Day 39 - It's freezing cold..! Team XPD covers 616 km from Mogocha to Chita

"The temperature at night plummeted drastically like the sub-arctic climate with bitterly cold, dry winters and mild and rainy summers. 

The temperature in the car was -2 degree celsius. Though the "Ice Possible” indicator was flashing in the display, it cranked smoothly", describes Meenakshi of their freezing Day 39 journey. 

The team left at 7:30 in the morning. Mogocha seemed like an uninspiring town at first sight, but every home, building (mostly run down) has some sort of character, a remnant of good days gone by. Mogocha was a prosperous town before the dissolution of the Soviet Union and subsequent economic crisis. Other than railway-related industries, there is logging and timber milling conducted in the surrounding area.

After a smooth ride for 616 km, they reached Chita at 5:30 pm and checked into their hotel. They went for a stroll around the city. Chita was put on the map by the noble-blooded Decembrists, one of whom designed its street-grid layout. Chita is one of the largest cities in Eastern Siberia. The famous Trans-Siberian railway passes through here, connecting two continents - Europe and Asia. Due to its geographical position, Chita has always been at the crossroads of cultures, a mix of Chinese, Mongol and Russian. 

Here you can find the oldest wooden church in the Russian Far East - the famous Decembrist Church. They had a walk around the city to the Cathedral and winded up with a lovely dinner at a Mongolian restaurant.