Day 207 - Volgograd to Rostov - Wed 18 Sept

Day 207 - Volgograd to Rostov - Wed 18 Sept
It always feels good to have vehicle fuelled and watered up, fridge restocked, hair washed, bed freshly made, no looming laundry, and internet up to date on all devices before heading on road again (a total recharge!) Ate a cooked breakfast before farewelled hotel (all staff by then had made sure we knew the break in hadn’t happened on their watch), on road to Rostov on Don. Dull day, plenty of bumps and roadworks on highway 260 west. Mostly truck traffic moving steadily. Lock has definitely fallen in between doors, can hear it rattling.

Bought mini SD card adapter yesterday, so can now change map data on Garmin, BUT put in card with new maps (Russia and Ukraine) and Garmin still can’t calculate this route. Has to be something wrong with maps we bought in Singapore eg write protected…. 

Pretty boring travel today, flat plains under agriculture, some Astrakan watermelons and sunflowers, much land tilled ready for next season. Region had significant rain, too boggy to get off road - stopped for lunch of sausage and chutney wraps on side of road, visited by hopeful dogs. Heavy dark smoke coming from industrial complex - maybe bitumen. Black tailings hills from old mine - looks like coal. Sidestepped to the north around Rostov and pulled off road to camp among cabbages and capsicums where people were fishing around a small farm dam. 

Satisfactorily covered over 400kms today, but poor Ozzie is looking very scummy from muddy highway spray. BoyRob will wash Ozzie, whilst GirlRob studies upcoming itinerary and Guy's Ukraine border notes before heading there tomorrow. Getting up around 35,000kms so far this trip – an amazing tally! Definitely a glass of wine coming on....