The Odessa File

Finaly caught up with some other teams. One in an Sj like ours and the others in a Mini Moke that has broken suspention and is waiting for parts. Realy sound blokes and it great to be able to share some of the stories and experiences along the way. Getting here was a nightmare with the exhaust hangin off and no power. Also sleeping the Jeep was no fun once again, so on arrival we booked into the Phattest hotel in town and took it nice and easy. Odessa is just the nuts and so utterly different to the other parts. There's loaded people and realy poor people here and the rest of the Ukraine is like going back in time 40 years, very poor and everything is old and crap. Still the countryside is stunning. Though very flat for the most.
Going to wait here till the other team gets their part and then see if we can convoy with them till our car dies, which I feel will be quite soon. Certainly not going to get it fixed again, getting the exhaust welded was very nearly a very sticky situation and the mechanics were all trollied and were OK to begin with but then it got a little nasty and we were bundeled in the the jeep and basicaly told to f**k off. Not nice and my heart was in my mouth for a little while. Still we're Ok and having fun again. Cancelling my flight from Mongolia as there's no way I'm going to make it in the time left even if the car was going Ok which it ain't. Still I've driven over 2500 miles now and that I feel is a small achievement at least. Can't wait to get back to Claire !!!!

LVIV the Ukraine

Famous for Chernobyl and a poisoned president the Guide tells us, nice! :-D The reality is that the country is at least where we came in very nice, hilly and pretty, then it flattens out and that's about it. The Drivers here all went to clown School and the people that do the signs and the road building too. Plenty of tanks and and old School USSR type stuff all around. Like being in Rocky (the one where he fight Ivan Drago)
Anyways tonight we're in Lviv and the roads in town are worse that I've EVER seen and having covered a fair amout of Indonesia and other countries the award for worst roads on the planet is not given easily.
Witherway things are suddenly very cheap, full tank of fuel is now down to about 10 quid :-D

Onwards, Odessa is the next target if we make it.

Getting hotter all the time.

If I get sunburned again Earl is bang in trouble !

D

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