The crossing (Russia - Khazakstan - Uzbekistan)

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It has been a while since I last updated this thought the very busy schedule and the complete lack of access to internet renders the updating difficult.

Its been a facinating crossing, leaving Russia going through Khazakstan and crossing all of Uzbekistan.

The train journey lasted 46 hours from Astrakhan but it is just a fantastic experience. One dosn't see all that much outside but it is more the life inside the train which makes it so memorable and eventfull. The train left and I travelled with some really funny and entertaining locals most of whom were heading towards Aktau (smallish town). The train stopped all the time and vendors come aboard for a few kilometers before going back down and trying their luck on the next one. They sell of everything, fruits, fish, bread, icecreem, full sized toys telephones and DVD's and natrually a lot of beverages. Therefore in spite there rarelly is an opportunity to stop and take a bit of a walk outside they bring a tremendous atmosphere. The locals, despite no understanding any western language, are hugely entertaining and insist on joining them for their several daily meals. One eats of everything from fermented cheeze to salads passing chicken and a verity of interesting local specialities. The distance was not so great (possibly 1400km) but we stopped in Atyrau for nearly 7 hours averaging temperatures to 39 centigarde at daytime. There are no words to describe the mad vastness of Khazakstan with trully spectacular and undiscribeble bareness but thereby also wilderness. One sees wild horses galopping the area, free and wild running to no aim. Sight coming straight from an american cowboy movie. In the backgroud tall walls of fantastic rock formations with various textures and colourings. The region is very rich with unique rocks thought I was no able to exlpore up close as my plans had to be changed.

Upon arriving in Aktau it seems like the end of the world with adandonned construction sights and piplines rusting along the road. But suddenly the turquoise stunning Caspian sea emerges and in spite the trully unatractive coastal soviet buildings, it impresses idilic scenneries and Mediteranean like luxury. The town is generally unattractive for the Soviet structures and memorials are everywhere. Swiming in the sea was just fun and trully refreshning particularily as I had been told that there where no more available train tickets for the next day onwards (day on which my visa was ending) I was looking towards another 24 hours at least in train.

But as my Uzbek visa was only valid as of a day later I just had to take a chance and hope that the Uzbek authorities would let me through. The train ride was destined Aktau to Kungrad passing by Beyneu. The first strech was possibly the longest I have had to endure. The train was so full that I was condemned to join the 5th class (instead of the normal 3rd) 14 people in a area normally for four or six sepresenting 6m2. Intense. One thoroughly drunk, two others taking some snuff and a few others completely inconsiderate of the remainder. One woman dropped her babby of 1.5m being drunk and a tremendous argument took place. One could say eventfull... Its a great experience thought not necessarilly for the fainthearted.

Beyneu has nothing thought a whole market sets up within ten minutes with people apearing out of no where bringing, sopas, 10kg salt bags, 5kg packets of pasta, any amount of bread and fruits all this merely for the passengers of the train. And all of this at 5 am. Fantastic.

Back on the train I first had to handle the Khazak officals to let me reach the Uzbek border check without yet valid visa but then was told to get off the train once at the Uzbek passport control. They were totally unmoving and were not letting me cross the border by any means. Therefore I had to spend 24 hours in a small barrbed wire confinment until the next day. A really interesting experience. At first they lost sight of me so I took a wonder in this maddly vast desert to first see a few camels up close (of one and two lumps) and appreciate the full extent of this desolation of the little border control. Thought a full dozen military where posted there and an abandoned Gaz factory was in sight but besides abselute desert with not a tree or a weed over 10cm in the surroundings. They were all very friendly and I had lunch and diner with them experiencing what their daly lives must resemble. Just really interesting.

Finally after spending the night in the provided soviet beds I headed onwards to Kungrad. I was even invited to go live stock and bird hunting offer which I swiftly declined. I headed straight to Moynaq where I was intending to spend the night to and appreciate the disaster of the Aral sea. I took a shared taxi with a drunk local that pretended to speak english and was actually really hard to shake off. The taxi driver also tried to demand more money but in my oppinion it was worth it. Arriving the town is a run down, quiet little place where few cars ever go. Stranded ships are lying on the trully dustlike sand with a dozen of them aligned like ready to srping into action. I set up my tent on the desert following a brief wander off and saw a abselutely fantastic sunset. It resulted to be a really cold and rough night (having not taken out my sleeping bag) but its was fantastic.

The next day i took a bus back to Kungrad (95km) with hens and market stock piled all over. Then transferred to another bus (98km) and finally a shared taxi (250km) which resulted to be three. Rather long trip (450km) but blasing accross the complete dryness in the shared taxi at 140 allows to cover some distance. The second taxi was terrifying and broke down three times and in each curve the impression that the wheel would abruptly come off make it a envigorating experience.

Kiva is a quiet fortress model town with renovated sight every where. Its like a life large museum with minarets and facades all over. It is a little too clean in the center part with impeccable streets but its is certainly charming and fantiastic to discover for a full day. From there onwards tourists everywhere meanwhile before litterally none in sight.

I took a shared taxi with a couple of polish to see the so famed forteresses (the golden ring, and supposebly there where meant to be 50 in total thought only 20 or so uncovered). In spite the trully dramatic affect of the draining of the Aral sea cotton production is still predominant along with rice fields. That said, this entire region goes by vast majorty in utter dryness (trully stunning) and abruptly within a few meters either tremendous vegetation or life stripped desert. The forteresses in spite having most been destroyed and crumbled are still very impossing. From varying sizes (10m2 to 160m2) the walls are still standing with their so frail looking structure but evedently the still currently used construction type is weather and time proof. They are really something memorable. We visited another which sits atop a hill with fantastic views and a very very salty like behind. Nearby the UNIESCO sposered some Yurts to be built with possibilites for sleeping, eating and a breif camel ride (we did the latter two). Supprisingly (as they were built to remain permanent, there was not air flow so we enjoyed some hot Chai in a 50c sauna. Actually fun thought a little warm. Water in this region becomes a blessing and I have come to call cold water liquid gold. We covered 350km just seeing the main sight giving emphasis on how spread the sights are. Discovering Kiva is very plesant and inspite the slightly over done centre the extrementies are still very much traditional and locals seeing them perform impressive wood work in their court yards or enjoying some refreshments. The minarerts are tiled to tremendous hights and many bulding structures are supported by impressivelly carved wodden pillars.

The following day took another shared taxi to Bukhara ( are very different town with more spread and possibly more "normal" monument. They are "quieter" than Kiva and is more locals orriented thought new hotels are spring like poppys all over. In the evening I meanwhile I was having diner at the central pound, I was invited to join a nearby table. Within 3 minutes (literally) of rather cryptic attempts to a converstaion they sincerely wanted me to take their there present daughter to Switzerland and to nartually marry her. Took my leave really quickly thought the experience was just really funny. The follwoing day I headed already towards Samarkand some 500km away. Everything is a great distance on European standards thought with straight roads and no so much trafic or stops besides regular Passport controls it goes fairly quickly. For that trip I took a bus which quickly after leaving had a flat tire therefore requiring it to be changed. Sincerely these places are HOT regardless how accustumed or tolerant one is to it and the people are generally strong smokers thought clever seeting enable good access to wind therefore a certain degree of freshness.

Samarkand is as its said "Stuff of legends" thought it takes a little imagination. The three places are on the typical tourist routes therefore inspite of low season (high: Mar-Mai, Aug-Oct) one meets the same people regularily. In samarkand, staying in a really Backpackers B&B was a hub for tourists on longer trip or cyclists (suprisingly many...) on world tours. The shortest tourist were for one month meanwhile another had left his home 16 years earlier. Lots to learn and stroies to hear. Fantastic atmosphere. I wandered off early allowing to see cover distances (sights are spread on about a line of 5km long) and see the further sight. The famous Registan is fantastic, very tall and well restored thought expectations should be lowered to fully appreciate the magnificience of the old constructions. Some are fully restored with golden interieors and even a fupposebly enchanted full tomb of Jade meanwhile others are crumbling but give a more historic impression of time and past fame. Some locations one can easily imagine Alexander the Great discovering the abselute magnificance and vastness of it with triumphant and heavenly splendour. I also went to the local open air pool (with some Dutch) which was fun thought the water of doubious clarity. Fun to see how the locals enjoy the post soviet structures. We also visited the yellow marrmor very rich tomb of Al-Bukharia predominant historical figure in the islamic world. At night these three towns are completely dead with no saoul out leaving the broad avenues or maze-like streets to the stary skies.

Taking the Russian night train onwards to Tashkent was quiet and swift. The capital of Uzbekistan is more lively and more developped city of post Soviet times than the Russian towns with some questionable architectural tastes but many trees and hilly surroundings make is a plesant town. Bazzars and markets are all over and are a lot of fun (accross the whole country). Some are predominantly foods and other China imported products thought all have sworms of people and fantastic displays of products. The spices market in Tashkent is nearly overwhelming in intensity but is trully magnificient. The metro system is possibly one of the greatest soviet contributions to this city with Moscow like stations and impeccable reliability. Many locals are Russians or Khazaks and Russian is the second language.

Now attempting to obtain the Tajik visa to head to the Pamirs on the border of Afghanistan, then north towards hopefully Peak Lenin then onwards throught Krgystan towards China. It might be some time before the next update by I do my best.

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