I can’t tell you how much I love this photo! I found it when I took a break from writing to research my next trip. It was taken on the road to Yakutsk in Siberia and you’ll find more bizarrely brilliant photos here.
There is only one road into Yakutsk and at the best of times has a 100-kilometre long traffic queue. When it rains, the clay road starts eating cars and trucks. I’ve gotta get there!
I particular like the poses thrown by the guy in yellow and the girl in blue. He looks like Kevin Pietersen and she looks like she’s soliciting for customers. Which she well might be doing. There’d certainly be no shortage of frustrated truckies with a lot of time on their hands.
Sally was horrified by the photo and couldn’t understand why it wanted to make me jump on the first plane to Russia. To her it looked messy and uncomfortable.
Me? I think it looks like an adventure!
This is where you'll find everything you need to know about me and my books.
May i direct you to site where it shows that the art of Japanese bizarre t-shirts still is strong and healthy.
http://www.engrish.com
apologies if you are already familiar with it
have fun
Wow, just took a peek at the link you posted. For some reason I now feel an urge to go hiking in China -despite (or perhaps because of) my fear of heights, but I’m sure that will pass. The Bolivian ‘road of death’ looks like it’s well worth a visit too.
Nick, I know what you mean – those planks hammered into the side of the mountain blew my mind.
I liked the road in China carved into side of a mountain too, particularly the thoughtfully provided ‘windows.’
Hey Michael,
Thanks for the link to Engrish.com. I lived in Tokyo for a year after I finished uni and acquired an admiration for the ‘special’ way English is used there!
“At the start of another family holiday, father still insists he did not take the wrong turning off the M6 junction”
Peter, you should defintely go to Russia! It is not as scary as it looks on the picture, I can assure you. Just beware that it is not that cheap, believe it or not. Loved your comment about the poses the guy and the girl took
Poor people, they do not realize how funny they might look to the foreigners. Anyway, let me know when you are plannign to go, I might be of help. Cheers!
This looks like the Road of Bones, which Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman travelled in their “Long Way Round” TV series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_of_Bones
Peter, I don’t think Russia could be more up your street in terms of the eccentric behaviour of its inhabitants and therefore material for one of your books.
Looking at those pictures it looks to me as though they could of made considerable more progress by driving through the adjacent forest!
I’ve been to Russia on numerous occasions, had some excellent adventures and met some great characters. I can definitely recommend it. Not been back in about five years though, but suddenly getting the urge to go again…
I love it how he’s leaning on the van, while the grandmother and the young girl are doing all the work trying to free it.
I am busy reading your book “Vroom with a View” and it is one of the most enjoyable books I have read in a long time. You have an hilarious sence of humour. I want to go to Italy as soon as possible!