DAY 116 | Russia | How To Move The Stars | A bicycle ride around the world

How To Move The Stars is the day by day retelling of a bicycle ride around the world. Start from the beginning to get the whole story. 

My adventure was a modern day epic, a solo, self-supported bicycle ride spanning 38,000 miles across six continents. There were moments I barely survived, and times I cried tears of joy, but mostly, this is a story about the thousands of people I met along the way.  I moved through their cultures, and dramatic landscapes. I ate their food and slept on their land. I was constantly arriving to the open arms of strangers who were excited to help me achieve a feat that few could imagine. I did this for years, immersing myself in the world and meeting the people who live here. The story I returned with is a snapshot of humanity, captured in a lived experience. Thank you for joining me on my journey.

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
June 9th, 2013. Friendly captains.
I got up with the sun and bicycled 15 miles to where an
arm of the Volga River branched out across the land.
When I arrived, the ferry was chugging away just 100 yards
from the dock. I'd missed the boat by three
minutes. In a little shack next to the

(00:20):
dock, there were a few people eating smoked fish and drinking
vodka. They told me the ferry would be
back in two hours. Not wanting to wait, I pointed
to a decaying wooden rowboat with an outboard motor.
This got everyone's attention and they gathered around while I
haggled for a ride. The man I talked to was about 50
years old. He wore track pants and a white

(00:42):
shirt with horizontal blue stripes.
He was barefoot, and though I was there early in the morning,
he obviously had several shots of vodka in him.
I asked about the price, but he waited for me to make the first
offer. I thought about the going rate
for a ride in a little boat in Russia.
I had no reference point. I didn't even know how much the

(01:02):
ferry cost. I offered him $9 and he gladly
accepted. My bike and trailer filled the
whole boat. The man sat on the back rail
with the motor while I sat on the nose.
A big yellow dog also jumped in with us.
The man tried to get her out, but she bit at him so he let her
ride along. We pushed away from the dock to

(01:23):
cross a mile of gentle water and20 minutes later we arrived at
the far shore. I was pushing my bike up to the
road when the father and son whooperate the ferry invited me in
for tea. The ferry is big enough for half
a dozen cars and there was a cabin where the men lived.
I joined them inside where we sat at a cramped table in a
little kitchen. They brought out a plate of

(01:46):
Pickles, fish they caught in theriver and shots of vodka.
Neither of them spoke English, but I stayed for an hour and we
managed a decent conversation. They asked how much I paid the
cross the river. Their boat would have cost me
$3, but they thought I got a fair price.
Like other times in Eastern Europe that have been invited

(02:07):
into people's homes has offered a place to take a nap, I haven't
figured out if it is a cultural nuance or if I simply look
tired. I declined the nap, but only
because the time was 9:00 AM. They gave me a gift when I left,
a photocopy of a periodic table with the elements replaced by
different types of alcohol. I've seen similar posters in

(02:29):
freshman dorm rooms, except thisone was written in Russian.
I thank them and added the paperto my treasure trove.
After I said goodbye to the captains, I had the road all to
myself. The ferry was holding up
traffic, so I didn't see any vehicles for an hour.
Then a group of cars all came atonce.
Two hours after that, I was passed by several more.

(02:53):
The world was noticeably quieterwithout the traffic.
I could hear the breeze through the leaves and the sound of my
bike. I was able to let my guard down,
but I also felt a tinge of loneliness.
I was surprised to realize that the collective of passing
drivers have become like a companion to me.
The person is never the same, but someone is always with me.

(03:15):
Without the cars on the road, I felt alone.
This evening I set up a camp on a hill overlooking a small
river. A horse found me soon after, and
right now he's staring at me from a dozen paces away.
Sometimes he takes a bite of grass and makes a loud
swallowing sound. Mosquitoes and flies buzz in his

(03:36):
eyes and bite at his tender back.
The constant twitch of his tail does little to help.
Earlier I saw him scratching himself by rubbing vigorously
against a tree. The horses front feet are bound
by a chain to prevent him from taking large steps.
I've seen this a few times, evensolid cuffs that forced the

(03:56):
horse to hop forward with its front legs.
I assume the horses are bound sothat they don't wander too far
when left on unfenced land. Certainly this horse wasn't
getting away while I cooked dinner.
He meandered around my camp and knocked over my bike.
I yelled at him, threw an empty can that bounced off his butt as
he shuffled away. I wanted to scare him off, but

(04:19):
he's simply more curious than afraid.
I'm worried my bike wheel will be stepped on.
I will try to walk through my hammock rope.
A horse is a wild card and I'm in no position to be taking
chances. I want him gone, but I can't
make him go. Hopefully by morning he has
found somewhere else to be.