02-09-2007 • •  HABAROVSK-VANINO km. 550

Questa tappa ci emoziona doppiamente: primo perche non sappiamo se la strada per Vanino esista davvero, visto che non compare sulle nostre carte e nessun abitante di Habarosk sa darci notizie in proposito, e secondo perche se tutto va bene oggi, con l'arrivo appunto a Vanino, arriveremmo sul mare, di fronte all'isola di Sahalin.

Partiamo fiduciosi, visto che alcuni resoconti di viaggiatori, reperiti su internet, parlano di una pista discreta che dovrebbe condurci alla nostra tappa.

Percorriamo circa 200 km. di asfalto su una strada che corre sopraelevata sopra le circostanti paludi siberiane, sino a che giungiamo ad uno sperduto benzinaio.

Per prudenza facciamo il pieno nuovamente e chiediamo notizie della pista; il benzinaio ci conferma che circa 2 km piu avanti c'e una deviazione per Vanino.

La imbocchiamo e, dopo circa 60 km di asfalto, inizia uno sterrato attraverso le montagne, che corre in parte lungo le sponde del fiume Amur, regalandoci scorci di natura incontaminata.

Bisogna comunque fare attenzione al terreno anche perche vi sono diversi ponti di legno da attraversare, che spesso traggono in inganno.

In un avvallamento profondo prima di uno di questi, Carlo sbatte violentemente l'avantreno e cade, senza conseguenze; ma l'ammortizzatore anteriore perde olio; probabilmente e partito un paraolio.

Proseguiamo per altri 200 km. di off-road a bordo delle nostre straordinarie ed inarrestabili BMW e riprendiamo l'asfalto.

Dopo poco, oltrepassato un valico, vediamo in fondo il blu dell'Oceano Pacifico e un'emozione straordinaria ci prende: abbiamo completato l'attraversamento della Siberia!

Giunti a Vanino troviamo da dormire in una specie di topaia, dopo essere stati all'inizio rifiutati perche stranieri.

Domani ci aspetta il ferry per l'isola di Sahalin.

 

02-09-2007 HABAROVSK-VANINO km. 550

We leave Havarowsk after an excellent dinner in a typical russian restaurant. The food was delicious as in most places we have been in Russia, this time we chose all the caviar dishes they had in the menu!

Today we have more than 500 km to cover, breakfast in hotel opens too late for us, hence they prepare a lunch pack for us.

The information about the road seems reliable, only 200 of gravel road, but can we trust it? Even then, we learned that gravel road can be virtually anything unpaved. So by 7:30 we are on the road to Vanino.

According to what we expected we go for 200 km in a nice smooth tarmac along hills and very thick forest. It is really beautiful scenery.

We stop for petrol and lunch, there we familiarise with some locals, apparently illegal lumberjacks. Just before leaving we realise the Land Rover has another flat tire (always same back-right!), Whilst I change the tire, the lumberjacks give a hand made knife to Maurizio, supposedly made in jail and used already for stabbing people.

Wherever we went in Russia especially in this second stretch after Mongolia, we always have found very nice, open and welcoming people.

We are then on the road again, definitely good decision to bring two spares!; and soon we are on the gravel road. As usual it starts almost as good as paved but then very soon it becomes full of huge holes and loose sand and gravel. One of those holes betrays Carlo that looses control of his bike luckily at low speed. The scenery is just fantastic, we drive in the middle of thick siberian forest, the taiga; criss-crossing the river with wooden bridges.

Then back to the asphalt waiting for the moment we will finally see the ocean. Suddenly, from the top of the hilly road, about 20 km from Vanino we finally have a good look at the sea. It is sunset, the warm colours, the view and the thought of being so close to Japan create a mix of feelings in hole of us.

Vanino is basically a big harbour, the sixth in Russia, huge cargos, containers, timbers, metal everywhere, a big mess.

We go straight to the port for information, but our guide Darima comes out frowning. We understand then that our way out from Vanino to Sakhalin won't be easy and we also consider how we going to manage without her from Sakhalin to Hokkaido…

Anyway we go and look for a place to stay. We finally find some sort of hotel and it is only because of Darima's effort that they finally allows us to stay as foreigners are only allowed in hotels if booked in advance. Whilst we wait for Darima the locals are queuing to talk to us and take pictures. Even a journalist appears with his camera, we explain everytime our trip and our charity mission, they are all very impressed!

During dinner in town Darima disappears to try to arrange things for our departures. The ferry are fully booked for the next week, plus the night ferry hasn't arrive, tomorrow they will be twice as many people.

When she finally comes back she gives some more hopes but we are a little worried going back to the hotel.

9 月２日　ハバロフスク―バニーノ　５５０ｋｍ

今日は 500km 以上を走るのですが、ホテルの朝食は遅すぎるためランチパックにしてもらいました。ロシアのどこに行っても人々は親切できさくでした。

道は初めよく、すぐに大きな穴だらけの道や砂道に変わり、カルロが足を取られてしまいました。アスファルトの道に戻るといよいよ待ちかねていた海が見えてきました。バニーノから 20km 、小高い坂道の向こうに突然海が広がりました。暖かな夕日の色、景色、そしてもうすぐ日本だと思うといろいろな感情が我々みんなの胸に湧いてきました。

外国人はホテルを前もって予約しておかなければならなかったのですが、ガイド役のダリマのおかげでなんとかなりました。土地の人々が我々の周りに集まり、旅のことやチャリティーのことを話したら彼らはみんな驚いていました。

フェリーは空きがなく、明日になればもっと人があふれているでしょう。ホテルに帰るのも気がかりでした。