Day 170 - Battling Crosswinds: A Challenging 12-Hour Ride From Novosibirsk to Omsk

Updated: Oct 1, 2023

Day 170 (20 June 2023) - Novosibirsk to Omsk, Russia

DAY 170 (20 JUNE 2023) – I departed Novosibirsk for a 650 km ride to Omsk. This was quite a challenging ride as I was struggling with very strong cross winds throughout the journey!

What should have been an 8 hour ride, became a 12 hour journey since I had to ride at 60-80 kms per hour! My motorbike was shaking a lot due to the wind. It also rained a couple of times at several places and there were way too many container trailer trucks travelling on the road.

During this ride, I came across the remains of charred forests and burnt trees in several places along the highway. Many of the birch trees were still standing without leaves and the bark of the trees were black, instead of its original white or silver colour.

Later I got to know that these were a result of raging wildfires that happened last year! The strong winds must have contributed to the quick spread of fire throughout the forest.

In the evening, I took a stroll around the area near my hostel.

Fun facts : Birch is a type of deciduous tree that belongs to the Betulaceae family. There are many different species of birch, but they all have distinctive white or silver bark and typically grow in cold or temperate regions around the world. Birch trees are known for their beautiful appearance and can be used for a variety of purposes, including as a source of firewood, for making furniture and paper products, and in traditional medicine. The bark of some birch species contains compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties and may be used to treat conditions like arthritis and headaches.

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