A Kremlin, a most lively border with a soldier who has the soul of a psychologist, and two brave souls on motorbikes bound for New Zealand. We leave Russia behind to set foot in the seventh country of the expedition and the 40th in my canine count.
🇷🇺 Passing through Russia without GPS
A rowdy pub brawl on all fours, the River Volga overflowing, and a GPS that decided to take a holiday. The trip through Russia turned into a digital obstacle course where communicating with the outside world required spy techniques from the last century.
Waking up with the Chechen police, skyscrapers that rose from the ashes of war, and a triumphal procession where I was the undisputed star. Grozny opened its doors to us on a day of brutal contrasts and chasing a signal.
A GPS that went completely mad, a wad of hard-to-come-by roubles and a most comical police checkpoint. The trip through Russia kicked off amidst colossal monuments, heavy traffic and a mysterious labyrinth without satellites.
A spontaneous camp a metre from my pillow, the dreaded X-ray scanner and a form that looked like a hieroglyphic. Crossing the Russian border turned into a game of infinite patience where the soldiers turned out to be as nice as ninepence.