7th of April 2011
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Well, I made it to Odessa; that’s the good message. After an early start in the morning I drove the remaining 50km to the border of Moldova. The border crossing went well and I changed my Lei into Leu:-), drove the first 15km on empty roads and while I took a right turn on a “highway” they made a nice laser shot of me. I was told that I drove 88km/h and that there was a sign showing 50km/h (was there a sign??).
Protocol and 600 Leu to be paid at a bank…4 police men around… in the end I just had to place all of my changed Leu (560) on the front shelf in the police car. Hmm…
Moldova...not much there..
Border control, the first...still in a good mode. Last pic I made this day:-(
The weather was cold, a bit rain and the hell of wind which tried to push me off the road. Sometimes I had the imagination that I was driving in a 45° angle. The road was nice and empty but from time to time pot-holes which forced me to full concentration. I saw a sign, 175km to Odessa , and I thought that this will be an easy one. Border control 1, easy, friendly officers: “No, the road straight ahead is closed, you have to go up there”. I passed a military post, then a pot-hole cart track had to be managed and after that I saw the next check point with a barrier across the road. Suddenly a police officer 20 m in front of the barrier waved at me: stop! 2m after I stopped. He told me something about penalty and Strafe (Aha!?), because I didn’t stop when he said so. Broken English, he showed me a book in Russian letters…first amount in his penalty book showed only 10 Leu…no, no, not enough, Then he pointed to a line showing 240 Leu; better. I told him that I have no money in the pocket + showed him my wallet. After blabla he escorted me to a store, where I should get 20 USD (even better, he said) for him. Great as he was, he guided me then to the “Central Border Crossing”, because that way I took was anyway wrong. Always friendly (this asshole) he shook my hand for good bye and told me that I should be very careful on the way through” Transnistrien”, because it is so dangerous…Aha, thank you.
So, the next guy I met at the “Central Border Crossing” wanted to have a gift or, as he said, it would take a very, very long time for me to cross the border because he would have to search my complete belongings and also the motorbike…Of course this guy knew that I paid already the other one. What choice did I have…
After that I met some nice officers, they did my immigration and tax papers. Once again, I thought I made it. Meanwhile it was 7:00pm and it got dark. The worst part came with passing “Transnistrien”; I had no idea about this conflict zone. I had another 4 controls and I had meanwhile no idea in which country and/or zone I was. At the3rd control they told me, that I was wrong here and that one stamp was missing in my passport, “if I flew over the last check point” they asked me….They told me to go back 50km and try another border crossing or… I could pay 250Euros and Mr. Chief Officer (whom they extra called after half an hour to take special care of me) would close his eyes. Finally we made it for 100 USD (!); these bloody bastards. At the final control I had a half hour interview in the back office and I thought they would now “finish” me, because those guys pushed so hard to know how much time I would need for my way to Mongolia and how much money I need in savings to do such a trip…They just wished me good luck and I was nearly on my knees.
After refueling somewhere in the nowhere (2 of my cards didn’t work) I was really worried on this dark (really dark!) road…but then an “angel” with a white VW Bus overtook me and guided me with high speed through the night. After we reached Odessa, a tax check point stopped him and… let me pass…I felt sorry for him!
I still had to find a hotel and food (I had only breakfast in the morning)…another act for completion of my great day. I checked in well after 10pm in the hotel (actually after 11pm, Ukrainian time) and I got my food in the small restaurant in which I asked before 2 times the way to the hotel…because I didn’t find the entrance. In between I asked 3 other persons on the road for the way…maybe I was already nuts…
Protocol and 600 Leu to be paid at a bank…4 police men around… in the end I just had to place all of my changed Leu (560) on the front shelf in the police car. Hmm…
Moldova...not much there..
Border control, the first...still in a good mode. Last pic I made this day:-(
The weather was cold, a bit rain and the hell of wind which tried to push me off the road. Sometimes I had the imagination that I was driving in a 45° angle. The road was nice and empty but from time to time pot-holes which forced me to full concentration. I saw a sign, 175km to Odessa , and I thought that this will be an easy one. Border control 1, easy, friendly officers: “No, the road straight ahead is closed, you have to go up there”. I passed a military post, then a pot-hole cart track had to be managed and after that I saw the next check point with a barrier across the road. Suddenly a police officer 20 m in front of the barrier waved at me: stop! 2m after I stopped. He told me something about penalty and Strafe (Aha!?), because I didn’t stop when he said so. Broken English, he showed me a book in Russian letters…first amount in his penalty book showed only 10 Leu…no, no, not enough, Then he pointed to a line showing 240 Leu; better. I told him that I have no money in the pocket + showed him my wallet. After blabla he escorted me to a store, where I should get 20 USD (even better, he said) for him. Great as he was, he guided me then to the “Central Border Crossing”, because that way I took was anyway wrong. Always friendly (this asshole) he shook my hand for good bye and told me that I should be very careful on the way through” Transnistrien”, because it is so dangerous…Aha, thank you.
So, the next guy I met at the “Central Border Crossing” wanted to have a gift or, as he said, it would take a very, very long time for me to cross the border because he would have to search my complete belongings and also the motorbike…Of course this guy knew that I paid already the other one. What choice did I have…
After that I met some nice officers, they did my immigration and tax papers. Once again, I thought I made it. Meanwhile it was 7:00pm and it got dark. The worst part came with passing “Transnistrien”; I had no idea about this conflict zone. I had another 4 controls and I had meanwhile no idea in which country and/or zone I was. At the3rd control they told me, that I was wrong here and that one stamp was missing in my passport, “if I flew over the last check point” they asked me….They told me to go back 50km and try another border crossing or… I could pay 250Euros and Mr. Chief Officer (whom they extra called after half an hour to take special care of me) would close his eyes. Finally we made it for 100 USD (!); these bloody bastards. At the final control I had a half hour interview in the back office and I thought they would now “finish” me, because those guys pushed so hard to know how much time I would need for my way to Mongolia and how much money I need in savings to do such a trip…They just wished me good luck and I was nearly on my knees.
After refueling somewhere in the nowhere (2 of my cards didn’t work) I was really worried on this dark (really dark!) road…but then an “angel” with a white VW Bus overtook me and guided me with high speed through the night. After we reached Odessa, a tax check point stopped him and… let me pass…I felt sorry for him!
I still had to find a hotel and food (I had only breakfast in the morning)…another act for completion of my great day. I checked in well after 10pm in the hotel (actually after 11pm, Ukrainian time) and I got my food in the small restaurant in which I asked before 2 times the way to the hotel…because I didn’t find the entrance. In between I asked 3 other persons on the road for the way…maybe I was already nuts…
