We
had not been on the road long when we spotted our first ever guard
rail washing machine……
Old
bridge in new road…
The
air is becoming smokier as we travel east. We are nearing some of the
bush fires.
In
Ust-Kut we stopped to get fuel where we chatted to some guys in a van
filling a 44gal drum with diesel.
The
cranes emerging from the smoke unload the barges that the tugs have
delivered from down stream.
A
guy asleep on the pavement in the middle of town.
On
into town where we saw the same guys. I asked where we could eat so
one guy offered to show us. We followed him and parked. Admittedly
there was a sign outside with food on it. But even when we entered
the building we were not sure where to go. At the back was a
cafeteria. Choosing a few items we had another very plain meal.
Outside
we looked for a computer shop and on entering was told no printing
and were shown into a jewelers shop where a young lady had her
workshop to design and manufacture jewellery. She was more than happy
to print our two pages for no charge. She did have some English.
Across the street john eyed a camper - well not quite. Six guys
working on the electricity lines. They live in the back and 3 of them
probably travel in the back. Very basic living. But a big 6 wheel
drive monster. 
Across
the river where a tug was delivering a barge of shipping containers
to the docks.
South
East now until Magistralny where we will have to decide if we travel
the 180km into Lake Baikal.
Following
the trans-Siberian railway we came to one of the hundreds of bush fires. Lots of
smoke and the occasional flicker of flame.
It is a wonder the bush can even burn as it is green like Victoria gets
in winter. No wonder there is so much smoke with all the green wood
being burned.
The new Lada's look like a normal car!!! 
They
still make use of the railway here with small offshoot lines going
into timber yards or gravel pitts ,to be filled.
One of the many cars with flat tires. They travel at a very fast speed with high tire pressure. We see a broken down car every 30mins. Could be as simple as a flat tire or a wheel that has shorn off, run out of fuel or some other mechanical misadventure.
John
directed us 8km’s to the back or Magistalny to the river where we
drove out onto the river stones and made camp. Another late camp and
there for night.
John
washed the outside of the vehicle until the mozzies got the better of
him, while I roasted the pork for dinner. These days the stove needs
the engine running for the whole time it is going.
sooooooo frustrating.