What an amazing, but hot and tiring week we’ve had! The cops have stopped us too many times to mention, we’ve seen our first herds of camels, the inevitable first puncture has occurred (while we were in the Kazakh desert), and we have met the most amazing people this week. Fellow travellers and the wonderful Luda outside Astrakhan. It all feels a bit more tangible now. We explored Astrakhan last Friday and ended up parking in the city’s stadium car park. After wandering around town and taking in the sights of the mighty River Volga, we returned to an absolutely heaving car park, and luckily the truck wasn’t blocked in! It turned out there was a football match on (we think Vologograd Vs Astrakhan), but luckily the car park had emptied again by dusk. The not so good bit, was sudden screeching of tyres and loud thumping music after it got dark! A scene from the ‘Fast & the Furious’ was happening right out of the window when Ed took a sneaky peek outside. Needless to say, we didn’t get much sleep that night. Worst still, no sign of the police turfing the youngsters off, but as soon as morning came; the police turfed us off, and I was only just getting up!... Probably not the best choice of camp spot… On the positive side however, we learned from the Police that the Kazakh border was open on Sundays, so we were determined to cross as soon as possible. On Saturday, we had to make sure we had plenty of water, food and diesel for the road to Kazakhstan and on into Khiva in Uzbekistan (basically a few hundred miles of desert). We found food and diesel easily enough, but water was a problem. Outside Astrakhan (after another police stop), Ed decided to pull into a small café that had a couple of HGVs outside to enquire about water. Sure enough, they had a well, and the lady in charge of the café (Luda) offered us her hose and we filled up the tank. While the tank was slowly filling, we attempted to chat with Luda. She was so wonderful to us and invited us into the café, bringing us tea and pancakes with yoghurt. Then she sat with us and we had lots of fun trying to communicate, as our Russian is non-existent and Luda’s English was basic. It was hard work but all done with smiles. Amidst the miss-communication, we learned that Luda was actually Ukrainian (from Odessa) and her husband was Russian and worked in Astrakhan. We chatted for a little while, about our trip and then I tried to explain that I was a twin, much to Ed’s amusement….. With some pen and paper and dodgy hand signals, Luda finally understood, and told me that her sister lived in Kaliningrad and consequently they didn’t see each other very often. When the tank was full, we tried to pay Luda for the water, tea and pancakes, but she didn’t want anything from us. Instead, she sweetly wished us a good trip to Kazakhstan, and if we came back via Astrakhan again, we should come and have food with her. It was a rewarding experience for us both and suddenly the trip felt alive and meaningful. This was what it was all about for us. Saturday night we found a lovely spot along one of the tributaries of the Volga. The locals were herding their cows along the river bank and it was a peaceful sight. Unfortunately, right next to the river, we fed the mosquitos. It was a muggy night and the weather was definitely getting warmer. We were up early on Sunday, with less than a one hour drive to the border. It turned out to be a relatively easy one, and only taking 2.5hrs. Whilst queuing on the Kazakh side, amusingly, one of the officers wanted to get in the truck cab. He sat in the driver’s seat next to me and beeped the horn a few times, but stopped sharpish when an official looking car drove past! Also his features were decidedly Central Asian (Kazakh) and not Russian. We had noticed the transition from Volgograd. Once we had crossed the Russian barrier, a very tall border guard (who spoke English) directed us through and speeded us ahead of everyone else. Again, more forms to fill out, passport control, customs and stamps. The truck was checked over, but only briefly. It was all made very easy for us and everyone was lovely. On the Kazakh side, another really nice border guard (with a half bitten off ear) was prioritising families with children, and he kindly took us to the desk of one of the officers that spoke English. Ashamedly, we were prioritised seemed to be prioritised again (being tourists) and bypassed a queue of locals, who didn’t look very happy with us… We felt guilty, but elated to have crossed into Kazakhstan so quickly. It was much easier to get into Kazakhstan than into Russia and we had made it into Central Asia at last! Across the border, all the women had their faces covered with scarves (likely to do with the dusty salty environment and not for religious reasons), but it made for an intimidating initial impression of Kazakhstan. Ed had to get the motor insurance, but as soon as we had crossed the border, we were bombarded with women (their faces covered} trying to sell us Tenge (Kazakh currency). Luckily, they were all genuinely helpful, and we managed to get some Tenge and the motor insurance straight away. So onward we went into Kazakhstan! Wahoo! The road from the border was horrendous. The worst we have been on so far, and we were on it at least 10 hrs, getting bumped around in the heat on route to the next major town; Atyrau. But it didn’t matter. The scenery and wild life was totally unexpected and absolutely wonderful. There had been rain the few days previous, and spring had come to Kazakhstan. I was expecting harsh bleak desert with grim oil fields, as western Kazakhstan is home to the Tengiz oil field (the largest on-land field in the country), but I couldn’t have been more wrong. We did see some small scale oil extraction, but we also saw fields of green scented herbs, bright red poppies, herds of cows (nibbling the poppies), and hundreds of horses and camels wading in the newly filled ponds and lakes created by the spring rains. We passed one such pond and it had about 200 frogs in it with their heads poking out of the water, ribbeting away. We saw an eagle (possibly a steppe eagle), bee-eaters (they flew right in front of the truck and flashed their green and orange feathers at us, it was fantastic). We also spotted several hoopoes, crested sky larks, yellow wagtails and one bird (that looks like a mini turkey – we have no idea what it is). Also we have loved the cows and camels crossing the road, and even more sweet, the marmots. We have seen lots of them poking their heads out of the sand. They are too quick to get a photo of though! Oh and ground squirrels. We have seen a few of those too. When we entered Kazakhstan, I never expected to be on safari, but it has felt like we were. Truly unforgettable. So after a lot of bumpy roads, we made it to Atyrau by Monday lunchtime, after an overnight spot in the middle of the Kazakh desert. The landscape is so flat, and there is no where to hide really. That particular night I didn’t sleep very well. On Monday we had to drive south-east to a town called Beyneu, close to the Uzbek border. It was a long way, and the temperature seemed to be going up and up. After Atyrau the roads improved immensely and we were basically flying over newly lain tarmac most of the way. The landscape however, became more desert like and we said goodbye to the shallow wetland areas and hello to crispy salt pans. We were still surprised however, to see so much green including a strange looking mini-tree like plant with red berries, that appeared to be growing out of a cabbage! It turned out to be some form of wild rhubarb (we later learned). We ate up the miles on Monday, and then – disaster! On Monday afternoon, Ed heard a hissing sound, and sadly the back passenger side tyre was deflating rapidly. We had a flat! My heart sank… Luckily it wasn’t too late in the day, and there was enough day light left to change it and hopefully not end up stranded by the roadside. Ed pulled over straight away, and was pleased that it was ‘just’ a flat tyre and not something worse (like a big air leak from the brakes)! In fact, neither of us panicked. We locked up the cab and I grabbed more water and some sweeties from the back of the truck. Ed managed to jack up the truck easily enough and knock the tyre off without it falling on him. Unfortunately, we had pulled over on an uneven surface, so the truck had to be jacked up even more. When the tyre, the rim and inner tube was finally off, Ed found the culprit; a piece of steel rebar had punctured through the tyre and the inner tube….. Ed needed to change the inner tube and then hopefully we could get moving again. I did my best to help pass him tools and hold the tyre. I fed him sweets and doused him with water (it was a hot afternoon), and after about 2.5hrs, Ed was pumping up the tyre and we were packing up, ready to hit the road again. Ed was mighty pleased with himself and had been my hero (as usual). He had only changed one of the truck tyres on one previous occasion over a year ago, and apparently you need a college course under your belt to change one of these bad boys if you worked in a garage in Blighty. Mental note. Always travel with Ed everywhere, as he seems to know everything….. except maybe Disney films, of which he knows nothing. So tyre sorted, everything seemed positive again, except we were in the middle of the Kazakh desert and the sun had nearly set, and we hadn’t seen many places to get off the road and park up for the night. We ended up driving in the dark for a little while. Something we agreed we would never do, but we couldn’t just stay in the road as there was no real layby, and it wouldn’t be safe. Eventually, we found a patch of sand just off the road that would be ideal (what we saw of it in the dark). There was a gentle downward slope, allowing us to hide (a little) into the landscape. So finally we settled down for the night with the sound of crickets chirping outside. It felt like we were in Provence on a warm summer’s night, and not in the Kazakh desert in spring. All very relaxing. On Tuesday morning, in the daylight, we woke and realised we had actually parked next to a camel skeleton! It was quite spectacular actually, the skull had managed to migrate about 3 meters from the body and I took the opportunity to get an epic photo with Barney bear looking on (see in pics). Also, as Ed was getting out of the truck, suddenly another overlander was pulling up alongside us! It was two vehicles from a Dutch Convoy, and they had spotted us from the road. They’re names were Jeroen, Jolande and Virginia, travelling in a 4 wheel drive MAN, and another van was with them (a 4x4 Mercedes Sprinter) driven (alone) by a courageous older lady. We all chatted for nearly an hour. It was great – we were basically doing a very similar trip and got to share our experiences so far and information. We also exchanged numbers and promised to update each other with regards to border crossings and potential problems along the route. Then we waved good bye and drove to Beyneu – the last major Kazakh town before the Uzbek border. Beyneu was a bustling Steppe town and it was market day when we accidently drove down the main street (missing the turning to the Kazakh border). It did give us opportunity to get more diesel however, where we bumped into the Dutch Convoy again, who were doing the same thing. Jeroen pointed us in the correct direction to Kazakhstan! From Beyneu to the border, the roads were grim. Ed had to off road onto the sand a few times, and the early section of the road was so thread bare that the steel gridded rebar was poking through the tarmac, and we didn’t want another puncture! So even though we got up quite early on Tuesday – we didn’t get to the Kazakh border until 5pm. It was also the hottest day so far and we were sweating buckets…. Ed had measured 37 degrees on the temperature monitor inside the truck when we stopped for lunch…. Hot hot. Finally we made it to the Kazakh Uzbek border around 5pm. However there appeared to be a long queue, with lorries on the left and cars on the right. It took us about an hour to realise (with the help of some Uzbeks trying to cross) that tourists didn’t have to queue. Embarrassingly, Ed checked and the information was correct. We drove passed the queue, which we learned was a 3 day wait (!), and got into Kazakh / Uzbek space straight away feeling very sheepish, but relieved not to have to wait 3 whole days.. OMG. Unfortunately on the Uzbek side, only 3 cars per hour were being allowed through. It was carnage and the sun would be setting soon…. We prepared ourselves for a long night. In no mans land – Ed spotted a Land Rover camper. The border guard indicated that we should join the lorry queue, so we parked up and went to say hello to the fellow overlanders as we had time on our hands. It was so hot, everyone was out of their cars milling around. People were selling drinks, cigarettes and bread, and the atmosphere seemed quite relaxed considering. If this was the U.K it would be pandemonium. It turned out that the Land Rover was occupied by two Germans (Dagmar and husband Klaus) and we marvelled, as we had been on the road for 4 weeks now, and met no-one doing the same trip as us, but in one day we had met two overlanders and we were all doing similar trips. They were a lovely couple, middle-aged and were taking the long queue in their stride. We chatted for a while until the sun went down and Dagmar and Klaus told us that they had been at the border since early this morning and hardly had moved. Also the queue they were in was two cars wide, and about 10 cars long. We only had about 4 trucks in front of us. Inevitably (due to the length of a HGV), the truck queue moved a lot faster than the cars….. In the end we waved goodbye to Dagmar and Klaus and finally made it into Uzbekistan at 12.45am, where we immediately parked up for the night and went to sleep. The whole crossing took us just under 7hrs. We felt really terrible for making the crossing before Dagmar and Klaus, but it was because we were too wide for the car wheel wash just before the crossing…. We had to go through the truck wheel wash, so thank heavens for being in a truck. For Dagmar and Klaus they didn’t make it until 6am and their entire border crossing took 24hrs. We felt awful, and guilty for all the people that would be waiting 3 days. It was unthinkable in the heat. A lot of the people trying to cross were foot passengers and they had no where to sit and no where to go. Grim. The actual Uzbek side was ‘again’ easy once we got there. Everyone was really helpful to us – even though it was very late at night…. Again we were prioritised as tourists. On the downside, Ed had to pay $400 import tax for bringing the truck into the country (which he was expecting). If you were in a car you didn’t have to pay this…. So that thought made us feel a bit less guilty for jumping a three day queue…. So the following morning (Wednesday) after 5 hrs sleep, meters from the Uzbek border, we celebrated being in Uzbekistan, and it brought a tear to my eye. It was the first country on our list that Ed had been most excited to get to and we had finally made it!... Looking ahead, we had a 1.5 day drive through the Uzbek desert to get to Khiva, our first city on the historic silk road and finally we could relax, and stop driving, as we had been almost flat out since leaving Europe behind 10 days previous. The north-western Uzbek desert was much harsher than what we had experienced in Kazakhstan. There was very little to see except flat sand scapes, although there was a flourish of wild rhubarb until about 100km from the border and the occasional bird or camel. It was extremely hot and the roads were horrendously bumpy for about 50km from the border. Also we were now using GPS to figure out where we were and there were virtually NO road signs at all!, so we had to keep pulling over to check our position on the laptop as the truck was bouncing around too much to read the map in transit. We made it just outside the Uzbek Republic’s Capital (Nukas) on Wednesday night and found somewhere to pull in; a designated parking area next to a quiet road. It was so hot in the truck, that when we came to shower, the water in the tank was warm, and for the first time on the trip, I didn’t have to boil a kettle to wash (yes… Ed has still not plumbed in the hot water). The following morning (Thursday), the scenery became greener as we passed through villages that were irrigated from channelled streams (that should have been feeding the shrinking Aral Sea). It was odd to see a village, verdant like an oasis, and then a few miles out of town, more harsh salty desert. It was lovely however, to see people with horse and cart, or donkey and cart, travelling up the road and mud huts with perfectly tended vegetable plots in the gleaming sunshine. The real people of Uzbekistan. The cops stopped us a couple of times on Thursday, but Ed revelled in it. He loved chatting with everyone he met, even the traffic cops, and they were all wonderfully friendly, and one chap even saluted Ed as we drove passed! They stop people at random, and the truck stands out a mile, so it was never a frightening thing to be pulled over as it became a daily exercise. They just want documents and a chat really. So far we have not been fleeced by any corrupt cops during the entire trip (crossing fingers). What was becoming a problem however was diesel, or lack thereof. We had heard rumours at the border that there was no diesel in Uzbekistan, but we didn’t believe it. We were carrying a full capacity (over 500 litres) when we left Kazakhstan, so we werent too worried. However, the previous day we had seen at least 10 petrol stations and none of them had Diesel, accept one before and after Nukas, but there were massive queues for both, so we didn’t stop. However, on Thursday afternoon, not too far from Khiva, we pulled into one of the 'empty' stations as there was a HGV parked up. Ed got out and enquired about diesel and the few men hanging around there shook their heads. Before Ed got back in the truck however, one of the younger lads chased after him and said he knew where to get some diesel. He came in the truck with us and we drove a few minutes down the road, down a small street. It turned out to be his dad that had some diesel. He brought it out in a large blue barrel and Ed sniffed it. We later learned that this is how you buy diesel in Uzbekistan.... on the black market. It even is confirmed in out Bradt Guide, when I got round to reading it! Basically the country gets delivered diesel and all the locals buy it and stock up on it, as deliveries are not regular. They pay the actual price, and then people like us, pay double what they have paid (from them). But it's still cheap by U.K standards! In Kazakhstan the diesel was 30p per litre, and we expected as much in Uzbekistan. On the black marker (a side street near Khiva) we paid 70p per litre. The problem was we didn't know what quality we were getting. It sounds crazy, but this was the only way to get diesel in Uzbekistan! So down the side street, Ed agreed to buy 100 litres. I got out of the truck too, and it was all quite a casual atmosphere. Five other lads had come to watch and they were more interested in the truck than the diesel transaction. Amusingly, one of them looked like an Uzbek Tom Cruise and he told me that he wanted to go to the U.K... or that is what I gathered as no one really spoke any English. Another quirky thing about Uzbekistan is that the currency (Uzbek Som) is ridiculous. Twenty Pounds of Uzbek Som looks like you have robbed a bank. Its a massive wad of cash. Everyone has bulging pockets and Ed is constantly counting out money. This made the road side diesel transaction even more hilarious, as Ed got out a lunchbox size wad of notes, but it turns out they preferred US dollars instead. So diesel tank 'replenished' we made it to Khiva. We have to register that we are in Uzbekistan (as tourists) or we are subject to hefty fines, although the Uzbek border guard told us it was not necessary if we were going to Tajikistan. Well we didn’t want to risk it, so oncin Khiva, we entered into the old walled city when the shadows were lengthening and the sun was reflecting a warm sumptuous glow over the spectacular buildings, in search of somewhere to register. We passed into the city, beyond the 7m thick mud walls from the North Gate and wandered for a bit, then out of the West Gate, so a quick glimpse in the evening sunshine. I have to say, Khiva is stunning. All the Madrassa’s, Mosques and Minarets are clad in aquamarine, turquoise, royal blue and dark green ceramic tiles and they glint in the sun like jewels. We tore ourselves away from the old city and beyond the West Gate spotted a Guest House (Alibek). Ed noticed a green Toyota Land Cruiser (another overlander) parked outside, so we guessed they were registering too, so we popped in the guest house and they said we could register but we would have to pay for the room. We ended up staying there two nights. They were a lovely family. We also made friends with the Belgium inhabitants of the Toyota called Raf and Leen, and we had dinner with them on Thursday evening (Plov) and then we bumped into them a lot over the following 48hrs as they were also enjoying Khiva or the shade from the Guest House balcony. After dinner, Ed went to grab something from the truck and then lo and behold, there was Dagmar and Klaus.They had made it to Khiva too. We invited them (and Raf and Leen) into the truck and we all enjoyed the Champagne that Ed and I had been saving for such a special occasion. It was lovely. Then, a French man called Phillip (who Ed and I had spotted taking photos in the City earlier) joined in, as he had spotted us all in the truck. He was a travel photographer and his journey was by motorcycle and sounded utterly epic…. He wanted to be the first motorcyclist to journey in summer and winter in Aisa, Russia and Siberia. So we crammed two Germans, two Belgians, a French man and me and Ed into the truck! It was hilarious. :P On Friday morning, we got up at 5.30am to watch the sun rise over Khiva and enjoy the city on our own. It was very special. Then, later in the midday sun, we enjoyed Khiva again when it was bustling, and also again later in the evening – one last time. Saturday morning, we said goodbye to our hosts at Alibek and to Leen and Raf who were heading into the desert. We took the south-eastern road out of Khiva through fantastic oasis and desert scenery, and at one point (after another police stop) the road and the railway track became one and the same! Also the most amazing wildlife spectacle. Alongside a river channel (on a very bumpy road towards a beautiful Uzbek village called Pitnak) we happened upon a sand martin 'hive' of sorts. A sandy bank was dotted with hundreds of small holes, each home to a sand martin, and they came whipping out in their hundreds looking for insects - right next to truck. To add the splendid scene - several bee eaters were also joining in. It was wonderful to behold. Finally, we got onto the main highway to Bukhara. It was a very hot, windy day and part of the highway was being stolen by the desert, with sand encroaching either side of the road. It was definitely a sight. That night, we paid a farmer 6000 Uzbek Som to park outside his house, as oppose to in the desert, and today we have made it to Bukhara. It is now Sunday night and we are staying in a hotel right in the centre of the city. We were only here 30 minutes and we met an English lad called James (from High Wycombe) who is cycling from the U.K to Shanghai. We just had dinner with him (and Raf and Leen; the Belgians, as they just turned up too). Tomorrow we will soak up the sights of Bukhara (wish you were here mam and dad), and then on Tuesday we will drive north to see how the Uzbek pottery and ceramics are still made, before driving to Samarkand. By the end of this week we should be crossing into Tajikistan. The Silk road cities are beautiful. You can imagine Persia in it's hayday.... What has also struck me is that the garb of the ancient Persians is exactly how we imagine a wizard to dress, with the sun and the moons embroidered onto their silken cloaks. They were the early scholars of the world, and you can imagine it, sitting across from the impressive buildings. They even sell little brass aladdins lamps. Ed hates tat, but I am thinking of buying one, though after the last month or so, I don't need my three wishes.... Happy and content. Lots of Love Roslyn & Ed.
3 Comments
Emma Shiells
5/12/2014 05:45:10 am
Such beautiful words Ros, I feel like I'm living a small part of your journey every time I read one of your (epic) blog posts. It sounds like you're both having such an amazing, may the people & the road continue to protect and be kind to you both. Sending lots of love and hugs, Ems xxx
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Lucy, Neil & Bella
5/21/2014 01:44:36 am
Ros your writing is wonderful, we enjoy everything you write, several times over sometimes! Thank you for letting us all know how you're going. It brought a tear to my eye this one!
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Emma Duckett
5/26/2014 05:37:13 am
Wow Ros and Ed, I'm so very happy that you are having such an amazing and fantastic time, I hope that your fabulous journey continues with just as much fun! x x x
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AuthorRos: Both Ed and I will be updating the diary blog as much as possible! WTS. Archives
September 2014
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