After days of down pours, the mud
saw us slipping and sliding for more
than three hours, stopping for numer-
ous temporary breakdowns, which
turned into vodka stops along the way.
It was an absolute adventure and one I
am so glad I did not miss thanks to my
new-found friends.
It was time to leave the island and
head back to the city of Irkutsk where
I would wait for the mechanic to open
the next day and retrieve my bike. It
was a sad goodbye as I had grown very
fond of the group. It served as the per-
fect opportunity to really experience
local culture and customs whilst shar-
ing a part of my adventure with new
friends.
With my bike once again back in
running order I set course towards
the Mongolian border. Leaving the
country proved to be even more chal-
lenging as the checks and bureaucra-
cy was next level at the eastern border
of Russia and Mongolia.
Returning to Russia after my time
in Mongolia, I was incredibly relieved
to be back and almost felt as though I
was coming home. I instantly felt at
ease, the locals once again going out
of their way to make me feel comfort-
able. My first day’s ride back in Rus-
sia was the pinnacle of my time there.
Riding through the Altai mountains
is something that should be on any
bikers list of places to go. The road
was absolute perfection. The rolling
curves were endless and the scenery
breath-taking. Even with the tem-
perature plummeting, I felt as though
I could have continued to ride forever
on that road.
As I retraced a portion of my ride to
head back to London, I had an over-
whelming sense of affection for this
country. The people were without
question the most hospitable and wel-
coming I have had the pleasure of in-
teracting with. At no point did I feel
scared, even with countless requests
for photos from genuinely inquisitive
locals, I felt nothing but the utmost re-
TRAVERSE 32
spect from all I encountered. It was
a wonderful lesson in making judge-
ment about a country and its people
based on experience, not media expo-
sure.
Crossing the border for the final
time back into Europe, I could feel
the change almost immediately. The
impact the Russian’s had on me was
significant and one I cannot highly
recommend you discover for yourself.
KD
Riding a motorcycle as a child are
some of Kylie's fondest memories, it wasn't
until later in life, in what was a pretty tryng
period, that Kylie was reunited with riding
and as a way of clearing her head she set off
to the Himalaya's to ride a Royal Enfield. A
few more rides and that was all Kylie need-
ed to confirm she needed to travel the entire
world, so off she went ... you can follow Kylie's
adventures at :
www.chainoffreedom.com