Another announcement.

I am in Dakar, finally back together with the bike and all the necessary papers. There were hella lot of adventures during last days. After completing last formalities my organism carrying me with last bits of strength decided that it’s enough. And falls hardly. The second day of fever. Slowly becoming little better. However there is time to do the description of adventures.

05.08.2015 Rome, Italy

A1 motorway to Rome – continuous expanse. Constant turns, tunnels, views. Most of the them though I missed as driving in the dark. The south – the earlier the darkness, so that a little less than half way I did in the dark. However driving in the darkness don’t bothers me so I got to the intended Camping Tiber quite cheerful. Unpacked the camp and sat down to dinner bought at a gas station.

My neighbors was a small pack of guys, according to the license plate numbers on their car – from the Netherlands. I took (presented by Katya also) a bottle of vodka and went to meet friends. Meeting was a success! Later, we sat around the campfire, somewhere in the forest deep inside, hidden from possible opponents of open fire (as open fire is restricted), discussed the difference between Denmark and the Netherlands (Dutch is very painful when the Dutch word used not for them, and, by mistake, the Danes, such a paradox), Russian tradition of drinking, drinking vodka from the bottle first, then drinking “Gummy Bear”, laughed and carefully avoided talking about politics. I crawled into the tent around 4 am, quiet and happy.

And at 9 am I forced to escape from the world of unbearable sauna that was formed in the tent. Gathering myself together I crawled to the pool and got stuck there for long. Last day I deccided I to take a day off. I will not get out anywhere, just blissful doing nothing with my mind turned off. It was naive, of course. First I smoke last cigarette (Dutch guys thoughtfully put me a cigarette on a motorcycle seat, hehe), and, as already mentioned – it is not so easy to find a place to sell tobacco sticks. Camping was 2.5 kilometers from the nearest small village where I stomped on foot under the merciless sun in search of cherished tent with Tabachio sign.

Secondly I was unpleasantly confused by sms from the bank about the status of my account. I tried to understand it and found an unpleasant circumstance. It turns filling by the «self-service» gas stations (as in Italy a lot of them because who wants to roast in this weather) when card machine meet foreign cards it puts on Hold exactly 101 euros. Apparently checking your ability to pay. After that you fill up a tank, fuel cost got charged.. . And 101 euro remains hanging in Hold. Based on Google – will hang the standard of 30 banking days. How many times I refueled this way – I do not undertake to say, but the account balance has led me into a wild grief.

To the pile of madness goes fact that electricity in camping there were only via special adapter, which of course “is all sorted out.” And the internet is turned off at night (sic!). In short, except the blessed stuck in the pool – I was wildly disappointed about the rest of camping facilities. The site proudly says “we know what do people need in the camp, so we took care of everything and that included in the price.” Yeah. There is no electricity, there is almost no wifi (only during the day and frankly worthless), shuttle-bus to the town is payed, despite the claims that is free in the advertising booklet.

Generally situation with internet in Europe it is not just the trouble, dare I say it, it is big fucking problem. In our “backward and underdeveloped countries of Eastern barbarians” unlimited Internet of 100 megabits for 10 euros per month – this is the norm, even a little expensive, you can find it cheaper. In developed countries of burjois – 5 Mbps on the optics. Fiberchannel with 5 mbps, Carl! And rejoice and praise of all who can, it’s not ADSL. And yes, for the price of plenty money, 25 euros or something. Disaster.

On the next day I went to Rome. Take a look at Colosseo and other places of interest. Honestly – impressions were twofold. On the one hand – the eternal city, with its articles and features. Era in Era. It fascinates and amazes. On the other hand – half the things on the reconstruction (the famous Trevi Fountain – fail, even Colosseum – half in the reconstruction nets), and the crowds of tourists are enormous. I saw fountains and lines of people with empty bottles to fill behind it. It looks very caricature. I was pleased with the strange inflatable tent with the French flag – inside two good guys handing out bottles of water to everyone free of charge, one bottle into one hands. Thank them. Overall – Rome is beatyful. Visited, check. Subway though is horrible, everything in graffiti without conditioning (in such a heat!), rarely arriving trains, dirty, all-squeak noise-crunching … Remembering my grumbling about Moscow metro – indeed, everything goes in comparison.

But the main treasure of the day was a meeting with the two Italians, workers of the Italian division of Positive Technologies. Massimiliano and Paolo, thanks to these wonderful people. Though we had a chance to talk quite a bit – but it was a heck of a nice chat, these guys are true Italians, bright and open. That’s what I missed the previous days (not counting the guys from the Netherlands) – a simple human communication. After Rome filled with tourists – it was like a breath of fresh air.

Hope that in the morning I could quickly come on the road. Verdon and Bardou, I can not wait.