Sunday, June 17, 2012

Day 14-16, from Moscow to Nizhniy Novgorod

Day 14, 130 km

I left Moscow at nine but I chose the wrong way. The system of roads in Moscow is like a star with a ring around. I was in the northern end and wanted to go west and thought i could find some connections between the roads going out from the centre. I used the sun and navigated towards south-east. Sometimes I found nice paths between apartment-stores but railways and small rivers made it difficult. To carry a 60 kg bicycle up the stairs of a pedestrian railway bridge is quite heavy, but fortunately I got help. At noon I finally left the town.
It was a warm day, about 27 degrees. I always had been wondering why there never were tables and benches along the road. Finally when I found one I got the answer. It was cluttered with garbage. Smelly plastic-bags with old food were laying on the table and getting food for flies and their maggots.


The forest behind was even worse. The soil was covered all over. But still there were some flowers in between.

 There was also spare parts from cars

 Still i found some rest on one of the benches.
Not far away I saw a strange thing. There were hundreds of butterflies sitting in groups on the wet sand and sucking liquid from it. I could not find an explanation for it. Was it sweet?
I also watched a group of workers cutting down the forest. They used hand-holden chainsaws and still made a giant clearcut. 
 When i continued further I saw huge areas that had burned down two years ago after a period of extremely warm weather. Because of the fire started by smoking people (that is what everybody says here) now yo can see signs that below along all roads
 Signs like that you can find every mile where there is a forest (or where there had been)
Here you can see some burned trees.
 I also saw many cars with different loads.

What happened here?
Everything nowadays gets transported on lorries!
In the evening of the day it begun to rain and rained all night through. 

Day 15, 120 km plus 170 km lift

I rained also the whole day 15. In the beginning I thought it was good because the day before had been to hot. Now it was about 18 degrees and the rain cooled me so I could ride faster. I did not use may rain clothes. Every time I lorry passed me I got an extra shower. But I got cleaner after it...
And either the bicycle did. 
I also got my first puncture. The Kevlar in the tire could not stop a 1 cm long nail. Anyway I am very satisfied with the tires. They had brought me over all kind of metal spare parts and crossed glass along the way and they still look as if they were new.
Several times I stopped  at cafés that day, washed me in the bathrooms and dried my clothes. But the rain did not stop anyway. At the last café I even asked how much a room costed for a night. But since I knew it would be better weather next day I decided it was too expensive and that I could sleep in a forest again. So I jumped on my bike again and rode for some kilometres in the rain.
Suddenly a long lorry stopped and again the driver gave me a sign asking if I wanted to get a lift. Of course I wanted! I remembered the driver, I had seen him at the café when I asked about a room. He was going back with an empty truck to Nizniy Novgorod. He was a really nice guy and told me about everything worth knowing, for example Russian trucks and cars, politicians, soccer and all animals you could find in the woods.

As I told him that I wanted to sleep in a wood in my tent he said I never have to look for a wood in Russia. There are plenty of them everywhere. He let me off some kilometres before N Novgorod and five minutes later I was in my tent.

Day 16 Nizniy Novgorod

The town was bigger than I thought. It is on a hill where the river Oka joins to the river Volga. The hill was quite steep. On the best point of view there was the Kremlin. It is the second biggest kremlin after the one in Moscow and reminds about it. You could walk around in the wall,

 There were also Russian Tanks were children were playing
The view was fantastic!

Because western Russia is so flat you could see very very long.

 You also could see big boats.
I rested there for a long time watching boats go by.

I think i have to shave soon!
Here is a map of the city. 

Also this city is expanding. Old houses have to make space for new ones

Outside the Kremlinn there is a long piedestrain than really can compete with the Abrat in Moscow. Several artists sell their art while they are making more. The guy who made all this figures of tree was sitting behind carving new ones. I thought he was little alike Emil of Lönneberga.

Along the piedestrain there were many interesting houses.

In future I think I cannot upload so many pictures. Irina and Michael, in case you read this, I miss your fast Internet connection! It took me about half an hour to upload these pics through my mobile!


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