Saturday 14th July
After a really nice meal in the Tokyo restaurant in town and we all felt pretty good that we had sorted out our route Option 2 carry one east to Oral, then drop down to Tashkent, to pick up our original route (very close to anyway). We had breakfast in out room from stuff purchased from the local supermarket, yogurt, muesli, fruit and coffee pretty good, all ready to roll at 07:00, till Linny had a flat rear tyre. No inners tubes left (as Linny rides 26 inch wheels), so Keith and & I patched one each all down in less the 15 min, hit the road around 07:15.
We only had a vague idea of where we where staying tonight either a truck stop thing at around 85 miles or push on through and investigate a possible place at 110 mile or camp, we are prepared for the camping, I am even carry a tin of sweet corn!. The roads are still very good, I have been very impressed with the Russian roads and more importantly how clean and tidy they are kept. The road we where on today A38 had very little towns, villages or even petrol stations, though we managed to find a little shop open at around 40 mile mark had a coffee and Linny and Keith had some sort of pie, both said it was nice, I was still ok from our breakfast. Linny checked the map said we had another place in 24 miles or so, on went traffic nice and light on really good roads. Though the weather started to break up, we seemed to be just in front to the rain, until just before our designated stop, when it started to rain egg cups full but missing us, all pretty strange. We pulled into the petrol station had a coffee, soft drink and cheese and ham toastie, I am still pursuing with the vegetarian diet as much as I can, so Keith & Linny share the extra ham. Set of again with about 20 miles to the first possible stay over at 85 miles, the weather had improved, and the road though it seemed never ending rolled in our favour and before we knew it Linny shouted out there is the road side café the hostel should be around 2cmiles away, sure enough it was. We pulled in all a bit apprehensive, however it all seem pretty clean, had a coffee and beer in the adjoining café, while they sorted out the dormitory. The guy was really helpful thanks to google translate gave us the downstairs dormitory with room to store our bikes, excellent result.
Linny volunteered to cook our supper, though I had to go out in the pouring rain (good job we where not camping) to get the water & beers, he made a great job of the starter, not sure if we are going to get the main and pudding though! No WIFI so we will have to talk to each other tonight, with no updates to friends and family.