Call from the East

Having circumnavigated North America in 2009, the author and his doughty pillion rider decide to tackle Russia and Georgia. It's a test ride really, a pre-cursor to attempting to ride their motorcycle across Siberia. Blocked from entering Georgia, they decide to ride around the Black Sea, heading for Turkey, then Georgia. In doing so they pass through Ukraine and Crimea, before getting thoroughly lost in Transnistria. Their journey, which took place in 2012, took them to twenty-one countries, one rebel breakaway republic and one British Overseas territory - in some cases areas that have now changed forever. There are numerous sub-plots woven into the narrative: discoveries of well-known and lesser-known cultural gems, vignettes of history and geography and the unusual tales of an extremely fortunate mule and a swashbuckling kidnapped rabbit.