet times he travelled around Russia like we are now on his Ural motorcycle and sidecar. We said goodbye to Irene with a promise to meet her again tomorrow.

Next stop was back in Tashent at Valodia’s friends Valentine and Galina who had not long celebrated their 50^th Golden Wedding anniversary. They were a lovely couple and they seemed thrilled at entertaining two Englishmen. It also transpired that we were to use their shower to clean up and very welcome it was too to get refreshed. Once again, we said our goodbyes to Valentine & Galina with an invitation to dinner the next day. We waved goodbye to them as they looked out at the car park from their balcony and we were very pleased to have met such a lovely couple.

Back at Valodia’s house Sasha had finished cooking but just as we were about to sit down around the roaring fire in the garden the heavens opened up and a thunderstorm had us chomping at our food under the porch but it was still very tasty all the same.

We were now totally knackered and I took Valodia’s bed, Mark slept on the floor and poor old Valodia slept in his car. We had insited that he sleep in his own bed but he would have none of it. 

Blimey !

What a day !