Biker Motel & Buddhist Temple

Day 22 328 km ( 7210 km total)

 

A long ride through nothingness, fierce cross winds and finishing at a Russian Biker's motel, next to a Buddhist Temple!

 

After leaving the little Oasis that is the Hyat in Pyatigorsk, it was a short ride round the outskirts of the city onto the open road. There were two main route options to Elista - highway or not, we chose not as the highway was no fun at all yesterday.

The secondary roads in this area are still pretty good, but rather straight just olunging through the rather bland landscape.

 

Not much to look at ...

 

Except for the occasional sign ...

Then nothing again ...

 

It got so monotonous that when we stopped for a 'p' break, Russ decided to search for the answer to the ultimate question ....

... Its in the post Russ, look at the post! .....

 

This went on for hours, about 4 to be more accurate ...

 

Hum tee tum tee tum .... The only think breaking the monotony were the foerce cross winds that made riding quite difficult. I even saw a tornado at one point in The distance the, but wasn't quick enough to get a photo, sorry.

After rather a long time, there appeared a city - which the sat nav said was Elista

Sure enough, there was the Buddhist temple that tonights lodgings are supposed to be next to ...

 

 

... And there it is, hmm classy

 

 

Luckily the opened the gates to let us park the bikes inside

The guesthouse was a real diappointment actually, with a name like Biker Post and lots of biker paranphenalia around we were hoping for some interesting action. But instead we were the only people there (on a saturday night!), there was no food, no hot water & (apart from a very sweet cleaning lady) an owner who basically, could'nt be bothered.

Nice view from my bedroom window though ....Time to explore a little

Elista is the capital of Kalmykia, and is also sometimes called the Buddhist capital of Europe.

The Kalmykians were orininally a nomadic people, descendants of the Oyrats from western Mongolia, so their features, culture & religion are in stark contrast to elsewhere in Russia.

In the 1920's Stalin forced them to abandon their nomadic lifestyle and Elista as a centre of the autonomous Kalmyk region was was born. In the 1940's the Kalmykians were forced into excile into Siberia until 1957 when the survivors of the deportations were allowed to return.

In a 1998 visit, the Dalai Lama chose the site for the construction of a new Buddhist temple, which was completed in 2006 and is now a major landmark & attraction in the area.

 

Beutiful temple. So deserves a selfie!

More of this to come in Tibet hopefully...

There were several couples having wedding photos taken on the site when I arrived.

Including these in traditional costume ... Nice

Astrakhan tomorrow, near to the border to Kazakhstan, to find some fresh tyres waiting hopefully. I then have to decide whether to change or carry them, as my current set still probably have 2000 miles of life left.