Near Novosibirsk, we notice a huge number of tents and people sitting next to them on the ice of the Ob river. We drive closer and understand that these are local fishermen. Despite the working day, the river gathered numerous fans of ice fishing. All of them are complaining that this day is not a very successful one, all the fish they have caught today isn’t bigger than the palm of your hand. But, they add with a smile that despite all the troubles they prefer spending a day on the ice to being couch potatoes at home in front of the telly.
In Novosibirsk we call in to the local dealer. It's high time for the first oil change of our Touareg. Local mechanics approach this process with the highest degree of professionalism. A few hours later we are back on track.
The road winds through forests and fields, and we enjoy the views of endless Russian expanses. The three-liter diesel engine that produces 270 horsepower demonstrates excellent performance in all modes. We do not have the disadvantages of no power when overtaking, when driving up a serpentine road. It works very quietly without filling the interior of our Touareg with unnecessary sounds.
More and more often we come across small fairs along the road. Here you can buy not only Siberian gifts of nature, such as pine nuts or badger fat, but also a variety of souvenirs made of wood. But the most interesting for us are the stalls with stuffed animals. The amateurish stuffed bears, beavers and foxes rather make you smile than evoke the desire to buy them.
They say that in Russia there are two real troubles – fools and roads. We haven’t met any fools yet, but Russian roads compared to Kazakh ones are just perfect.