In the morning I had to make a couple of stops at the swamp toilet. Not somewhere I’d recommend to anyone, but I’d eaten something that didn’t agree with me and had no choice. At one of those stops a loaded KTM coming the other way pulled up to a stop.
The guy came over to introduce himself. Joseph I think was German, the bike had German plates anyway. He was going to Vladivostok to catch the trans Siberian railway with his bike, onto lake Baikal and then Mongolia. We may well run into him again.
We exchanged notes on the state of the roads ahead, then went on our respective ways. One thing I’ve noticed here is that other bikers are very friendly. I’ve seen a few loaded tourers coming the other way, obviously foreigners who you expect to wave. But even the small bikes with the locals on produce big arm length waves and smiles. Nice!
sophiewhiptank 
today (01/08/14 at 18.00 local) i, and my sun meet you in the middle of Khabarovsk. I was pleasured from wisit of so brave tourists in my country (esp. in far East). i wish you good luck and to “not to have nail, not to have a jail” (ни жезла, ни гвоздя). have a good luck!
any trouble call +79098052186 , Dima, Khabarovsk, far east, Russia
be carefull in the endless “step’ “(field) of mongolia! no service, no roads. no peoples for a miles.
take a care of your “horses” in mongolia! nowere to repare. (if i only understand your letter clear…)
i just read your adventures in Vladivostok, so, remember-I am not Dima from Vladivostok, i am Dima from Khabarovsk!
by the way… one of you have a big problem with a skin under eyes. its too late, but try to use ointment of Vishnevsky (мазь Вишневского)(smell is fantastic!) or (Salicylic acid) in state of ointment. Its cheap and very usefull. ore just use simple vaselin. in whole – just not let the skin to ckrack for free… protect it!
I wish the force to be with you!
Очен приятно Дима! Спасибо бальшое!