(Russia) To the border

[14/11/09~16 (D+1173) to the border]

The cloud covered the hill. Today temperature was around -5 (23). It would take only a few days to Murmansk, my destination.

As soon as I entered into a restaurant, the owner shouted and yelled at me with the reason I put my helmet and gloves on the table. Was it so reasonable reason to be yelled loudly? I felt very offensive, but I cannot go to the other restaurant because it was only one today I can have meal. I showed her the picture on iPhone what I wanted to eat, so it was no problem to order food.

(Price 90 Rubles ($2.3))

Another customer came and ordered it. It looked so nice that I asked the owner the same thing with body language.

(Price 100 Rubles -$2.5 )

Russian cemetery

I’ve seen the same gravestone in Balkan that they put the picture on it. I was not sure it is the traditional way of Second World.

There was something on offline map after 40 km (25 mi) at the next lake. I was not sure it is parking place or village. I decided to stop and stay there, because the next city is 80 km (50 mi) far that I could not cycle in one day.

When I arrived there, it looked very poor village or just garage.

This lake was not frozen yet.

Coldness..

I found some guys fixing the car. I asked to set up tent at their garage. He opened the next door and introduced his friend. When I entered to their house, three guys were so excited and happy to have me. On the contrary to this, I was in panic. It looked they were drunken.

I decided to get out of here. I said I am sorry I will go. Usually I always said thank you for inviting me. But this time was exception that I just run away.

I went to next street. The house looked family house. When I knocked, he said he has to go home. After hearing my story and checking my passport, he decided to let me sleep at his holiday house alone.

When I went to the house, it looked so nice. It was totally different from the outside. I asked him to take the picture.

There was Sauna at the downstairs.

When I opened the door, the lake view was just at the front. He said he jump to the lake after sauna sometimes. Everything was so good. But the weather was very cloudy that it was not possible to see Aurora even if there is sun activity. Although it was around 4 pm, it was already too dark to enjoy the view of the lake.

The house was quite complicating that he explained the house for one hour. This kitchen was also special that when the water touched some metal stick at the some point, the light changed to the red on the sink. He showed me where I should throw away dirty water. It was quite shocking place.

It was not to the lake, but in front of his house where he left his car and where he walked. Anyway better than to lake.

Thanks to him I could take the rest well.

Next morning on the road, I saw interesting river; At the front the flowing water and at the back frozen water with snow

It looked interesting cafe. It seemed the toilet is at the outside. It was early morning that I didn’t stop to save my time.

It is so beautiful ever.

Wilson Bentley captures more than 6,000 images of crystals in his lifetime. He published the book of Crystal snowflake in 1913.
I can understand why he falls in love with it.

It was so gorgeous that it was so worth to cycle in the winter.

When I was closed to my destination, the weather changed badly. It was long time no see the mount.

some scary scenery. It looked everything was dead.

There was strong wind that it made snow dance on the lake. I felt also dangerous to cycle because of too strong side wind.

Thanks to local people which I already contacted before, I could stay warmly for a night.

It was fuel for a bicycle these days above the picture. I had to eat high-calorie junk food to save my time on the road because my fingers and toes could be frozen easily if I have the break for an hour. I ate one chocolate for a day.

The weather was quite warm yesterday around -1~-2 (30f) that snow melted on the main road.

Hills~

Another beautiful lake

At the middle of way, there was a gas station. It was really good time to take the rest. The noodle was 35Rubles (0.9$).

It is interesting to see that there are many Korean food or similar Korean food. The pictures were taken while shopping.

In the night I tried to set up my tent around the hotel, but the owner of hotel invited me at the inside. Maybe because I looked poor. Tomorrow finally I would reach my destination, Murmansk, which I had dreamed.

At the next day it snowed lot.

If I cycled 40 km more (25mi), I could have reached to my goal.

Although I could not see Aurora yet, I felt I reached to the other goal, which was going almost to the end of the north in Russia. I would stay for a few days in Murmansk to see Northern Lights.

But suddenly, I felt weird thing.?I didn’t know what is happening at first. The view was blinked like turning on and off light in the dark.. ‘Why I cannot see clear?’ And the next thought ‘Am I sliding??’ And then I saw the car on my head.. ‘Am I hit by car??’

And I realized my head was moving under (with) his car. I think I shouted ‘Hey I am under your car.. Stop’
I was lucky that my head was not squeezed by his tire. At the next day I felt like somebody hit and kick all my body that my whole body was sore.  There was no any serious injury that it was lucky though.

=
I edited the post about car accident. I had written detail about what happened at that time. But it was too emotional. I didn’t meant to offend Russian who helped me. I also wrote that it was my personal experience and many travelers liked to travel Russia so I hoped people don’t judge Russia with my experience. But it looked like it was not enough to stop misunderstanding. I want to apologize to Russian. I hope they forgive me and forget about this accident. Let’s leave the past behind and make new relationship in the future.  🙂
=

From Murmansk to Finland it was 240km (150 mi) left. I decided to just hitchhike because I felt a bit sick after the accident.
I was so afraid of Finland market about the price that I bought some food and other things. Just before leaving Russia, Russian currency kept going down. When I entered two month ago, $1 was 39 Rubles. Now it was 46 Rubles for 1$.

Russian coins. Many times my wallet was full of coins. I thought I took the picture of note, but now I cannot find.

After a while, I got a ride and went far from the city.

At the middle of the road I got another lift from a truck driver. His destination was to Denmark that he said he could give me a ride to Ivalo which is over 50 km (31 mi) far from Russian border in Finland.

Actually I was really afraid of Finland. First of all what I’ve worried was how much it would be expensive. The second thing was how much cold people will be. I doubted I could not get any warm place to sleep. If I could not set up my tent at any warm place, I might get a ride to the south.

Although there was some fear about Finland, I was excited to enter a new country.

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Route
Days in Russia = 53 Days
Distance of cycling in Russia = 1817.8 km // (1136.12 mi)
Cities I stayed in Russia = 24 Cities
Pskov, Katezno, Luga, Gatchina, St.Petersburg, Zherki, Kiselnya, Pasha, Inema, Torosozero, Pryazha, Kondopoga, Medvezhyegorsk, Junction before Zerezha, Pushnoy , Sokol, somewhere, Junction before Loukhi, Lesnon, Kandalaksha, Apatity Raion area, Monchegorsk, After Pushnoy, Murmansk
Expenditure in Russia = $970.46
(230$ for winter cheap gear)
($1=39Rubles 09/26
$1=46Rubles 11/15)