25 July 2009 Khabarovsk Russia

I got up about 10:30 a.m., checked my e-mails and then went downstairs for breakfast. The rest of the day I worked on my blog till 9:00 p.m., when Inna knocked on the door. She said the hotel driver and she wanted to show me how to get out of Khabarovsk and the police check point, where I more than likely will be stopped. I asked her why I will be stopped. She said I’m just different and will catch the police’s eye and arousing their curiosity. I would then be pulled over and checked out. I was planning on leaving the hotel at 7:00 a.m. and they wouldn’t be available to show me out of the city that early. After I was shown the route out of town the driver dropped Inna off with her friends. We took pictures and then drove back to the hotel. I said good-bye to the driver, went back in the hotel and sent the latest blog updates to Mary. I then paid my hotel bill, ate supper, packed my bags, planned my route out of town with Matilda, wrote up all the towns on my tape. I would be watching for on Highway M60 on the way to Valdivostock. I put the tape on my gas tank so I can glance at it as I drive and look at the signs as they present themselves. I call my tape directions “American GPS” and Matilda is “Garmin GPS”. I want to leave early so I can make it to Vladivostock in one day. It’s close to 470 miles/757 Kilometers. At my riding speed it will be an all day motorcycle ride. I finally got to bed about 2:00 a.m.