Katya Dubanevich and her faithful friend, a BMW motorcycle named Henry, are famous travelers from Minsk.
Katya rolls. On a motorcycle – to the end of the world
Katya Dubanevich and her faithful friend, a BMW motorcycle named Henry, are famous travelers from Minsk. Katya told Bolshoy where the habit of naming motorcycles came from, shared her vivid impressions of trips around Iceland and Sakhalin, and also explained why her husband is not jealous of her unusual hobby for a girl. If after Katya's story it seems to you that instead of living you are rolling cotton wool, listen to this feeling.
About getting to know the bike
The first time I was ridden on a bike at the age of 14 outside the city, across the field. I remember that there is a lot of grass around, it whips in the face and nothing is visible, but when you have time to see the landscape and stand up on the next bump, the sensations are amazing. The seed of future love for motorcycles was carefully planted in my soul. Later she began to communicate with motorists, attended festivals. For four years she rode small motorcycles – she started with the classic Minsk. It handled almost like a bicycle, but still scary. The next was Minsk, too, but of a more modern look – and it was true love. I dyed it pink and named it Pinky. There is a cool cartoon about two mice – smart Brain and rustic, but executive Pinky. We got the same story: I developed plans to conquer the world, and the motorcycle listened to me, and together we became a cool team. I started driving it to work and on my first trips, and suddenly drove 20 thousand kilometers in a season. It all started with the fact that the editor of the Bolshoi Dima Novitsky came to our office and asked why I did not travel long distances. There is also a cool place – the Curonian Spit. He showed pictures, I got carried away, got excited about the idea and went. The feeling of independence and the spirit of adventure completely penetrated inside and settled so firmly that they still cannot be kicked out, and there is no such desire.
About gender stereotypes
When I rode a pink motorcycle, I was one of the first in Minsk to order ponytails for my helmet. When people saw a girl on a pink motorcycle with ponytails, they immediately smiled and rejoiced – except that they did not clap their hands. Everywhere passed, supported. But then another story began. If you ride a pink motorcycle with ponytails and a pink outfit, you need to drive much better than men. If you mess around here, they will definitely shoot you on video and write on all forums something like “look, what a blonde, and even on a motorcycle!” In general, girls on the road are treated more condescendingly, they often want to help.
About security
Russia scared me a lot. The fact that colonies-settlements are located along my route, that there is no life after Chita, that they will kill me and sell the motorcycle.At first she behaved very carefully, even Drugano. When they asked something, she immediately answered that a crowd of bikers was with me and they ride ten kilometers behind, now they would catch up. She learned to distinguish who needs to be afraid of and who is friendly and is interested in my plans just like that.
At the wheel of a motorcycle you can fall asleep, because fatigue accumulates, as well as while driving a car. When I felt that I was completely falling asleep, I stayed at stops, put an alarm for 20-30 minutes. This time is enough for the body to reboot. Once, in a downpour in the Mogochi area stopped a motorcycle, lay on a bench, started an alarm and fell asleep. I heard that the bead drove up, six uncles not quite Slavic appearance came out of it. They began to ask: where, where, what kind of motorcycle, how much does it cost, do you go? I composed on the go that I was going with friends, and they meet me at the entrance to the city. Due to such cases, I do not turn off the headset, it blinks with a blue bulb, and everyone gets the impression that I am talking with someone in the walkie-talkie, although in fact I listen to the music. I pretended that I was talking to friends and soon I will be in the appointed place. In general, it carried.
Everyone can offend the girl – they are still afraid to offend men. I am sure that on the way you attract what you believe in. So far, only good people meet on the road. Russia taught me to trust me. It is here that the last shirt will be given to you if necessary, they will be invited to the house, as a dear guest, they will ask about Belarus and tell a lot of stories from their life.
About the record
“A good motorcycle is an expensive pleasure. If you can afford it with your service, then everything is good in your life. ” Who thinks so, often does not take into account the other side: we often see the only-minded friends on the last journey. The biker is less protected than the rest of the road users. The accident at a speed of 60 km/h for a car will turn into a scratched bumper, and for me with broken arms and legs.
There is such a stereotype that bikers ride only between the opening and closing of the season. This is not true. The opening is necessary that everyone gathers after a long winter “hibernation”, talked and planned the season, and the closure – gathered again, summed up the results of the season and shared their impressions. Motorcyclists drive as much as control skills, weather conditions, the condition of the road and a motorcycle allow. The “holding” of rubber begins about five degrees of heat. My record is a trip to minus seven, but there is no need to repeat.
About planning
I have a thorough approach in my life in my life. If I get carried away with something, then first I read, look, study, communicate with people close to the topic and only then I dive into hobbies with my head. On trips I try to control everything if possible. Everything is calculated and planned, including how many kilometers a day should pass, the coordinates of the visit, the budget for the day, unplanned expenses, force majeure, emergency telephones and people capable of helping.If I deviate from the plan and begin to do something wrong, everything falls apart, like a house of cards. As soon as I return to the plan, everything is again clearly built. When a thunderstorm appears in the way, you still need to think about what to do, wait for it or go on. Entering a thunderstorm, I always remember that today it is necessary to drive, for example, 900 kilometers, and tomorrow another 700. If I will not pass 1600 kilometers for these two days, I will be late for the ferry, and the next one in a week. I quickly think everything, I evaluate the risks and food further, at least in a thunderstorm, even in a sandstorm.
A trip from Minsk to Cape End of the World, which is located on the island of Shikotan (Kuril Islands), thought over very carefully. I read the reports of travelers, watched the state of roads on Google Maps, wrote abstracts. Files with a travel plan I send to my mother to visit. Grandfather, while he was alive, always monitored my movements on cards (he is a military pilot). He noted on the schemes where I am, followed the route. He was so calmer.
About spiritual experience
You always go on a trip to one person, and you return to others. It is impossible to spend a lot of time alone in silence and not change. You always see another culture, cities, roads. But nature is most amazed and surprised. At first I traveled around the cities, I really liked everything, everything is so magical, beautiful. Then I realized that they were very similar. Yes, you learn to distinguish architectural styles, notice where Gothic, where is modern, but I saw this building, I liked it – and what's next? Therefore, began to choose directions with a lower concentration of movement and cities.
In Iceland, a single person can not meet in an hour of journey. Nature reigns there, and man is a tiny addition to it. Iceland is generally a different world. A little fog dissipated – and a waterfall is immediately shown, purple fields and red mountains appear from nowhere. Nature is such that I screamed with delight! There you literally understand the meaning of the words you do not believe your eyes. This beauty inside does not fit. And just think that you have already seen everything, how a new turn of the road is surprising again. After Iceland, it seemed to me that it was simply impossible to see something more beautiful, but then I went to Russia …
Before the trip, I thought: “Well, what is the taiga? Forest, forest, forest. And here is nothing like that! This is not just a forest, but passes and turns around which are an ocean of forest. It is different: there is a green taiga, it happens white. When the trees dry out, their trunks are bleached and it looks like a snow -white bone field. The wind flies a little, and it runs in waves. Fascinates. In this situation, it is most difficult to fit into the turn, because you look only around. After Baikal, the landscape is completely changing, as if someone had a invisible line. Steppes begin, rolls are rolled under the wheels, and a sandstorm is catching up with a sandstone.
When I got to the End of the world, I did not want to leave.I can say about the island of Shikotan, where Cape is located, that this is my place of power. I thought it was just such an expression in spiritual practices until I came to the island. You sit there on a pebble, look at the surrounding beauty and I want to grow to this stone forever. The problems that scored my head yesterday, they wiped out with an Eraser. At this moment, I am only part of the world, so huge and unknown.
Road story
One case turned my mind towards people. On the road in Iceland, she neatly settled down behind the truck, which was transported by gravel. The car shook on the bump, and somewhere with a dozen pebbles spilled out of the body. The driver went out with a scoop and a brush and picked up everything to the last stone, pouring them back to the body. I could not stand it, asked: What are you doing, why stopped? He was very surprised at my question: “This island is my house. You can’t litter in your own house. ” To perceive the whole island, the area of which with half of Belarus, as his house, is impressive.
About her husband
On the way you learn cool things. You put on a sock, then a bag, another toe and put it in a motorbote – your legs are always dry. I can repair simple breakdowns. I always lead an isolet with me, clamp-workers, a cylinder with WD-ko. A well-known rule: if something is hanging out, and should not-use the isolet, something does not move, but should-pour WD-ko. I won’t overcome the motorcycle engine myself – this is the prerogative of her beloved husband. He is a very passionate mechanical engineer, loves engines and riddles. His favorite task is when something does not work, but should. Sometimes he called me at two in the morning and said: “I found! I went through everything and found what was the matter. Listen to how it works! And sticks the tube into the engine. Luxurious sound! I think we had to get to know him and become a family – this is fate.
About faith and totems
I am a little fond of Indian culture and at one time chose the eagle with my totem animal. Made a drawing on the motorcycle seat. And real eagles always accompany me. Each trip comes the time when I go along the road and see his open wings over myself. For a while, the bird must fly with me. This is a sign, which means I do everything right. There are a lot of such signs as the messages, that I do something wrong. They must also be learned to recognize. At the level of intuition, not shamanism.
On the road, the superstitions have no place, but there are religions. As he sang Letov, “there are no atheists in the trenches under fire,” so on the road you cannot believe in anything. When you fall into the situation, hanging in the balance of death, and do not understand what saved you, you automatically believe in the existence of a certain force. Someone calls it the spirits of the road. I am inclined to a more religious version-guardian angels. My definition is definitely a workaholic – only in winter he has a vacation. There was a case in Russia. A car was rebuilt at a great speed at a great speed, and as if someone pressed on my hand, I stepped aside.And then all sorts of strange things began to spin in my head: “So, probably, you just saved me. You probably exist. If you exist, give me a sign. And then a pebble flew into the shoulder. Ok, I understood everything, I don’t ask any more questions.
About loneliness
I love traveling alone. I’m going, I see everything new and interesting, I am surprised by everything around me. When I just started traveling, it was as if I re -opened my eyes to the world. I am not bored on the way. Whatever the landscape, even as inexpressive as on autobahns, you can always reflect, fantasize about tomorrow, think about yesterday. And in the company I drive much worse. When you travel in a couple, you think more and worry about another person, no matter how the car is rebuilt into it or something else did not happen. Or I want to stop and photograph something, but you will have to either catch up with the one ahead, or substitute the one who is behind-suddenly does not have time to slow down. And then there will be a clarification of what I stopped to photograph a red tree. In such conditions, there is no dialogue with itself and the whole perception of everything around. Therefore, one is better.
About money
In order to have enough money to travel, you need to set priorities. One episode was very upset. After a trip to Sakhalin, she found a message in personal messages, they say, you need to have a good salary and a rich husband to travel like that.
Listen, I am a marketer in the international holding Belagro, which is engaged in equipment and spare parts for agriculture. I am 32 years old, I earn a little more than people at the age of 18. I go to work from Monday to Friday, and I sign a vacation at the level of the general director in order to walk him entirely, and not two times two weeks. At work, everyone knows about my hobby, understand and support. I even travel with the flag of the company. I just arrange priorities, determining what is more important: clothing, entertainment, beauty salons or travel. I pretend that for the cost of boots that I may not need, I will pass so many hundred kilometers. I measure all purchases with kilometers. On the road I spend the night in a tent or in hostels. The simplest thing is to use rubbering. But this is for those who like to communicate with people. It must be understood that if you spend the night with a stranger, then in return must treat the owner at least a good road story. For the entire trip to Russia for 31 days I spent $ 80 on accommodation. The most expensive on my trips are ferries, because I adore the islands, and they can only be reached.
About the purpose
They say that the purpose of a person is that he can do without noticing how much time has passed, what is happening around, regardless of whether they pay him money for this, feeling absolutely happy. After all, the final goal of each of us is to be happy.
From childhood I liked to ride somewhere: by train, car, plane. On the eve of the trip, she could not fall asleep, turning in bed, constantly looking at her watch. She studied the new world, new sensations with wide eyes – even if it was just a trip to the country.
People have forgotten how to rejoice at the little things. Every day we go through the cycle of repeated actions and with great confidence we can say what we are busy tomorrow. How often do you just walk around the native city, examining people, conducting a dialogue with the city, learning its secrets, feeling the mood and smiling at him in response? A great way to wake up curiosity is to go on a trip. You can read many articles of travelers, memos, guides, watch thousands of photos, but the sensations from what they see will still be new for you. My life before the appearance of a motorcycle was not very rich in events, but after the paint and priorities changed sharply. This is my way of knowing the world and the opportunity to share it with others. What makes me happy. I am insanely pleased when they write in the comments to the blog that someone was able to plan the route correctly, was inspired by the description of the place and decided to embody a dream. So everything is not in vain!