Back on the main road and heading North, we were stopped by a big 4WD van from Magadan.  It was a bunch of guys from the local 4WD club “Nord Trophy”.   A few of the guys recognised me.  We had all eaten sushi together in Magadan last year with Tony.  It is a small world sometimes.

Dinner time came in Orotukan.  Sherri Jo treated me, since it was my birthday.  The next town with a hotel was still 140 km down the road … Yagodnoye.  We had little choice by to press on.  I bought a birthday beer, tucked it into my riding jacket, and we headed off into the evening light.

Sherri crossing the Kolyma River: The river whose name is associated throughout Russia with two things, death and gold.

Just as it was getting dark (around 11pm) we pulled into Yagodnoye, found the local hotel and I cracked open my birthday beer.  It was an unusual birthday (as mine usually are) – it had started with caviar in an abandoned town, ended with a beer 350 km down the road, and in between I had made it to a Gulag.  I was chuffed!