Blogs from Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan, Asia

Yes, I spent 36 hours in the train! It was a comfortable train with berths to sleep on, including their linen, blankets and pillows. The people I met in the train, from my own compartment and also from neighbouring compartments, were very friendly and of course many of them took pictures with me. These people shared their food and drinks with me, even though it was not easy to communicate with most of them. A truly great experience with warm, friendly and hospitable Kazakh people. After 36 hours I arrived in Aralsk and it was around 8am. My guide, Zhasulan, was already waiting at the station and he took me to my home-stay where I took a shower and had a nap on a proper bed. I was treated very well by the family and my ... read more

My plan was to re-join the Silk Road in Southern Kazakhstan / Northern Kyrgyzstan in the city called Taraz. So from Aktobe I had to head Southeast on the M32 to the city of Taraz some 1050 miles away. Yes, Kazakhstan is a very very big country. The car is running smoothly. The thermometer inside the cabin normally reads 45 degrees centigrade. There is no air-conditioning in the vehicle. Ventilation was provided by opening the 2 front windows. I would be sweating all day and my back is always wet from the sweat. If water was not in shortage, I would pour some water onto the footwell and it would evaporate in a few minutes - the footwell was hot. Outside was very hot and dusty. I was breathing in so much dust that slowly but ... read more

Sun 18 and Mon 19 aug 2013 From the hotel car park, I set the SatNav to my next destination Oktyabrsk. After a comfortable night, showered, fed, and a clean supply of clothing, I felt good and ready to move on closer to China. I know now that I am only a few days away from reaching the last country on my long journey. The SatNav took me towards the Northeast direction along the A27. I thought, it will be fine, just another day of driving. Trouble came a few hours later when the tarmac road turned into a dirt track. I thought, there was no need to turn back, the car can handle this sort of off-road driving. Adding to my trouble, it must have rained heavily recently because all the dirt has turned into ... read more

Tuesday 20 May - Toretam to Josali, 88 km My big bag did not turn up in the lorry yesterday, but I found it this morning hidden behind some cardboard in the second lorry for some reason. Had to do some hasty luggage sorting and also get a new chain on my bike before leaving. Claude managed to rip the school gate off with the lorry, not a very good return for their hospitality! Very hot - 42 degrees in the afternoon. I had threequarter trousers and a lo g-sleeved shirt to keep the sun off. At 65 km we stopped for lunch at a museum complex where there was some shade and an icecream seller. The place is a memorial to Korkyt, an ancient thinker, musician and humanist. The museum was small but nice, mostly ... read more

At the outskirts of Kyzylorda we camped at a private compound of an old man sheep herder, we asked permission to stay the night cause we can't find any suitable spot to camp. He agreed and we set our tents up quickly. He joined us a few moments later, ever curious on what we are doing, Sasha asked me if I could spare the Taraz vodka I bought earlier to give to our host, It wasnt a problem to me and so handed him a cup full of vodka and he downed it like it's water! And then some more, he got drunk pretty quickly and got a little bit touchy feely, He talks to me but in Russian so I just stare at him, Sasha said he is taking a liking to me because I ... read more