Day 4: Kaluga and Tatarstan - 108 Days Across Eurasia



Kaluga. There is a saying - you can not understand Russia using your mind. The same happened to me yesterday. I was thinking - how possible is this - to be responsible for the largest country in the world - how is it - for a president to rule the country as big as eleven time zones?! It is amazing. So big and huge country!!! Sooo big!:)

So we moved on further travel together after a heavy night of party and drinking in Kaluga to Tatarstan. About 300 km before Ural mountains which divides Europe from Asia about 1500 km from Moscow land is seeded with oil pumps. I was still with my new Russian friends and we have been driving already over 12 hours since this morning and are thinking of getting some rest in the nearest forest with water so can swim and make up some fire to have a bit of a warm food.

On our way the car broke down during our way because of a heat - but Denis very quickly jumped out of his seat, opened the hood from which smoke was coming out, made few things, filled something with water, inserted one rubble somewhere where electricity is and in 15 minutes we continued our trip. Russian technique... :)



Then during our way we saw how local gangsters where trying to hook up some lorry from Rostov... Russia ... very original country...

Since I left Kaluga I have not seen any cars with EU number-plates. I'm thinking about going to Kazakhstan and from there to China - just I don't know do I need visa and how is the road to China and from China's Kazakhstan's part to India - as I might imagine that there could be some mountains on my way for which I'm not prepared. Also visa to Kazahstan now would be useful. Actually I just now realized that actually I'm not prepared for this trip at all - just recently, for example I noticed that my tent is for a beach - it's without a floor ... And I don't have a sleeping bag...

The next worrying thing is about registration thing in Russia - there is a law which says I need to register in some local immigration service otherwise when leaving country I might be arrested and get some rest in Russian prison. Hope it won't affect me.

I guess I smoked to much herbs instead of preparing myself for this trip. I would need to have at least a tent and a sleeping bag. Well - somehow I'm sure I will get some pot here to smoke my worries away... :)