I didn’t feel like doing a blog yesterday, was in a strange mood, i think that the last couple of days started to get me down a little all the police stops and the same scenery for the last 1500 miles, i felt lonely for the first time i think it is because i haven’t had much contact with the right people so i will stop at a cafe later and chat to some folk. Scenery is changing now as i make my way into the Ural mountains and lots of forest areas and oil fields as you make your way from Ufa to the urals, stopped at the top of the first climb and did an oil and filter change which I’m doing every 5000 miles the next 5000 should be near to Vladivostock and i’ll remove the wheels and check the brake pads too. The vehicle is running well i had some trouble over poor quality diesel or it was the wrong grade of diesel it was being filled to trucks on the forecourt so i filled my tanks up at 35 pence per liter. driving down the road i noticed the power was down and engine ran quieter so i pulled up next to a gas station then it cut out i parked over a sandy place and had to drain my main fuel tank and get some more diesel from the petrol station then refill the vehicle tank and bleed the fuel through and we were up and running, i still have another 120 liters of the other stuff in my rear tank and i’ve mixed 10% of petrel to it to help and i’ll add 20 liters a time to the next so many other tank fill ups till its all gone. Pulled up for the night in the Ural mountains its allot cooler and I’m happier for that i’ve had allot of rain at times and yesterday the rain was very heavy monsoon type rain so had to stop as you cant see the holes in the road as well,

Crazy parking area two old tran siberian train coaches one for eating the other for sleeping 4 bunks to a room but i slept in my roof tent which creates allot of interest and i couldn’t get to bed as i have now made about 7 friends some wanting a beer another giving me holy cards for good luck, i gave whiskey a T shirt to one guys young girl and a notebook to another then went into the train carriage for supper I didn’t get any computer work done either then off to bed, very noisy night as a gun shot went off after an argument but i think it could have been fired in the air or a blank firing pistol i just stayed away, also trucks trying to get out in the morning some more shouting and diesel smoke so i think i’ll have a quite night somewhere, maybe stay in a motel for a change.