Day 16

Oleg joined us for the send-off, he has become an honorary GO60 member and has done so much for the team. Tour guide, translator and luggage chaser. We took pictures of him with the team next to his classic Range Rover. He gave us a routeplan to head out of Moscow and without further ado we were off. We seemed to drive for some time before we reached the countryside.

Moscow is a sprawling city with a significant population (all of which seem to be on the road at any one time)!! Leaving on a Sunday morning was definitely the least stressful way to drive in Moscow! Russia's countryside was surprisingly lush and green. Silver Birch groves nestled between placid rivers and banks of tulips. The miles passed quickly as we moved from a bustling city out to rural harmony.

Ladies in long skirts wearing head scarves were visible in the villages we passed. The roads went from European standard motorways to potholed excuses. Fortunately the many road works we passed are yielding steadily better conditions. We were joined by a man in a black car, for a hundred miles. Nothing seemed to come of it, however we were all aware of a presence that is gone but not forgotten. The team soon fell into convoy driving, establishing practices that we were all comfortable with and making good progress.

The route through Ryazan foxed the navigators slightly. Well, it was the road signs in cyrillic that were the real culprit! The locals were all willing to give directions, however we were completely unable to understand anything except sign language. Straight on and left or straight on & right was pretty much as far as we could get. Friendly (if not a little frustrated) smiles kept us going until we asked a marked police car (in a queue at a level crossing) and he helpfully escorted us back to the M5 motorway. The miles then became easy.

A quick snack and a fuel stop were our only breaks. We knew it was a 10 hour driving day. Chris's preparation in a supermarket the day before meant we were streamlined (we needed to be). Truck stops with roadside market shops burning smoky logs became interesting highlights, along with the many variants of Lada we saw. The other thing that will stick in my mind from this day, is the oncoming traffic that was overtaking another overtaking vehicle. An oncoming 3-wide convoy on a single carriageway is not something you want to experience often! Radio communication, team work and quick wits kept us safe.

Penza welcomed us with many locals helping us to our destination, which seemed hidden in what I can only describe as a ghetto. The hotel itself had a secure car parked (tall gates and the world's barkiest dog) and the owners (Tatyana and her white vested husband) were friendly & hospitable and introduced us to our clean and brand new pristine rooms. We may have been the first guests there. The local shop sold good beer. A fitting end to our first driving day.