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.
As I approached the border a long line of the usual trucks appeared so i went around them and police waved me off the road into a parking area about 100 meters form the border once i was parked they pointed at a small garden shed looking hut that i had to go too. I was asked for the car passport which is the V5 Document to us brits this is the one most important document second to my passport i have had to carry, i’ve never been asked for my insurance or my driving license the whole of this trip so far. In fact i tried to buy an insurance green card for Ukraine and they were not interested, i asked this of CJ and Dylan form the www.heretohere.com team as to where did the get their insurance and they said the same thing they were not asked for it. Most borders will not let you in till they have made you buy or have seen it. So off to this hut i trundle and friendly russian ladies ask me for the car passport, at this point i didn’t know what i was being required to do as they wanted to know how long was to stay i think, you see no one speaks english and I’m not expecting them too this is the best way for me too learn I’m really out of my comfort zone now in the hands of them really hoping that they treat me fairly, it turns out that i think it is for insurance that i have to pay now for the 3 months that i am in Russia 4,400 Rubles about £100 so that job was over stamp stamp and sign and i’ve got a beautiful looking document looks like a Cheque. Next i drive to the Ukraine immigration and this goes ok without problems, then i am pulled over to the side for the Ukraine customs mmmh different story, now i have nothing to declare he will not let me go and he waives a form in the air and says “Problem” ok lets sort it what do you want? he tells me he is sorry and that i can pay “Dollars” oh i see you want some pocket money, well what do you do then! do you get on the sat phone to the Embassy and say that your being done over by the customs and create hell foe 24 hours or just do as they have for years and play the game! he wanted $20 so i said $10 and he nodded straight away, i only had his local currency Rivne so i offered him 100 Rivne and we were moving again this is crazy but we are all happy i guess. Ok i have left Russia and I’m looking forward to the next bit this is all new to me, wow this is Russia, two soldiers stop me and ask for my passport and then ask if its only me traveling, this is all by pointing and gestures we are doing well they give me the famous immigration card that i heard about from the UK Embassy that 5 months ago they took the english off it. my luck was in again and it had English on it too, so i drive on and join a long line of cars going slowly to the front, i fill in the form section a and section b both the same and when i get to the front they don’t like the fact i have used green ink oops my fault and my granny would have laughed as she always used green ink, this is all my fault and i had to reverse out of the line and park, they made me walk all the way back to collect another immigration card and then comes back and reverse again to join the back of the queue that i have already been in it an hour, when i get to the front again all goes ok and my Visa and immigration card is all ok, the guard looks all over the truck and doesn’t know where to look first and then they send me on, what could me more simple Russian immigration sorted. Next is Russian customs, no one to direct you here just other car drivers pointing me to a window where it turns out that i am more of a problem for them they gave me a form to fill in and i returned to my vehicle to fill it in, mainly questions regarding items to declare, which i don’t so with that filled in i return to the kiosk and the Lady stamps the form and says “Police” I then get into my car 100 feet away and drive forward to the police control only to get shouted at and told to get out of the police control lane i said that i was asked to but they just pointed to the window where i had just been, i walked back into a queue for the same window, i cold not believe it when i got to the window she shook her head and sent me to police, i was staying calm but felt vulnerable i went to the Customs man and said finished papers done and he stormed off to the window of the lady and came back to me telling me to join the queue of cars for customs inspection, when it was my turn the customs official checked over the car i showed hi my fridge and explained that it was all for my personal use and i wasn’t going to sell bits off in Russia all by smiling and pointing then he was happy signed my papers, but i noticed that i had only been given one month on the Customs form and i needed 3 months to align with my green card car insurance and my visa. I showed this to the Customs man who shook his head! and said “Vladivostock Problem” great i’ve got something else to look forward too.
Leaving the border north for Belgorod which is one really straight road and a good road surface compared to Ukraine i noticed that their was more wealth in this part of Russia it looks they were strimming the verges not something i saw at all in ukraine, i am going to stay in the center of town as per my instructions from the Russian tourist office in Scotland because you must register your visa within 72 hours of arrival, so i thought it would be a good idea to get this done, it was hard work driving around the one way streets getting lost looking for a Hotel which it looks like their is really only the one Hotel Belgorod which is expensive in Russian terms at about £50 which i really am not comfortable paying as I’m happy in my tent i’ve come to Russia to see its culture not an international Hotel well if at least i can update my web site then that will be a positive as they have WIFI i am impressed but then when i try to use it it is slower than dial up in the uk and the server doesn’t support Mac, i don’t really understand but i can’t use this system and will have to carry on with the blog and maybe update it in Korea. I had a walk around town and it looks like they are starting to go down the commercial route of the shopping center and all that western stuff but Russian style still security watching you as you walk about, i didn’t feel all that safe and would not like to walk about at night their is nothing for me to see that interests me at this point. I go back to the Hotel and try out a Russian sim card for my mobile which does not seem to work. Later i get a call from Trekoverland Tim and he is trying to send me the stiffer front springs that i need for the Landcruiser and wants to know where to send them, I’m not sure yet i’ll have a look at the map, maybe Saratov or Samara ok off to bed.