Final Hard Yards

Hello people I am now in Tallinn after covering 4761 miles. The situation as I mentioned in the email yestureday. Russia is off, I would of had to wait 5 working days which including the weekend would be a 7 days. I can not afford to stay in one place for that amount of time since I have to get back to the UK for mid July. If I wait for the visa it will be getting to close to the deadline for getting back. I feel that I do not want all that stress and worry in the final weeks. Every one I have talked to about a Russian visa has got their own horry story so I just know that it would not go smoothly. I am dissapointed but but not suprised. So what I will do now is to cycle up to the border which will be another 2 days of cycling then catch the train back to Tallinn and go across to Helsinki. If anyone does feel really strongly that I have not completed what I had set out to do. Then I will refund your donation, it better be a good argument though. I can not beleave that I am only 2 days aways from finishing the ride.

Other interesting point about trying to get into Russia that I just found out. You are not alowed to take in a GPS. It would of been confiscated at the borer.

Anyway the week so far since Riga.

Wednesday 20th June (REst day Riga)

Had a good walk around and saw some nice buildings

Which had cool view from the top.
I then found a cool church.

Riga was a great stop. Not really very rested because I went out fr the 3 nights that I was there. All were good nights and I did not get to bed any earlier than 5:30am for any of the days. This was my final morning in Riga after about 4 hours sleep just before I jumped on the bike. The red eye is not due to the flash but due to being bloodshot.
Thursday 21st June (Day 78)

I left the hostel at midday and went to find a bike shop to find a new back tyre for the bike. It probably would of lasted but I thought it best to be safe and get a new one and keep the other as a back up. After I got it sorted I sarted to head north along the coast. What do you know, another spoke went on the back wheel. Did not take any photo's of it because you have sen it all before. Finished the day at a cool camp site by the beach. This was the first time I got on a beach since Gadansk in Poland. So I felt really chilled out.

Friday 22nd June (Day 79)

Well I started the morning by taking the broken spoke out of my back wheel. Even though I have got spares I could not put another one in because the one that snapped is on the side of the gears and I can not take them off because they are in the way. If it was the other side I could of fixed it. BUGGER. After that I thought I might as well take apart the derailer and clean it. I should of known better and I do know better because I took it apart whilst I was on the grass. I lost a small part and searched for ages but could not find it. I really was not happy with myself. I just ad to pt it back together and hope for the best because metal would be grinding on meal.

After a bit of cycling I came to the border, I got a little emotional after I crossed because it made me think of how far I have came so far. I will admit it, I shed a few tears.

All through the day I saw these cool cars pass me traveling in the other direction. It turns out that they were part of the Peking to Paris ralley.
Other cool point of the day, I found these little wild strawberries. So I went a little bit Ray Myers and collected a few. They were about the size of a pea
I finished the day in Parnu. A nice little coastal resort and I was really happy when I found a place where I could get some lasagna. So it was quite a good day for food in the end.

I had a cool view at sunset from the camp site.
Saturday 23rd June (Day 80)

Nothing to say about this day. The bike shop was closed due to a national holiday so I could not get the spoke or derailer sorted. I was slightl worried about this because I did not know how long it could go with a part missing and metal on metal. I talked to a dude at the camp site and he just went and got his old mountain bike and let me take the piece out of that. How cool is the kindness of strangers. It is slightly to big but it works a treat and will last.

Sunday 24th June (Day 81)

The ride to Talinn. Isaw a cool road sign on the way they made m want to bust a move on the street. I got into Tallin at about 1pm.

What a great city, it has its old central part with really modern development spreading out.
This is the view from my room in the hostel.
Here are some cool shoots from around the old town

A shot tha shows the old peoples housing next to the modern development
A shot of the cool people I have been hanging around with for the past couple of nights. A little more reserved than Riga, I have been getting to bed at 2am rather than 5am.
Saw this cool sign but descided not to imitate it.
I have had a great few days in Tallinn. A few beers in the evening and playing on those spinny things in the day (Refer to the videos). As I started to mention at the start I will finish the ride at the border. I wil then catch the train back to Tallinn then the ferry over to Finland. I then think I wil spend 2 weeks coming back to the UK through Finland, Sweden and Norway then jump on the ferry to Newcastle. I think that will be much more fun that getting a flight.

Cheers people and the next time you hear from me I should of finished this ride after covering in the region of 4900 miles.