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2004-04-19
2004-04-21
Russia
Distance today: 43.0 km (Accumulated: 5241.0 km)
Country: Russia
Route Report: Zlatoust (road sign 1736) - Miass (roadsign 1779/exitroad to
Miass).
43km., 3:21:58h. (Alexander +50min., Kazuka +1:24h., Jesper 40min. rest
and wait at 20km).
Snow again!!! As we got to the startingpoint yesterdays mountaintop finish
- we allmost cant comprehend that the winter is still here; the air beeing
thick with snow again and all surroundings dressed in a layer of white.
But its on with the shoes and "Nimanie, na Start, GO!".
- And afterall there are positive things.
To mention one, we had 8km. of downhill runningto begin with:-)
At 12:34 o'clock the first of us crossed the borderline dividing Europe
and Asia.
A few minutes later Alexander and Katzuka joyned.
We took a 15 min. celebration, I drank a much talked about American sode
and said goodbye to Europe.
And Kazuka bit us welcome to Asia!
As mentioned before, we experience that the real border/end of Europe lies
considerable more west than this!
But formalities can at times be entertaining, and this goodbye-ceremony in
a small woodhouse café on a windblown mountain was both entertaining and
cheerfull:-)
At least untill we had to get back into the snow.
But to stay with the formalities we can now take a quick view back on what
European Russia was like:
On the big positive side was a winter less cold than expected (but
long...), a food much better and pleantifull than expected, crime and
danger much seldom experiensed compared to the average Europe or America,
prices about 50% lower than in Europe (but salaries also much lower), and
perhaps most to us: Russia is so far the only place where we have had help
from local administration and local sports organisations.
And that is literally every day!
Providing accomodation, police escort, meals and many gifts, Spaciba!!
Thank you!!!
On the other hand Russia is by far the country (of our 9 countries run)
where we most social and economic contrasts; many having a severely
difficult material/economic situation, and other few having luxury in big
amounts. A sad irony after allmost a century of socialism; or attempted
socialism.
But what strikes me most as political scientist by education (Copenhagen
Univercity) is the distance between high/governing level politicians and
people. A simplified example from our last 10km. today: a black windowed
politician limousine passes at high speed..surrounded by 5 police cars
getting all other traffic of the road in. In my private view its always a
sign of decline when the administration needs to be protected from the
people; be it for ever so good reasons as fear of terrorism, lack of time,
or other.
Only this is unfortunately also the situtiation in multistate EU, USA and
other postmodern democracies.
But we would lack self-irony if we forgot that we ourselves at times
recieves plice escort, and enjoys its benefits!
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