I managed a couple of hundred km after the border, then decided to call it a day. The border crossing itself was uneventful, which could well be my last official crossing of the trip! I stopped at a camp site where they have cabins, I splashed out for a cabin for the night.

The weather has been grey and drizzly all day, so I was already wet when I stopped. The thought of camping (and paying for it!) didn’t appeal. As expected the scenery has been very nice, but the grey skies and riding through mist means that photos don’t look so good. It also takes the edge off the biking experience, but it’s still very good!

As I sit in cabin drying my socks, I know I made the right choice!

The scenery has changed from Russia a little, there are no trees now. It’s more like the west coast of Scotland, think rugged and remote. It’s evident I’m in a different country though, subtle differences like yellow paint in the centre of the roads instead of white. There are also lots of Volvos and not so many Ladas, all being driven on the speed limit! A particularly nice change is the public toilet blocks every 20 km or so. I haven’t been in yet, but they look well kept and I bet they’re nice inside!