Putting my tent thought its paces

Its 6 o clock or so and i have just cooked dinner and am enjoying the peacefullness of the Kazak steppe. I look up and notice that the sky is brewing some clouds. "could get some rain," I say to outloud. Funnilly enough there is no response. I watch the sunset and then retire to my tent to try to work on my Russian a bit. I have been on week 4 of the teach yourself russian course for a month now!

At midnight or so i notice it is raining rather heavy. The ground is now soaked and has loosened my pegs. I fumble for the rain coat and go out to take a slash and sort it out. A little damp i head back to bed. I notice my tent is leaking from the cealing, no holes but i think the seams need some work. I curse my lack of forsight and move my sleeping bag away from the drips.

I wake at 4 and its like the somone has made the winds gods, very, very angry. The rain is still teeming and it feels very close to the point where the tent will self destruct. I pack my bags in the tent, not really sure why but i guess i will have to make a break for it somewhere. Sleep is impossible to i sit up and wait for the sun to rise. Perhaps the coming dawn will calm things down.

At 630 i go outside to sruvey the scene, its windy but the rain has eased. Then its start hailing. "I am going to die if i go out in this" i say to myself but i cant even hear it as the wind carries it off. I lament my choice of campsite- about as exposed as one could be on the Kazak steppe. I return to the tent and my now wet sleeping bag and reslove to sit it out......


10 oclock and i hear a car too. Its snowing now and i scmable for my overtrousers and try to unzip the tent. The car is just pulling away but they turn around. I jump in the back seat. I deciede discretion is the better part of valour so amid hand signals they tell me they are going back to where i had come from the day before and we agree top put the bike in the car. Its not cheating if i have already ridden over the same ground i tell myself........
And that was just the start of a rather amazing day.......