Whilst Liz (Carl's Wife) was in Kiev in the Ukraine they stayed in a hotel which she says was rather expensive, but very nice with nice gardens. Whilst there they walked along a river and even managed to find a McDonalds (yum yum). The weather whilst Liz was in Kiev was very warm luckily she brought it back with her judging by the recent heat wave.

She told me that Carl and Andy arrived a couple of days early at the hotel and unfortunatley had a brush with the law. Whilst camping one night in a local woods the police arrived to see who was there and why and abviously decided that there was a reason to take both of them to the police station. Carl and Andy explained about their trip and they were released but not until they both had to pay £40 each which was the amount Carl managed to get them to agree too, as the police had orginally asked for far more. Luckily not all the people in the Ukraine are like this.

Carl and Andy were held up in the Ukraine longer than was envisaged. They both needed new tyres which thanks to Speed Demon's owner Shaun he posted some out to the hotel in Kiev. But upon arrival with customs there was a release fee, this fee was more than the tyres actually cost. So thanks to a local biker more tyres were found. Shaun is now trying to have the tyres which are stuck at Customs returned to the UK as they do belong to Carl who has paid for them. When it became time to leave Kiev Carl and Andy headed towards Russia, on route the pair became lost and after seeing a word that looked like biker on the back of a car they asked the owners for some help.

They were riding through the city of Voronezh in Russia caught up in a traffic jam ( just like home) and using simple English they were told how to get to Tambov. The car owners did email myself wishing Carl and Andy well and added "No spike, No Baton" which is what Voronezh Bikers say ( and no before you ask I have no clue what this means)

Since arriving in Russia Andy has come to blows with a car no one was hurt and I think his bike faired well. Carl has had to replace wheel bearings, I did ask them to take bearings with them Carl has added that his bike as he puts it is "Falling to Pieces" Thanks to Natalie Haynes (as mentioned in the Thank You section of this blog) manged to source a bike shop in Russia that the bearings could be purchased (the internet wonderful invention). Carl and Andy are travelling through Russia on the Trans Siberian Highway. Carl and Andy have said the Russian people are alot more friendly.

The pair have been a wonderful source of food for the local mosquitoes, ants and I think anything else that has managed to lunch on them both. They have slept in nurmerous forrests and I think by now they both wish they had taken their lovely soft beds.