Left Blagovashensk lunchtime on 4th june. Spent the day of the 3rd not feeling well at all, very dehydrated from the banya, i guess beer doesnt help either! I was taken to a local mechanic shop and we repaired 2 of the bolts that hold on my topbox which had both sheared (retapped them) and also welded on a couple of struts to stop it happening again. Good as gold again. The bloke who's shop it was is a biker too and would not accept any payment, lucky i had a gift from australia to give him, bundy rum! Got on the road and have just arrived in Chita. The road has paleho (bad) to say the least. It is the section that on my russian road atlas there is actually no road marked at all. In total it was about 1500km of s***ty gravely, potholed, corrugated gravel but was a real challenge to ride on and now feeling like a much stronger rider having done it. very glad to have had my chunkier tyres and they are now half worn out too! I dropped my bike a couple of times on the pannier while looking for campsites which is generally the most difficuilt riding to be done in the whole day, and one of the side boxes had cracked the full length on the bottom inside corner. Drama! Managed to get into a townsite, found my way to a mechanic/salvage yard and riveted a piece of aluminium angle on the corner, sorted. these guys wouldnt accept any money either, bit of a shame seeing as they fed us with the rest of the workers at lunchtime too. I did however let one of the gunho young fellas do dohnuts in the yard on my bike spraying rocks everywhere which everyone seemed to enjoy! Including me! We stopped at one roadshide cafe (eating house) and were brought into a drinking sessions of vodka shots and beer, actaully this has happened a few times! We were having a good time, good conversation and then things got outta hand. There ended up being a big punchup between 2 guys who worked together so we put on helmets and legged it. There are loads of Japanese import cars heading East to West all theway to Moscow some of them and the guys driving them can be a bit rough around the edges after a few drinks. Mostly though they are very friendly and incredibly intersted in the trip and are amazed that i would want to be doing it! There seems to be a real feeling that many people are honored that I have come from so far away, and obviously made a solid effort to come and visit them in their home town. I have got enough russian now to be able to get by with most things as long as people are patient which they seem very much to be.

Arrived into Chita yesterday arvo and had a hard time looking for a hotel, no backpacker accom anywhere in this part of the world. After about 2 hours looking I was following some soldiers in their kamaz truck to a somewhere place and met Dimitri who drove alongside and invited the 4 of us to stay at his house. A fantastic man, who took us to park our bikes guarded by his dogs, then took us to his parents house. His mother fed us and took care of us the same as any grandmother anywhere in the world. She was the most genuine woman, a real gem. They live in a small plot and live basically a subsistance lifestyle. I went down to the river with her grandchildren, Dimitri's kids and afterwards had another banya. First was in over a week this time. And really need it too.

Sorry for spellin mistakes and all that, short time only on internet and will post pics when i find a computer that will allow me to do it. The map on my pannier ames, is used many many times each day and it is a real hit with the locals.

Looking forward to heading west to Baikal and finding some hotsprings. I am really enjoying being on the bike, and as long as it keeps going so will i. I am having the time of my life!