Every time we stop we are asked a barrage of questions that have become routine. I don't mean this to sound disrespectful, just as we are interested in the people we meet, so are they interested in us. Its just funny how its gotten to the point that we can almost answer all the questions before they are asked. Occasionally someone will throw us a curveball and ask the questions in a different order, or even come up with a new one, but by and large, people want to know the same things. The general order is: Where are you from? Where are you going? Where did you come from? What type of bikes are those? Are you going to Magadan? How did you get to Magadan? What size is the engine? How many cylinders? Gasoline or oil-gas mixture? Where are you going? (at which point we show them the map on Shaun's or Henning's bike) What's the top speed? How many liters of gas does it hold? How many liters per 100 km? How much does the bike cost? How many gears? What do you think of the roads? While we try and be good natured about it, and often enjoy the interaction, as you can imagine we are occasionally in a hurry, or just plain tired. At that point it can be quite frustrating. In addition, we are occasionally accosted by quite drunk people who always seem to stand too close. I'll admit that we sometimes pretend not to understand them just in the hopes of ending the conversation quicker. I've
always liked being the center of attention, but its funny how now that
whenever we're on the bikes we are the main focus, I find myself
occasionally yearning for anonymity. But, by and large, its fun to talk to
new people and part of the bargain of travel.
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more photos . . .