Friday 15th September – 8.27pm – Charyn Canon, Kazakhstan
“I’ve never been so happy in my life.”
“You’re drunk on wine.”
“No I’m drunk on life.”
“Oh you big fat hippy.”
Vive la Visa Revolution
I’m writing this with our Uzbekistan visas proudly displayed in our passports; so I’m now free to write about the long procedure we had to go through to get it. No possibility of a jinx 😉
Firstly one has to fill in an online form with your details and print off two copies together with two printouts of the photo page in your passport and also provide two passport photos. You then take all of this to the embassy. Easy enough I hear you chorus……
New Friends in Almaty
Driving into the old capital of Almaty after dark was an amazing experience (for me at least) as I got to gaze outside the window at all the sights. The fringes of the city are lined with kebab stalls, fruit markets, small shops and restaurants. Both cars and people mill around in amongst the swirls of smoke coming from the barbecues. In the dark the neon and strip lights also dance in the clouds of smoke creating a scene not dissimilar to a 70’s disco.
Hitchhikers of the World Unite and Take Over
When I was younger I used to hitchhike. At the age of 17 my friend Havana and I spent 10 days hitching from London to Scotland and back again. I’ve hitched from England to the South of France, all over Malta, Holland, Central London and would frequently hitch from my parent’s house in Shaftesbury up to Bath. I loved the randomness of who would pick you up and the stories they would tell. Long distance lorry drivers were particularly good fun as they obviously enjoyed having people to talk with. In all those times I never felt in danger or threatened in anyway whatsoever. It always seemed to me a really great way to travel around….it’s such a shame that, at least in England, it’s a dying art.
Though not in Mongolia and Kazakhstan 🙂
It’s really common to hitch a ride both in the countryside and in the cities. People stand by the side of the road and, rather than a thumbs up, you raise your arm to hip height and (optional) wiggle your hand a tad. If a car wants to pick you up they stop, you tell them where you’re going and, if it’s in the the same direction, they pick you up. The slight difference is that usually a small price is paid for the ride. You might think only people in need of money would pick hitchers up but you regularly see really expensive looking cars drawing up who certainly don’t look like they need some extra cash.
On the way into Almaty on Sunday evening all walks of life were lining the busy road: old, young, families, friends, singletons, smartly dressed folk and not quite so – all catching a ride into town. Another thing to note is that you often see single girls hitching and getting into cars with a single man. So it seems to be a really safe, efficient and economical way to travel around – not least because there’s one less car choking up the roads.
So, in the words of Morrissey…….”unite and take over.”
Two Bottles of Wine and a Squirrel
[Update: As of September 21st, voting in now closed. The winner by a country mile is photo #5 taken by Captain!]
Who knew you could have so much fun with two bottles of red wine and a squirrel?
One of the best things about our trip is just taking one’s time. It’s such a luxury, that in this busy world of ours, we are able to be entertained by a wee squirrel for hours on end! Just sitting quietly watching a squirrel going about its daily business of eating, twitching and darting here, there and everywhere.
We took lots of photographs: each trying to capture the best photo and be crowned ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year.’
Crime and Punishment
Rather ironic, I suppose, that the day I ‘get arrested’ is the day I started reading Dostoevsky’s book. While in Rome and all that…..
The corruptness of the Kazakhstan police is well known among people who travel here; particularly to those that are driving here. And so it was our time eventually came to have a run in with them.
Russia: Altai Photos
Carry on Camping (in a car)
I never went camping as a child. Indeed, to this day I don’t think I’ve ever seen my parents within 50 metres of a tent. I can recall setting up camps in my brother’s and mine bedrooms and the fun that ensued. A few times we even ventured out into the garden with some makeshift tent determined to camp out all night but then getting too scared as darkness drew near and returning indoors to the comforts of our beds.
Festivals, inter-railing, travelling, squatting, passing out on park benches et al soon put a stop to all that and now I really quite enjoy it 🙂
So here are my ‘once was a reluctant camper but reluctant no more’ 21 Top Tips and Equipment for Camping with Your Car:
Red, red wine
I found a shop that sells Chilean red wine. At £3.50, bring it on!!
Russia Route: Stage 4
At the last update we were celebrating Clare’s birthday in style at the Hotel Central in Barnaul, Russia. Unfortunately, one night at the hotel turned into two – I won’t bore you with the gory details, but let’s just say the services of a reliable bathroom were required.
I think we both would’ve liked to stay another two nights in Barnaul, but sadly the budget wouldn’t stretch that far so we set off south for the Kazakh border. The intention was to camp fairly nearby ready to be first in the queue in the morning. As things turned out we didn’t really see anywhere we fancied worth camping so continued into Kazakhstan, crossing the border sometime around 7pm…..
[Stats: On this leg we travelled 1148km and reached a maximum height of 2490m]