Rolls Around the World 2007: 18 - Tyumen to Kemerovo, Russia

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Miles for the day 419 (674 km) Miles to date 8,201 (13,198 km)

We were up at 5 AM on the first cold morning since England. Both escort vehicles arrived just after 6, one of which is a 1943 Russian Army Jeep, driven by its car collector owner.

The first stop was at the RAS driving school to pose for photos before we were escorted to the end of the Tyumen district. The skies were blue and the sun shining brightly as we travelled over the Siberian countryside of farmland and birch forests, but the roads were the worst to date. There were only enough good stretches to give a false sense of well being before the next set of distorted, damaged pavement slammed us back into reality. We were stopped once by a policeman who was curious about the car. Only one policeman to date has asked for a driver's license or registration documents, and that was a cursory examination.

At the border of Omsk regional president Alexander and the vice- president of the Russian Automobile Society greeted us, along with three beautiful girls dressed in traditional pale blue gowns and head dresses, who presented us with the welcoming round bread. A TV crew was also there. The cameraman rode with us for a couple of miles before we drove to the cathedral in the central square where another TV crew and media waited. After the interviews we walked through the cathedral, and then made a stop nearby at Andrei's old residence. It was his first visit to his birthplace since he left at the age of five.

Omsk, a pleasant city of 1,145,000 founded in 1716, will open a new ice arena on August 31. They are proud that the arena will open to the first international game played in Russia outside of Moscow or St. Petersburg, between Canadian & Russian junior teams.

The car took a terrible pounding today, even though we drove at only 25 mph for long stretches. The clip which had been manufactured for the left front fog light/turn signal broke and the light fell out, smashing the lens and reflector. Something electrical was burning under the dash, the starter switch quit, the generator warning light has given up, the ammeter shows the battery is steadily discharging and the brake lights don't work. Fortunately there is a button under the hood which can be pressed to manually engage the starter.

The RAS officials took us to a huge repair shop that works 24 hours a day. They were a bit short staffed, as today is the first day of hunting season and most men in Siberia love to hunt, but they gave us top priority. Igor, the owner, showed me a digital photo of one of the vintage Peking to Paris rally cars they repaired.

While waiting for the initial diagnosis of the problems Sergei, the chief of police, arrived with the deputy chief. The chief heads the information division of the RAS for driver training and road safety. His English was quite good - he had been on four exchange programs with US police departments. He promptly took charge; making sure the repair shop could do the work, assigning two policemen to watch the car around the clock and suggesting a restaurant where we would all eat.

Once all was arranged we piled into two cars with our baggage for the trip to the hotel. We were riding in a new Russian built Volga, which the driver says has a Chrysler engine. At the hotel Sergei once again took command. It was quite the procession as Sergei and the other officials led us to our rooms, carrying our luggage. We had been in the room only long enough for me to open a soap package when Sergei pounded on the door - he wasn't happy with our room so the procession marched in, took our baggage, and off we went to another floor where we were moved into a suite.

Marilynn & I did a quick change of clothes and joined the others for the drive to a restaurant. It was another good meal, accompanied by beer and copious quantities of vodka, downed after each of many toasts. Sergei, the police chief, kept us posted as to progress on the car as reports came in on his cell phone. He is apparently well known everywhere in town, and has ears everywhere as well - which is how he knew to find us at the car repair place.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

It was an easy morning where I got some work done on the computer, including a note to Scott Harrison of Action Transmission in Victoria to try to find a new lens for the fog light that broke. At one o'clock our delegation arrived to take us to the Rolls, which while not ready was well on its way. The generator light was working and the short circuit causing the battery to discharge had been repaired. Two new fog light/turn signals with lenses had been manufactured using parts from an assortment of cars from the 1970s.

While we waited with the police and RAS delegations, they rebuilt the brake light switch and discovered that part of the front suspension had been installed wrong. The bolts had been stripped, so they cut the original parts off, replacing them with very similar 1977 Opel parts. This helped alleviated the jarring crash we were getting when we hit a bump. It was a remarkable operation - they even took credit cards! A Moscow TV crew showed up to video the repair process with the emphasis on police and RAS assistance.

When the car was ready we went to a BMX bicycle course, fully paved with asphalt. The TV crew were there when we arrived with President Alexander riding in the Rolls. Young riders trying for the Russian Olympic team came in for our benefit to stage several races and demonstrations, including jumping high enough to clear a team member and I while we stood on the course.

After the TV interviews, photos and farewells we arrived at police headquarters, where they had a spread of food, beer and the inevitable vodka laid out in one of the offices. Sergei presented us with a number of gifts, including what amounted to a "get out of jail free" badge to show to highway police. While we were there he called his counterpart in Novosibirsk, our destination tomorrow, to notify them we were coming and request a police escort.

We followed President Alexander back to the hotel, where a police vehicle and 2 policemen were on duty to guard our car for the night. Fond farewells were given to our gracious hosts, who plied us with even more gifts. Omsk has certainly been a memorable visit!

Monday, August 27, 2007

Miles for the day 416 (669 km) Miles to date 8,617 (13,868 km)

We decided to skip the overnight in Kuybyshev to make up for the extra day spent in Omsk. Our good weather deserted us - it was a cold, rainy, bleak day with fog patches on the road in the morning. We started out on reasonable concrete road, a section of the military highway that was to cross Russia before they ran out of money, but the road was not in great shape for the last 200 km (124 mi). A ferocious bug hatch obliterated the windshield & covered the front of the car early in the day, but traffic was light.

This is cowboy country, with hayfields and herds of cattle tended by Siberian cowboys on horses. Frequently horse drawn hay wagons trotted down the highway.

Our arrival in Novosibirsk started outside the city with a bank of TV cameras, various reporters and the president of the RAS region. Rain had slowed to a drizzle, but it was freezing cold. Interviews were put off until we reached the main square where TV crews and press were waiting. This was the largest media turnout yet, in spite of the weather. The poor Rolls was barely recognizable in its mud and bug splattered condition! Only glimpses of chrome showed - the chrome hub caps and white walled tires were completely covered in black muck. Nevertheless, it was well photographed from every angle.

Our escort took us through brutally heavy traffic to the Hotel Golden Ruin, a beautifully furnished and decorated 5 room hotel. We were the only guests, and the three women who owned it spoiled us rotten by catering to our every whim. They had wireless internet and a big screen TV where we watched ourselves on two separate news channels.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Miles for the day 186 (299 km) Miles to date 8,803 (14,167 km)

A police escort out of Novosibirsk helped beat the morning traffic congestion, as the police car led us through red lights and around stopped vehicles, with lights flashing, horn blowing, siren wailing and the loud speaker system admonishing anyone who did not get out of our way quickly. A good way to start a bright, sunny day! . Once into the countryside we began to pass roadside vendors displaying everything from smoked fish to vegetables and honey on the hood of their cars. At bus stops or intersections rows of people sat along the roadside with their goods displayed for sale. Today's roads were better. As we go further east there are more and more right hand drive cars from Japan on the road.

A delegation of press plus RAS President Darijon, vice-president and husband Viktor and daughter Mary met our filthy vehicle outside Kemerovo, a pretty city of 490,000 located in a major coal area. We followed them into the city, flags flying, through an area of typical Siberian log and wooden houses, with brightly painted shutters and sometimes gingerbread trim.

Press interviews were held at a car wash while the car was returned to its normal splendour. A stop was made in the beautiful main square to meet more press before being escorted to Hotel Graal, located outside the city in a forest of pine trees.

Victor and family took us for dinner at a nearby outdoor BBQ restaurant in forest beside the river where I had great BBQ salmon. Darijon is Georgian, and both Mary and Viktor have Georgian citizenship. Viktor certainly likes to party like a Georgian!