We have just set up camp for the night on what looks like the African plains. Having left Volgograd we are still in Russia, camping outside the city of Astrakhan (fortunately we have not been made prisoners!). The people and landscape has changed dramatically. We saw our very first real cowboy and a policeman with a penchant for our Malboro cigarettes (yup, we got stopped again – Police stop count: 9). The people suddenly look far more Asian in ethnicity. The expedition seems to be beginning in earnest now and we’re all excited.

We intended to leave Volgograd on Monday morning after a quick trip to a school, where we were to meet Chris, our Russian contact from Real Russia.

Real Russia kindly sponsored our visas for Russia and Mongolia. We did a presentation to about 40 people at a languages institution. We were then going to hit the road and make some miles towards Astrakhan. However, as they tend to, our plans changed a little and after doing a really good case study with our lovely translator (thank you so much Oksana) we were taken to a Russian baths by Chris. This involved our first encounter with vodka, and the evening went from there! Large swathes of the nights were financed by a random Russia guy who decided that we were his friends.

Volgograd is an incredibly long city, supposedly the longest in the world and we spent a great few days there seeing the sights. It was formerly known as Stalingrad and we visited the only building that wasn’t destroyed in the battle for the city, which was the bloodiest in World War Two. The entire city was rebuilt after the war and they did a pretty good job – far better than Plymouth but that doesn’t say much.

We also visited the massive statue of Mother Russia. She dwarfs the Statue of Liberty and is depicted wielding a gigantic sword and screaming into the wind. It is at the heart of a big war memorial and we had a game of Flop in the grounds. The Russians have a lot of respect for the military and half the city seems dedicated to fallen comrades.

Many thanks to all those who have been sending us sat phone messages, especially Ed who must be very bored at work! Chris, thanks for the visas and the vodka. Svetlana and Oksana, thank you for being our guides and being generally lovely!

- Spike

Playing on the iPod today: Fast Car by Tracy Chapman.