Day 36: Team XPD Asia covers 792 km from Vladivostok to Khabarovsk

The team had a relaxed morning and geared up to have Dhanno and Sheru serviced. Having successfully covered 10,561 km thus far at the halfway mark of their adventurous journeywith a cause, the team was aware that they had roughly 11000 km to traverse up ahead. 

Meenakshi, the team Captain was thankful for her friend Suresh Joseph's advice to find a Castrol-authorised service centre in Vladivostok to service their vehicles. Sanjay's friend who lives in Moscow had pre-fixed the appointments and his colleague Yulia took them the service center, which was a 4-minute drive from the hotel where the team was staying. 

With Sanjay and Sharath explaining to the service center about what needed to be done for their vehicles, Oil change, Oil filter change, Wheel Balance and Alignment, and a general overall service was done. The staff at the service center were extremely attentive and helpful, and fully understood the team's needs.

By 11.30 am, the team was ready to resume their journey. 

The service centre employees pasted their sticker on the car, and the team pasted 'XPD Beyond Asia' stickers on their walls. Even as the servicing was being done, the rest of the team members had the opportunity to look around Vladivostok. The team's actual schedule was to stay for two nights at Vladivostok, with a plan of a full-day sightseeing and also a visit to the Embassy to call on the Consul of the High Commission.

But the unfortunate delay in Kraskino forced them to leave without a break. The Trans-Siberian Highway is a network of seven federal highways which span over 11,000 kilometres (6,800 mi) of Russia, from Saint Petersburg on the Baltic Sea (Atlantic Ocean) to Vladivostok on the Sea of Japan (Pacific Ocean). Much of the route parallels that of the earlier Trans-Siberian Railway. A large portion is numbered as part of Asian Highway Network route AH6, in many places also coinciding with European route E30. The Trans-Siberian Highway is one of the world's longest national highways, although the Highway 1 (Australia) continental ring road is longer.

Officially, Team XPD Beyond Asia - Trans Siberian 2019 started from the Pacific seaport of Vladivostok this afternoon, in an attempt to do the drive from East to West, finishing in Saint Petersburg at the end of this month.

The team drove in Highway A 370 to Khabarovsk. They reached their pitstop well past midnight. The team felt that it had been a long but good drive. Roads to Khabarovsk were excellent but single carriageway 90 percent of the way. They felt the traffic was not bad either. The team stopped for a late lunch around 3 pm and then for a couple of fuel and bio breaks, even as they wound up Day 36.