I've had a few emails asking me what has happened that I have ended up in Japan when I was only supposed to be going to Mongolia and then heading directly home.

Well, I haven't managed to lose my way and arrive here by accident- always a distinct possibility when relying on Russian road signs. It has become Plan B.

I have to confess that as I travelled towards Mongolia, I was enjoying life on the road so much (hardly a surprise) that when I looked at the map and saw how close to the sea Mongolia is, relatively speaking, only 2000 miles as the crow flies. I got the urge to reach the Pacific Ocean, as many of you know, I live on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall in England and so I felt it would balance out the journey to extend my trip from one ocean to the other.

Of course when I first started putting together a vague plan I was in the sweltering desert conditions of Kazakhstan and I hadn't reckoned on having to cross an icy Siberia- riding the equivalent of London to the border of Iran non-stop in such cold conditions. But I've made it, and then to find in the final city of Vladivostock that there's a ferry to Japan (I can never resist ferries particularly if they go to islands) and so I ended up on a boat bobbing around on the Pacific.

I am now looking at my onward travel options. I will be shipping Thelma out of Japan across the Pacific Ocean - we'll have to see where I will end up.