We left the hotel late in the morning as we definitely needed a bit of a lie in and instead of leaving Murmansk straight away we decided to do some sightseeing. We headed for the largest monument we (and everyone else in Murmansk) could see, of the unnamed Russian hero soldier and after clambering up to have our pictures taken and taking in the view over Murmansk we tried to find our way out - easier said than done as this city like most others has a cunning 'hotel California' road system, which means you can come in but you can never leave! Eventually after having to rely solely on the GPS we got out of Murmansk. The road out was extremely long and straight and before long the now familiar potholes had returned to slow our progress further. It wasn't long before we had to stop for our first Russian petrol and backside break! After filling up and now with very heavy bikes we hit the worst stretch of road that I have ever had the 'pleasure' in riding - ahead of us was nothing but large rocks and sand. The Russians strip their roads down to the hard core and don't bother with contra flows or anything! I approached the rocks first and with horror felt my bike squirm all over the place - it felt alive and that I had absolutely NO control whatsoever! Everything was shaking and rattling - including my teeth - and within the first 10 feet I thought that I was a 'gonner'. Every time I felt the bike go I increased my speed and it pulled straight again just to loose traction all over again - I screeched, swore did heavy breathing and tried to relax and not grip the handlebars so tightly. I heard not a word from Simon as I was making too much noise for him to be able to get a word in edgeways via the Autocom (or so I thought!) Hurray!! A smooth bit, it's all over……….Oh NO! Its not I can see it stretching ahead for miles and miles…oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! Exhausted we stopped on the side and took a breather. It was at this point that I found out that Simon wasn't being ultra cool and not swearing and deep breathing but that in fact our Autocom had come unplugged and he had thought that I was being ultra cool by being silent and concentrating!! Plugged back in we started again, thinking it could not get any worse…we were wrong of course! Another 10 km with lorries coming towards us and kicking up such a wall of grey stone dust that now we were not only slipping and sliding with no control we were riding blind with lorries heading straight towards us - we could hear them but not see anything! It went through my mind - one slip we could land in front of them and they could run over us and not even know it! Concentration was intense and after 15km of this we were both exhausted - but I was terribly impressed (and relieved) that neither of us had had a mishap!!

Passing by Monchegorsk and Polyarnye Zory was another period of hell….this is not an exaggeration….you just cannot believe the amount of pollution in the air. The now usual acrid smell of sulphur hit our noses and backs of our throats. The land is damaged forever - it is never going to recover - there are acres upon acres of deadness - the trees, rivers, lakes - all are dead. There are no birds - one thing that caught my mind as very appropriate was the telegraph poles, all were simple crosses - line upon line of crosses that look like they'd been planted deliberately by someone asking forgiveness. We stopped for a small break at what should have been a roadside café with a view of a beautiful lake - instead the view was of a dead lake - a lake with grey, green, purple hue to it - until this time I'd never known that a lake could look alive or dead - this one had been eaten alive a long time ago and was now decomposing. After many, many more miles had passed we gradually began to see life again in the tress around us and the birds returned - and so did the mosquitoes …in their hundreds! We had thought about wild camping tonight but each time we stopped we were covered within seconds and so changed our minds…Simon seems to be the favourite on the menu for the mozzies- I think they see 'tough old meat' when they look at my skin and so pass me up!

In my wisdom I had decide we should head towards Kem - well actually in my defence there was nothing else to head towards! It was now getting quite late and Simon and I were getting a little concerned that there would be nowhere to safely stay. We approached Kem, which is described in the Lonely Planets book as 'one of European Russian's most depressing towns' and had this feeling of dread…there will be nowhere safe here! We passed by a deserted concentration camp, which was set up during WWII and passed the many grey and dilapidated wooden houses, eventually stopping just off the centre of the town and decided to do a u-turn and continue riding. …but to where? In the middle of turning Simon was approached by a maroon sports car and I could only make out a lot of waving of hands and hotel mentioned…we had just been given directions to a hotel on the coast another 8Km on…do we go? We were nervous. The road doesn't look like it goes anywhere…. it could be someone sending us out to the middle of nowhere in order to meet up with his buddies and mug us…all of these things run through your mind! We arrived at the complex at near enough midnight…. and once again met the guy that had given Simon directions and found out that this was his complex. We checked in and were told that the $40 included breakfast and that they had no problem cooking us dinner! We gingerly went into the café area and a very cheery girl asked us if meat salad and meat was good…as it was now 1am this sounded great but did they really want to do this at this time in the morning! ? We were told "no problem - sit". The meal was fit for a king and all for a total of $7.

With stomachs full we headed for bed. The room was clean and comfortable and we sure the bikes were safe, guarded by 3 'bouncers' who continuously walked the grounds and each wearing there tattoos and black eyes like badges of honour.

In the morning after arranging with Vladimir at 10am to get petrol and roubles at his very modern garage (don't ask how he got money!) we set off and returned to the bumpy M18. The road was once again quite straight and apart from the now usual potholes and really dreadful road conditions we arrived in Petrozavodsk. This city was a surprise to us as it was much, much bigger than we had expected. Despite this we found the hotel that the Lonely Planet book had recommended but they were full! It had been another tiring day riding with lots of rain whilst being very muggy and the last thing we wanted to do was try to find a hotel room. The lady at reception told us that the town was very busy and all hotels in the centre were full! She rang a few numbers and said - " no, all are full". Aaggh…………..we stood there and must have looked so forlorn that she made some more calls and told us that if we could wait there would be a room made ready. We had no problem in waiting especially when we heard that the room and secure parking was going to be £9. The room was little more than basic and we had to share a municipal bathroom with the whole floor but it was cheep and clean and only for one night.

We wandered the town for a little while trying to find the restaurants that the Lonely Planets book had recommended but to no avail so ended up in the Petrovsky Restaurant and had a really wonderful traditional Russian meal with vodka! Price once again only £10 for the both of us. The funny thing is that the lonely planet said this restaurant was creepy but we found it great!

We were knackered even before we left as the hotel didn't have a lift and we had to manhandle our entire luggage down three flights of stairs. But that aside another day on the road - the M18 towards Lodemcje Pole. It was my (Lisa's) idea to cut across from the M18 to the A114 on the yellow road that links the two. Well, initially we went around and around Lodemcje Pole but couldn't find the road at all. The GPS kept on telling us that we were on it -then not on it - way off it - going the wrong way. …and so on! So eventually we asked in our shaky Russian and found that everything has changed due to a new infrastructure and we needed to keep on the M18 for a short while and then the smaller road would be obvious - and it was. This little road is 149 km long and started off fine. It was really nice to have some bends and turns, which was making riding fun. However, just as we were enjoying playing, the road suddenly stopped and turned into 85km of dust, sand, and rocks! I started very slowly, being a bit apprehensive of the 'road' surface and standing up on the pegs as my bike felt very different from the slim, light model I had done the BMW off road course on. As time went on I gained more confidence and picked up speed and with the bikes kicking up huge clouds of dust we took the track at speeds of 45 - 50 mph. It IS easier faster but it just takes a little while for your mind to accept this! With one small break on a bridge which still had some tarmac, we stood up on the pegs for the majority of the way - if we hadn't our control would have been less and our backsides black and blue as this small road was a logging route which had been corrugated by all the logging lorries.

At the very end of the road the road turns back to tarmac and finishes at a roundabout with a………wait for it………real MIG on it. We just had to stop and take pictures and I have to say my bike looks great next to a MIG. We also had quite a few tourists who also thought our bikes and the MIG looked great but took more interest in our bikes that the huge MIG! . We arrived in Tichvin a little later than we intended and our first feelings where those of concern. We both felt an underlying buzz of trouble in the town and were worried about even pausing at the side of the road. But we had to stop and just as we did two cars pulled up - one in front and one behind - uh oh! We need not have been worried as both men got out of their cars and said we should be careful and not stay on the roads, as it wasn't safe.

After we were told that our luggage wouldn't be safe nor our bikes in the hotel, Sergio, one of the men said he would take us to a car compound where our bikes would be safe. We followed him through streets that looked like scenes from a war torn Beirut, where we were getting the kind of looks that were not welcome, eventually turning up at a compound surrounded with razor wire. We were told that this is where all the locals leave their vehicles, as anywhere else is just not safe! After being told we need to leave our bikes here Sergio and his wife said we were to stay with them! He had a friend who had to leave Russia due to 'problems' and her flat was empty. Actually we later found that it wasn't empty but just like someone was still living there - she really did leave in a hurry! Sergio put our entire luggage in his car and took us to the block of flats where he lived with his wife, son and daughter. As we entered the flats we were struck by their dilapidation. As we entered the unlit concrete corridors the overpowering smell of Urine caught in our throat. Do people live here we thought. Yes, Sergio's family live on the fifth floor and once past the 3 secure steel doors and the countless locks we were welcomed into their home, like long time friends. We couldn't help but be surprised by the pleasant decoration and soft carpet under our feet, a stark contrast to the outside. It's been said that you meet the best people when you need them most and this couldn't have been truer in the case of Sergio and his family. Their generosity, hospitality and trust in us (two smelly biker tourist from the UK) was quite literally overwhelming and very, very humbling. We were offered their hot water to wash (hot water was in very short supply) and then to their bathrobes, which we gratefully accepted. The rest of the evening and early morning was spent with the four of us around the table, laughing at our own attempts at conversational topics from politics to family, with us speaking no Russian and Sergio and Katrina speaking no English. Sergio insisted on going out for beer and point blank refused to accept any offers of money from us. His wife cut up meets and cheese and we ate, talked, drank and laughed into the wee hours of the following day.