November 19, 2004
Adam ties a ribbon to a tree, per Yakutian customs, and makes a wish. I wonder if he wished for safe travels to Magadan and home?
Photo by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Nov. 19, Day | ||
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Start: Yakutsk, Russia Time: N: E: |
Finish: Magadan, Russia Time: N: E: | Mileage: |
| Notes: Hello, friends and family! We've made it safely and soundly to Magadan. The Certified Land Rovers are in a container awaiting shipment to Korea and the U.S., and we are hopping a plane to Moscow on the 20th. We'll be home before you know it to spend the holidays with family before continuing the journey from Alaska. Can't wait to see you all! The roads were long and snowy/icy from Irkutsk to Magadan, and we had so many great adventures. We'll tell you about them when we get home and can sit behind good (free) Internet in the U.S. Love, your LONGITUDE team. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
November 18, 2004
"Signs" of the old communist regime in Russia.
Photo by Adam Burgess
| Logbook for Nov. 18th, Day 384 | ||
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Start: Magadan, Russia Time: N/A N: 59* 38.000 E: 150* 50.000 |
Finish: Magadan, Russia Time: N/A N: 59* 38.000 E: 150* 50.000 | Mileage: 000 |
| Notes: We had to say goodbye to teammates Debbie, Manrico, Mary Beth, and Adam today, as they had flights to Moscow to catch. Nancy, Todd, and Nick spent the rest of the day with local media and customs. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
November 17, 2004
A sign near Ust-Nera reminds us of Communist days.
Photo by Adam Burgess
| Logbook for Nov. 17th, Day 383 | ||
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Start: Susuman, Russia Time: 1:48 p.m. N: 62* 46.596 E: 148* 09.101 |
Finish: Magadan, Russia Time: 3:00 a.m. N: 59* 38.000 E: 150* 50.000 | Mileage: 380 |
| Notes: We made it. About 125 km from the finish line, D4's muffler pipe, brittle from the -40 temps, broke. We pulled into the quiet town sounding like a band of Harleys. Getting here was a great feat in teamwork and conviction. Our whole (extended) team really rose to the challenge, and now, here we are. We had nice roads today, but they were dangerously curvy, with a couple of police stops. Manrico, Mary Beth, and Debbie were superstars, and our guide, Roma II, is a Godsend. Nick, Todd, Adam, and Nancy are so thankful for our four newest teammies, and we could not have done it without 'em. Thank you all! To celebrate the occassion, a very tired team of 8 broke open some local beverages and had a hotel party. It's great to be in Magadan! (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
November 16, 2004
Adam checks out an old abandoned traditional home near Khandiga.
| Logbook for Nov. 16th, Day 382 | ||
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Start: Ust-Nera, Russia Time: 1:34 p.m. N: 64* 34.120 E: 143* 13.286 |
Finish: Susuman, Russia Time: 11:30 a.m. N: 62* 46.596 E: 148* 09.101 | Mileage: 251 |
| Notes: Nice send-off and breakfast at the town cafe with new Ust-Nera friends. Fueled up vehicles and gerries. Roads pretty good, and they're getting better. Followed river to susuman and our hotel. Housed vehicles in a nearby garage. The temp. here is colder than -40 C. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
November 15, 2004
A diesel truck broke through the ice on the Aldan River and was stuck for more than four days. We offered them food and drink, bt they were confident they'd be out by late afternoon.
Photo by Adam Burgess
| Logbook for Nov. 15th, Day 381 | ||
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Start: Khandiga, Russia Time: 6:45 a.m. N: 62* 39.225 E: 135* 34.217 |
Finish: Ust-Nera, Russia Time: 4:30 a.m. N: 64* 34.120 E: 143* 13.286 | Mileage: 418 |
| Notes: Early-morning wakeup (0615) to backtrack about 40 km to film hte Aldan iver crossing in daylight. After two refuelings in town and an hour or two of filming, the team finally departed for Tomtor. Decent roads to Kubeme, where the road splits (East) for the summer road, and (north) for the "winter road." East to Tomtor, North to Ust-Nera. After finally deciphering the correct spot to cross the river to Tomtor (we had to flag down a local van and ask them), we crossed and found out there's no road to Magadan through Tomtor now. It's closed. Overgrown. Impassable. We gerried up our vehicles and headed north toward Ust-Nera. It was -49 C. We experienced really bad roads all the way north, and then a good road east to Ust-Nera. Along the highway, we saw trees that were right out of Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. It was awesome. And arriving in Ust-Nera after such a long haul was even more awesome. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
November 14, 2004
The vehicles are lined up to cross the ice over the Aldan River. Scary stuff, considering the "road" is not officially open yet...
Photo by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Nov. 14th, Day 380 | ||
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Start: Bestyakh, Russia Time: 8:30 a.m. N: 61* 59.900 E: 129* 54.466 |
Finish: Khandiga, Russia Time: 1:51 a.m. N: 62* 39.225 E: 135* 34.217 | Mileage: 296 |
| Notes: We started the morning with a photo shoot with horses near the ferry in Bestyakh, then we discovered a problem with D2's muffler. The cold had cracked a pipe. D2 returned to the garage and worked on it until about 4 p.m. The rest of the team joined them after the photo shoot, and after the repairs, we had to say a very sad goodbye to Roma I. He had to go back across the ice river to Yakutsk to catch his flight, which leaves tomorrow. We are all going to miss him so much! We hit the road with Roma II in the lead vehicle, and we continued through the night and morning to cross the Aldan river and arrive in Khandiga. It was a long day. We're happy to have Roma II with us. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
November 13, 2004
Our new guide, whom we refer to as Roma II. He's Yakutian, and he speaks several languages, including the native Yakutian dialect, Russian, and Chinese. He's excited to come along on the journey, and we're excited to have him. Of course, we'll all be sad to say "see you later" to Roma I. Welcome aboard, Roma II!!!
| Logbook for Nov. 13th, Day 379 | ||
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Start: Yakutsk, Russia Time: N/A N: 62* 10.000 E: 129* 50.000 |
Finish: Bestyakh, Russia Time: 8:30 a.m. N: 61* 59.900 E: 129* 54.466 | Mileage: XXX |
| Notes: We met our new guide, whom we call Roma II, and he's gonna be great. Roma I has to return home tomorrow to get married! Wedding's on the 27th. We spent the morning at a reindeer farm, where we learned about native Yakutian customs. Then we did some quick food shopping before hopping into two Russian 4X4 van taxis to travel back across the ice to Bestyakh. I must say, travelling over tiny icebergs across a frozen river is pretty spooky. And bumpy. We made it back safely and checked into our lodging place, called "The Sanitarium." (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
November 12, 2004
This native Yakutian taught us about the customs and traditions of the Yakutsk people. Here, he prepares kindling for a fire.
Photo by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Nov. 12th, Day 378 | ||
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Start: Yakutsk, Russia Time: N/A N: 62* 10.000 E: 129* 50.000 |
Finish: Yakutsk, Russia Time: N/A N: 62* 10.000 E: 129* 50.000 | Mileage: 000 |
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Notes: Hello again from Siberia. Everybody's doing great here, and we're planning to leave in two days. Tomorrow, we will cross an ice river over to the road that will take us to our final destination in Magadan. The next day, we will begin driving again. The drive will take at least 5 days, and we'll most likely have no opportunities for Internet along the way. We'll be driving through reindeer farms, ice rivers, and snow fields, and it will be AWESOME! We could conceiveably be home for Thanksgiving!
Still having fun in Yakutsk. Tonight we had a team dinner, and everybody danced like wackos afterward. I think only Manrico stayed off the floor. Todd stole the night with his "pump-it-up" dance... Todd is a very good dancer, ladies... (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
November 11, 2004
Nick has a serious meeting with Adam...(Photo taken in Novosibirsk, but we don't have any Yakutsk photos, because Nancy lost Todd's camera...)
Photo by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Nov. 11th, Day 377 | ||
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Start: Yakutsk, Russia Time: N/A N: 62* 10.000 E: 129* 50.000 |
Finish: Yakutsk, Russia Time: N/A N: 62* 10.000 E: 129* 50.000 | Mileage: 000 |
| Notes: Exploring the town. We went shopping for giant fur hats, and Adam filmed it. Good stuff. Also doing our fair share of exploring the local clubs. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
November 10, 2004
THIS is where Santa Claus lives! We met some native reindeer in Yakutsk.
Photo by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Nov. 10, Day 310376 | ||
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Start: Bestyakh, Russia Time: 11:35 a.m. N: 61* 59.855 E: 129* 59.193 |
Finish: Yakutsk, Russia Time: 5:00 p.m. N: 62* 10.000 E: 129* 50.000 | Mileage: 050 |
| Notes: We're here in Yakutsk, finally, and we want to let you all know that we are safe and sound! Actually, we're better than safe-and-sound. We're in a 5-star hotel until tomorrow, and several of us have just purchased fur hats. Fur is the big deal here in Siberia, and it is so natural to see people walking around in it. Seriously, fur is on everybody you see here, and it is a matter of survival. Nothing else will keep these people warm and alive in the frigid temperatures of eastern Russia. The team, our awesome guide, Roma, who is a bonifide team member now, Manrico, Mary Beth, and Debbie, are all doing well in the -20 weather here in Siberia. We apologize for the lack of communication, but it is impossible to find Internet cafes in these desolate places. Finding a gas station is happy enough of an occurrence to keep us motivated. It's funny, but this sort of privileged suffering really makes us proud to be a team, and we feel excited about the rest of our journey. Roma, our guide, is a God-send. Without him, we would be entirely unable to communicate. With him, we have befriended mayors and local know-it-alls who have hooked us up with accommodations and garages for our team and vehicles. Seriously, life is good. Tomorrow, we will very likely spend one more day in these parts working before heading off toward Magadan. We'll try our best to keep you updated as often as possible. We do apologize for the delay in getting word to you. Try not to worry, though, as the roads are good, our vehicles are good, and our spirits are so very high. We miss you all, but we will be home for the holidays...Love and kisses, DATW. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
November 09, 2004
Red-Light Roma! Guide/translator/teammate Roma Golovin got to take the wheel out by the ferry in Bestyakh. He's a pretty good driver! (Of course, he has driven on ice and snow all his life, right?)
Photo by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Nov. 9th, Day 375 | ||
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Finish: Aldan, Russia Time: 8:10 a.m N: 58* 36.467 E: 125* 23.261 |
Finish: Bestyakh, Russia Time: 12:55 a.m N: 61* 59.855 E: 129* 59.193 | Mileage: 363 |
| Notes: Had breakfast with the mayor and bid our new friends a fond farewell. He escorted us to the edge of the district, and we were on our way. The roads were all snow-covered and icy. As it got darker, we watched the temperature drop to below -30 C. D4 was in the lead, with Nancy and Roma navigating, and suddenly they came upon a dark shape in the road. They just barely missed running over what turned out to be a Yakutian man in the fetal position, just left of the center of the road. Once the others had caught up, the man was checked for damage and determined to be inebriated. It was well below freezing, and the man had one shoe, no gloves, and no way home. A passing van refused to take him, so the team put him in the back of D4 and brought him to the next police stop in town. They checked him in, and Nancy stuffed a couple of Hella lights in his pocket. Eventually, he'll find them and wonder how in the heck they got there. The team ended up driving to the ferry terminal, where it was determined that the vehicles should be left on this side of the river, and the team would go without them to Yakutsk, on the other side of the river. We pulled a man out of a ditch, and he hooked us up with a great place to stay in a town that supposedly has no hotels. That's karma, baby! We slept well in our warm resort in the woods. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
November 08, 2004
As we departed Lake Baikal, Adam threough a dread in the water for his buddy, Colin. Colin would have done it himself if he were here. This one's for you, Colin!
Photo by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Nov. 8th, Day 374 | ||
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Finish: Neryungri, Russia Time: 10:43 a.m N: 56* 40.032 E: 124* 43.509 |
Finish: Aldan, Russia Time: 8:30 a.m N: 58* 36.467 E: 125* 23.261 | Mileage: 181 |
| Notes: We rolled into Aldan and pulled into a gas station, wehre we met a woman who is friends with the mayor. Later, she introduced us to the mayor. He ended up hooking us up with a garage for the cars and two fully-stocked apartments for the team. We ended up partying with the mayor much of the night, and it was AWESOME! (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
November 07, 2004
Our firehouse heroes.
Photo by Adam Burgess
| Logbook for Nov. 7th, Day 373 | ||
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Finish: Scoborodino, Russia Time: 10:20 a.m N: 53* 58.550 E: 123* 55.540 |
Finish: Neryungri, Russia Time: 1:30 a.m N: 56* 40.032 E: 124* 43.509 | Mileage: 237 |
| Notes: All went well heading out of town, except that the 1100 km to Yakutsk was double what we expected. Roads slick with snow and ice. Slow-going much of hte way. At Zolotinka, D1 broke a drive shaft, and locals welcomed us into their warm fire station, where their mechanic helped fix the vehicle. These guys were awesome. After several hours with our new firehouse friends, we drove 60 km down the road to the nearest hotel and slept hard. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
November 06, 2004
Vehicles in the snow. (Lake Baikal)
Photo by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Nov. 6th, Day 372 | ||
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Finish: Chita, Russia Time: 6:30 a.m. N: 52* 04.805 E: 113* 28.950 |
Finish: Scoborodino, Russia Time: 2:30 a.m N: 53* 58.550 E: 123* 55.540 | Mileage: 578 |
| Notes: Paved road ran out and turned into a very new, wide, gravel road. Gravel was better than the pavement, and we made 100 km/h. Scenery reminiscent of NoCal. Cattle, horses, fields, trees. Had a gerry-can refuel just before dark. Also had some really good borsch just before that. Life is good. Tiring, but good. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
November 05, 2004
Another photo from Lake Baikal.
Photo by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Nov. 5th, Day 371 | ||
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Finish: Ulan-Ude, Russia Time: 9:00 a.m. N: 51* 50.289 E: 107* 35.638 |
Finish: Chita, Russia Time: 7:00 p.m N: 52* 04.805 E: 113* 28.950 | Mileage: 396 |
| Notes: Highway driving with some snow and ice. Roads actually quite good. Made great time to Chita and checked into a SWEET hotel/casino. Accidentally watched an X-rated show at dinner (honestly, nobody told us about the entertainment schedule). Todd, Nancy, and Roma did an interview with a regional radio station. A few teammies bowled until about 5 a.m. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
November 04, 2004
Icicles on the shores of Lake Baikal.
Photo by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Nov. 4, Day 310 | ||
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Start: Irkutsk, Russia Time: 10:30 a.m. BR> N: 52* 17.324 E: 104* 18.415 |
Finish: Ulan-Ude, Russia Time: 9:18 p.m. (12:39 local) N: 51* 50.289 E: 107* 35.638 | Mileage: 285 |
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Notes: We arrived in Irkutsk, the four of us and our awesome guide, Roma, yesterday. (Without him, we'd be sunk.) We're leaving this morning for the long drive past lake Baikal to Yakutsk. We've met up with Debbie from Land Rover and freelance journalists Manrico and Mary Beth. It'll be a fun trek through Siberia with this extended team. All our best to you; we'll update when we can!
We got on the road with Manrico and Mary Beth in D3, Nancy and Adam in D2 for filming, Todd and Roma in the lead in D4, and Nick and Debbie in D1. We visited beautiful Lake Baikal and had lunch on its shores. Roads icy, but not at all bad. Not slick, really. We also had long clear stretches of no ice. Beautiful day. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
November 03, 2004
Take Me With You! guests (left to right) Manrico, Mary Beth, and Debbie. It was great meeting up with them in Irkutsk! Finally!
Photo by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Nov. 3rd, Day 369 | ||
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Finish: Irkutsk, Russia Time: 7:45 a.m. N: 52* 17.324 E: 104* 18.415 |
Finish: Irkutsk, Russia Time: 12:00 p.m. BR> N: 52* 17.324 E: 104* 18.415 | Mileage: 006 |
| Notes: Slept a couple of hours in our cars in a parking lot. Drove to a car wash and a fuel station on our way to the Sun Hotel to meet our guests. Met Debbie, Manrico, and Mary Beth there. Soo happy to see them. We did some outdoor-market shopping with Roma's help, and Debbie and Nancy bought some boots. Later, we had a very good dinner together at a local dive. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
November 02, 2004
The roads here in Russia are snowy and icy.
Photo by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Nov. 2nd, Day 368 | ||
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Finish: Kansk, Russia Time: 9:20 a.m. N: 56* 12.518 E: 095* 42.309 |
Finish: Irkutsk, Russia Time: 5:46 a.m. (12:39 local) N: 52* 17.324 E: 104* 18.415 | Mileage: 499 |
| Notes: Long drive today over REALLY icy roads. Nick had a spinout, but all is well. Stopped a few times for coffee and borsch. This is difficult driving, and it's making our team of 5 (Nick, Todd, Adam, Nancy, Roma) really tight. Pushed all the way in to Irkutsk, searched fruitlessly for a hotel, and ended up staying in our cars in a parking lot. Brrr. It's cold... (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
November 01, 2004
A winter scene: The Certified Land Rovers outside of a diner in Siberia...
Photo by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Nov. 1st, Day 367 | ||
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Start: Marinsk, Russia Time: 9:54 a.m. N: 56* 11.950 E: 087* 53.223 |
Finish: Kansk, Russia Time: 11:39 p.m. (12:39 local) N: 56* 12.518 E: 095* 42.309 | Mileage: 366 |
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Notes: Well, we're not yet finished for the day, but I thought I'd write while we have the chance. We still have 1000 km to travel before we reach Irkutsk, and we won't have Internet until then. It's about 5 p.m. here, and we'll put in a few more hours of driving. The roads have been fair, with lots of slick icy spots. Now, though, they are improving, for now, and there's no ice. But it's COLD. We're being super careful, and we're looking forward to meeting up with Take Me With You! guests Debbie, Mary Beth, and Manrico in Irkutsk.
We picked up some good karma this morning by jumpstarting a stranded car. It's cold here, and being stranded is NOT good. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
October 31, 2004
It was a winter wonderland the day we left Novosibirsk.
Todd gets funky under the hood when a funny noise was heard in D2. The noise was a loose bolt.
Photos by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Oct. 31st, Day 366 | ||
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Start: Novosibirsk, Russia Time: 7:04 a.m. N: 55* 01.785 E: 082* 55.022 |
Finish: Marinsk, Russia Time: 2:04 a.m. N: 56* 11.950 E: 087* 53.223 | Mileage: 436 |
| Notes: We left Novosibirsk today, really early, in the snow, and then we had to turn around and go back. One hundred and twenty-three kilometers outside of town, we realized we had a loose bolt somewhere in our engine, and we had to go to Land Rover to fix it. They fixed it right away (thanks Max, Slava, Vitaly, and Yank), and we were on our way a little after 3 p.m. That made for a long day, and we drove as far as we could on snowy, icy roads before pulling off at a crappy little hotel. No flushing toilet, no shower, smelly running water, one too few beds for the 5 of us, but all is well. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
October 30, 2004
Novosibirsk. We'll miss this awesome city, and I think at least a few of us will be back to visit. It's a great town.
Photo by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Oct. 30th, Day 365 | ||
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Start: Novosibirsk, Russia N: 55* 01.785 E: 082* 55.022 |
Finish: Novosibirsk, Russia N: 55* 01.785 E: 082* 55.022 | Mileage: 006 |
| Notes: I just realized that today is exactly 365 days, one full year, since we began our journey! It's hard to believe... Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know that we picked up our vehicles from Autoland (Land Rover) Siberia today, and we said goodbye to our friend there, Vitaly. We'll miss you, Vitaly. We'll miss all of you. We also said goodbye to his co-worker, Kate. I hate to leave, and I think my teammies would agree that this is a difficult goodbye. I, for one, am practically crying. I hate goodbyes... We'll be traveling to Irkutsk for a couple of days, and e-mail will likely be impossible. Don't worry about us. We'll chat when we reach the city. There, we get to meet up with Land Rover friends and journalists! Until next time, much love from your Drive Around the World crew! Happy Halloween! (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
October 29, 2004
Former guide, Ivan (left), meets new guide, Roma (right). Ivan gave Roma the good news and the bad during our night out on the town.
Photo by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Oct. 29th, Day 364 | ||
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Start: Novosibirsk, Russia N: 55* 01.785 E: 082* 55.022 |
Finish: Novosibirsk, Russia N: 55* 01.785 E: 082* 55.022 | Mileage: 000 |
| Notes: Here in Russia, we have made many very dear friends. There's a business owner in town who hails from the U.S., and we went to his club, New York Times, here in Novosibirsk to meet our new guide, Roma, to say farewell to our former guide, Ivan, and to thank our Land Rover heroes from Autoland Siberia. It was a wonderful evening, and everybody had fun. But it was also sad, because with friends this great, we hate to leave. We'll spend one final day in the city, and then we'll head north. Eric, the business owner, is generously helping us with publicity, so we'll take photos and do a couple of interviews tomorrow. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
October 28, 2004
The team with the gang from Land Rover Siberia. These guys are awesome!
| Logbook for Oct. 28th, Day 363 | ||
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Start: Novosibirsk, Russia N: 55* 01.785 E: 082* 55.022 |
Finish: Novosibirsk, Russia N: 55* 01.785 E: 082* 55.022 | Mileage: 000 |
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Notes: We brought our Land Rover Discovery expedition vehicles into Land Rover Siberia's service center yesterday, and they're still helping us out today. The people here are incredible, and they are busy readying our vehicles for the Siberian weather. This is one of the coolest Land Rover centers we've ever visited! The people here have wonderful hospitality, and we just love them. They are already becoming our fast friends. Thank you, LR Siberia!
This evening, we had a night out with our new guide, Roma Golovin and his fiance old guide Ivan Birukov and his wife, plus friends from Autoland Siberia, Max, Slava, Kate, and Vitaly. We met Roma through Eric's employee, Slava. Given that Roma is getting married November 27th, we're lucky fiance Maria is allowing him to come along with us... A great time was had by all. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
October 27, 2004
Nick and Nancy with our new friend, business owner Eric, from Wisconsin. He owns a lot of businesses here in Novosibirsk, and he's offered to help us find a guide and some publicity.
| Logbook for Oct. 27th, Day 362 | ||
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Start: Novosibirsk, Russia N: 55* 01.785 E: 082* 55.022 |
Finish: Novosibirsk, Russia N: 55* 01.785 E: 082* 55.022 | Mileage: 007 |
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Notes: Hello, friends and loved ones. This is a quick posting to let you know we are all safe and sound in Novosibirsk, Russia. So far, traveling in this country, wonderful and friendly as it is, is full of challenges and problems. It took us more than 10 hours to cross the border, and that is easily our longest on record. Luckily, we were traveling with Ivan Birukov, a Novosibirsk resident and Michelin representative whom we met in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He's been our hero since we convinced him to come along with us on Day One. Without him, we'd still be at the border begging and pleading. Now, we are having our vehicles readied for the Siberian winter, and the fine folks at Land Rover Novosibirsk are kindly helping us with that task. We'll leave here the day after tomorrow to continue north to Irkutsk. It's a long drive, and it's a cold drive, and we PROMISE you we are being careful. Safety is our first objective, and we will not attempt something that we perceive as too hazardous. We'll change our route if we have to, etc. Anyway, that's all for now. There's much work to be done here, and I must go. We're looking forward to receiving Land Rover guests in Irkustsk, and they will be with us to help out and capture some stories until we reach Magadon and the end of our Russia leg. Debbie, Mary Beth, and Manrico, we can't wait to see you!
Today, we brought the vehicles in to Land Rover Siberia. The guys and gals there are great, and they are hooking us up, big time. In the evening, we met Eric, an American businessman living in Novosibirsk and owner of 20+ restaurants and businesses in the area. He's great, and he might be able to help us find a guide. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
October 26, 2004
Ivan and Nick returning from negotiations at the border yesterday. Returning victoriously, this is where Ivan (and Nick, too) really earned his stripes. Couldn't have made it without him.
Photo by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Oct. 26th, Day 361 | ||
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Start: Rubtsovsk, Russia Time: 10:02 a.m. N: 51* 31.140 E: 081*12.777 |
Finish: Novosibirsk, Russia Time: 8:00 p.m. N: 55* 01.785 E: 082* 55.022 | Mileage: 93 |
| Notes: We had a great start with a delicious, food-kitchen-style Russian meal. The borsch here is incredible, and so is the bread. We had heard Russian food was bland and blah, but we find the meat-and-potatoes meals to be absolutely delicious and reminiscent of home. We drove straight, paved, bumpy roads through countryside that looks like West Texas (fields and pine trees) until we reached Novosibirsk. We were all happy to arrive, but we're so sad to bid farewell to Ivan. He's happy to return to his wife and daughter, but he admits he'll miss life on the road with us. He said he feels like part of the team already, and that makes us quite happy. See, he IS part of the team. And for this part of the journey, he has been the most important member of our team. Without him, we'd still be at the border. This isn't exactly goodbye, as we'll see him in a couple of days for dinner. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
October 25, 2004
The Russian border. So close, but so far away. It took us 12 hours (+) to enter the country.
Photo by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Oct. 25th, Day 360 | ||
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Start: Semey, Kazakhstan Time: 10:20 a.m. N: 50* 24.906 E: 080*15.598 |
Finish: Rubtsovsk, Russia Time: 1:45 a.m. N: 51* 31.140 E: 081*12.777 | Mileage: 93 |
| Notes: Ivan earned his stripes today; we all did. We had a slow fuel-up in Semey before hitting the road. The spare tire is breaking off of D3, so we strapped it to the roof. We arrived at the Kaz/Russia border at about 12:30, and then we spent the rest of the day and much of the night trying to cross it. Russia wouldn't accept our carnet/registration/etc. At 4:45 p.m., they DID accept a hefty bribe...It took forever to get out of there, and it is a very long story. They were going to make us travel several hours to another border. Anyway, we finally left the Russia border after heavy expenditures of our precious cash, at about 11:00 p.m. We hadn't eaten or used the bathroom all day, so we immediately stopped at a local restaurant for chow and relief. Dinner was pleasant, with live Russian music, and Ivan did a good job helping us order. Dinner was followed by the longest hotel search in our history, and we finally hit the rack at about 2:30 a.m. Oh, and the hotel charges foreigners DOUBLE! So far, this country is testing our resolve at every corner. We're standing fast. (N.O.) | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.
