Time to Go!

So we got the car.  Yuri’s services cost a touch over $100 and hiring him was the best decision we’ve made thus far.  I don’t like to think that things are impossible but getting the car out of customs in Vladivostok, Russia without Yuri would have been.  Even with Yuri who is friends with everyone at customs and close friends with the head of the main office it took three days of walking and driving from one government building to another and from desk to desk collecting the right stamps for our paperwork. 

Tuesday the 5^th of July Ezra, Richard, and I went down to the customs warehouse together and met Yuri.  I left Ezra and Richard outside and followed Yuri into a dark, cramped, damp room where I presented our paperwork.  Fifteen minutes later we were back outside waiting in front of two heavy metal barn doors.  Waiting…  Waiting…  We hear the sound of steel on steel as the latch on the inside of the door slides open.  One door slowly swings out toward us.  Then the other.  We’re all on our toes peering into the warehouse.  It’s too dark to see anything inside then, suddenly, the doors open wide enough to let sunlight fall onto a silver Forester quietly idling, waiting for us. 

Yuri said, “is this your car?”  I had no idea.  It looked like the car, but none of us had seen it outside of pictures before.  We all said “yes” authoritatively and hopped inside. 

Driving a car with a steering wheel on the right is not what I thought it would be.  I was expecting to feel completely foreign, like climbing into the cockpit of the space shuttle and trying to re-enter the atmosphere.  It wasn’t.  It just feels like a car.  There are, however, a few key differences.  When I first pulled out of the customs warehouse I tried to signal a left turn and hit the windshield wipers instead.  The wiper and turn signal levers are opposite a left hand drive (LHD) car.  After driving around the city for a week I still occasionally wash the windshield instead of indicating a turn.  I’ve had a few “phantom shifts” as I now call them.  I’ll reach with my right hand and hit the door trying to grab the shifter.  The other problem (and the most dangerous) is lane positioning.  In the city this isn’t so much an issue.  Because of the traffic you’re constantly on edge trying to avoid an accident which makes you focus on where the four corners of the car are.  On the highway it’s easier to lose track.  And the tendency is to pull left.  We sit on the left side of the car so the driver is on the left side of the lane if they’re trying to drive the car in the middle.  When I found myself not paying attention on the highway I was sitting on the left side of the lane and the car was drifting into the lane next to me.  This only happened a few times but it’s something I need to work on. 

Aside from the LHD – RHD differences, the car is great!  I’ve been driving my Honda for 18 months and getting back into a turbo Subaru feels like coming home.  Every time I step on the gas if feels right.  This car has some torque!  And power!  The last of our car parts arrived yesterday afternoon so I was under the car from 3:30pm to 11:30pm without breaking for food or water or even more than 60 seconds to rest.  But it was worth it.  Looking at the car today, it looks like it’s ready for Mongolia.  For the past week it looked as though we’d have to leave Vlad without some important car parts.  I am so happy that we didn’t.  Two days ago Chimga, our Mongolian contact at the Tributary Fund, was describing the route to the monastery that we’re headed to and asked me if our “Jeep” could cross rivers.  Now I can somewhat confidently say yes it can. Skid plates, front and rear, four fog lights, four driving lights, Yokohoma Geolandar tires with a spare on the roof, 10 gal of spare gas on the roof, High-Lift, and a 2" lift via King Springs and strut top spacers.  We're ready to leave.  Finally!

Outside the hostel packing up the car.

Just learned that the Russian word for pancake is "balini" or at least that's what it sounds like.

 

Goodbye Vladivostok!  You treated us well!  Kind of...

One more thing.  We picked up a passenger.  Max, who works at the hostel, is accompanying us to Ulan-Ude.  From there we'll turn south and he'll continue on to Moscow.  Not really sure how this happened but maybe he'll chip in for gas.  (Probably not).  

Finger's crossed we'll have some internet in UB, Mongolia before we leave for the countryside.  Should be seven days until we get there.  

- Jack