Date: Tue, 1 Aug 2006 01:23:20 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: TPS Report: Russia

date: 07.31.06
current location: Between Volgograd and Astrakan
mileage: 76427
price of gas: 15 Rb/litre
temperature: 83.3F
comments:

12:00 pm
We are a few hours from Asia and the most challenging section of the trip thus far. We are getting stopped at every other police checkpoint. Our general policy of dumbfounding them with idiocy has proven to work very well. We now give them our international driver’s licenses and answer every question flatly with, “Kazakhstan” while pointing in some random direction. This seems to irritate them enough that they will let us through with no hassles.

The Scamp continues to have issues. Dom and I have taken the lead on the Jerry Rigging exercises. I was convinced we had utilized every possible techique. I mean we had rebuilt their rear suspension with tie-wraps, hose clamps, silicon, all thread, and two part epoxy while their alternator is held to the frame with tie wraps. I truly thought that was about as far as we would go. Then their main belt pooped its pants just outside of a police checkpoint at 11 pm in the rain. Dom and I proceeded to replace it with a pair of panty hose we bought in Germany. She ran well for about 40 or so clicks until it started to fray and fell apart. Apparently we did not wind it tight enough, I was amazed it worked at all.

7:00 pm Astrakan

We pushed through the 450 km trip to Astrakan with no major mishaps. In our world of junk automobiles this constitutes a minor miracle. The Ford has a subpar right front shock. We are trying to source one in the UK to have shipped to Uzbekistan along with the slew of parts that the Scamp

Our cell phone is starting to have issues, it may be difficult to post over the next couple of days.

Into the desert…

Nathaniel

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