Rambling Rat

Hello from Russia!! I can’t believe that I am here, What a day it’s been too, if I am honest it has been stressful but I feel I managed it ok. This has to be the hardest country that I have ever had to get into. I actually thought that it would go ok because the Ukraine was tough but no harder than when i used to take trucks into Czech or Hungary before they joined the European union. Ok this is what happened I left last nights rest spot and a lovely stray dog that slept under my truck and barked at anyone that came near all because I gave him a burger, he was a great security guard. It was 9 a.m when I left him he would not move from under the truck I think he wanted me to take him, Mick my old yard manager at Fransen Transport the first company to take trucks into Russia from the UK, told me that he once had a Russian truck driver give him a Dog because he couldn’t believe he didn’t have one and with such huge distances to cover it would be great company.

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Got into Ukraine at 6.20 p.m on friday night, their was a huge line of trucks on the single carriage way into a smaller border heading towards l’viv. It took me about an hour and a half to get into Ukraine, everyone was firm but friendly , they were very interested in the vehicle and customs didn’t know where to look first as their is so many nooks and crannies on the truck thanks to trek overland utilizing all the space. I got parked up at about 9 p.m in a great wooded secluded spot, just the mosi’s were a problem but i’ve got spray and the tent has insect nets which are very affective.

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I’m half way through poland and have decided to visit a Webasto dealer, that is the make of the engine heating system fitted to heat water and to keep the engine warm in cold climates, when it was fitted in the UK webasto supplied the wrong wiring diagram to the company fitting it and it has not been working to its full potential, i thought it was the best place now to go and see someone in poland and the dealer in Gliwice have been ever so helpful they stayed 2 hours after they closed and let me have a shower and fill up with water, i’d like to see more thoughtful customer care in the uk. They really care out here and want you to be up and running again. I’m now parked up behind their unit and hope to go swimming tomorrow before making my way to the Ukrainian border. Night all

Nothing else to report.

What a day, its great to be up to date with the blog, I don’t think I’ll always be like that and I won’t be doing it every day either. I’m in Czech which is fantastic considering I woke up in Frankfurt with CJ and Dylan the www.heretohere.com team. I must thank them again for letting me stay at their hotel, I have found out this evening that they have got their bike into the cargo area and are flying home to Calgary tomorrow.

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I’ve made contact with CJ and Dylan and I can’t wait to meet up again, I’m so sorry that their trip hasn’t worked to plan and it is really tough doing these trips hopefully they can give me an update on do’s and don’ts in Ukraine.

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Well I’m not sure yet about Puncture Safe!! But Dave’s cooking is amazing!! Dave and Dani very kindly let me stop over at their house in Northampton and Dave cooked some lovely Indian food all from scratch last nite.

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Rained most of the nite which I liked as it always shows how good the tent is, found out that water lies on top of the tourer canopy so when I pulled the guide rope I got a free shower. Packed up the tent in loads of rain made Manni and I a cup of tea and we got going as I had to drop Manni off to work for 10 am. Said my goodbyes to Manni at 10.30 a.m and met up with Andy Brown, my friend in the Midlands, Andy is hoping to fly out to the U.S and do the Nashville thing and visit Graceland, he is a big Elvis fan, Andy was brilliant at helping me sort out the heat loss from the heat tank and we got some lagging and boiler wrap to sort it out.

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Woke up excited and fresh today, got the vehicle on Paul’s ramp and worked started on the truck. I had an appointment at 12 p.m. with a 4×4 Magazine to take some Pictures and do an Article on the trip and I remember Toby telling me that he would call letting me know when he would arrive in Banks, I could hear the phone ringing but couldn’t find it then I realized that I had shut it in the roof tent so I unpacked the tent and called Toby back and he was on Time. The photo shoot was great I think Toby got 740 shots some taken on the dual carriage at speed which went really well and I didn’t realize how close you have to get to the camera car to get good shots it was fun, sorry to any cars that got stuck behind us.

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Woke a little tired and anxious this morning, Irena kindly let me stay at her house last nite and for the first time got to see a pet fox, well almost a pet, it was in a kennel and it did smell a bit. We got in to Trek at about 9 am and got started on the last minute packing of the truck. Tim and Matthew were still fitting the hot water system and we are having a little bother with it air locking, I took myself off into Kirkbymoorside to get more medical supplies and then into Pickering to collect some padlocks for the oil can and rear kit box.

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