Post 94: Russian Road Crews



Every day here in Russia, .. in city, village or out on the open road, .. amazing things happen that you simply would never see at home.

Travelling along a stretch of road with a 20cm surface of large grade gravel, I passed the road crew who were attempting to rebuild this particular stretch of road. It was rough, it was difficult and the bike was doing everything within it’s power to shake me from it. Behind me I heard horns, .. loud horns, … constant horns. I sat down in the saddle and looked back in my mirrors, ….. just a blur. I stopped and turned my head around, .. the drivers of the JCB’s were waving frantically at me and heading along the road at speed.

I assumed that something had fallen from the bike and so I dismounted and waited. The first driver summoned me up to his cab, …. he pulled a new and rather rude air freshener from behind his seat and presented it to me, … not a word had been spoken. As I climbed down from the cab several of his colleagues were waiting for me, .. with Vodka.

It seems that reports of Poor Circulation’s progress were being passed along the line and this particular road crew were the first to stop me. We talked in two alien languages but the message was still very clear, .. they were very proud of Russia and wanted to wish me well on my way to Vladivostok. I sipped their Vodka, ate their bread and dried fish and then was gone from their lives. In all of my years of riding around the UK, ….. this has never happened before. I just love the people of Russia who each day make me smile for the strangest and simplest of reasons, …. they just love life.

www.justgiving.com/geoffgthomas

No comments:

Post a Comment