Starting in Aktau my own Silk Road adventure....

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Let start my own little Silk Road adventure! I'm on my way to Uzbekistan, the very slow way!



I'm back to Kazakhstan after the short one hour flight on Azerbaijan Airways...just the time to cross the Caspian Sea. I'm landing after 10pm at Aktau. The little city has seen investment due mainly to the offshore oil industry in the Caspian Sea. The airport is a good 20km outside of the city, till the taxi ride is less than 6usd with a little negotiation. I'm staying at the brand new Holiday Inn on the main avenue of the city. This would be my last really comfortable stay for a little while. Not much in the hotel, and reception advise me that walking around, even at night, is truly safe.



Tomorrow, I have to be at 11am at the train station, so I decide to go for a late evening walk. The hotel is a good kilometer from the Caspian Sea. Kids and young couple walk the street, lovely evening. They have few open restaurants and bars along the seaside...but all are closing pretty soon. So I walk around for a good hour. The place is basically run down communist era buildings, and brand new huge villa....with zero sex appeal! I finally settle for a terrace next to the hotel, and in bed just past midnight. Don't think I would survive here for three days!



Next morning my idea was to take a taxi to visit few of the necropolis around the city. Yes, it seems the things to visit around here....are cemeteries! I decide first to walk back to the seaside. Bad timing, by the time I get back to the hotel, I found out that finding a taxi could be a little more challenging than I thought....and I have a train to catch.



Well, the necropolis would have to do without me....my train will not wait for me! The train station is 12km out of the city center. I go shopping for food and drinks first. I'm taking two rides. I first have a train to Beyneu, than another one crossing the border all the way to Kungrad in Uzbekistan.
Total traveling time, 28 hours, including a transfer of 4-5 hours in Beyneu.



My first train has comfortable 4 berths compartment. I find myself with two ladies and their two children. The train is packed, so I'm more than happy to have booked my tickets few days ago. I would find out in Beyneu that there are also two Aussies on the train. They are traveling all the way from Europe to China by bicycle. But they push a little faster crossing this huge desert. They bought their ticket at the station. Paid 50% more than my ticket, but the only things left were the cheapest class on both trains. SoI'm glad I did a little planing ahead.



No restaurant on these trains. But the train stop every few hours, and local ladies will settle a little market by the train at every stop. I would discover the local beer at one stop, going very well with these mantis, some kind of local pelmenis/dumplings. There was also some less appealing food, and why not some fermented camel milk. I have to admit, I'm not that adventurous when it comes to some local food.



The train was old stock sovietic style. But it was clean and rather comfortable. We made it just before midnight to Beyneu. The station was packed.....full blow midnight market in action too, with any kind of food you want to buy. My next train has only third class bunks as well as basic seating. I've got a bunk, but this place is just packed, and not really cold. The border with Uzbekistan is just few kilometers away. It would take us a good 4 to five hours more just to cross...more about this on my next entry! The Aussies are on the same train, but I would not see them anymore....around here, you don't see that many foreigners!



Uzbekistan....I'm coming!

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