Kazakhstan - Kyrgyzstan

Current location: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

So we made it into Kazakhstan! For the first time in 2 months we could no longer amuse ourselves with our favourite joke of all; 

“Any preference for dinner?”

“Hmmm…..shall we get a Chinese?”

Our first few hours spent cycling into Kazakstan were positively wild and wonderful. As is so often the case when I cross a border, it seems every movement, activity, fauna, flora becomes an especially exciting one;

“Wow, look at the trees, these aren't just any trees, these are Kazakh trees!”

But cycling into Kazakhstan really did open the door to change. I had entered into a whole new chapter on my global odyssey, Central Asia; a region comprising of a multitude of post Soviet republics and consequently a place rich in Russian culture. The Chinese language I had become so used to was instead replaced by a mix of Kazakh and Russian, I exchanged my final Yuan notes for the local currency Tenge, and the convenience stores once stuffed with vacuum packed chickens feet were instead filled with bread, cheese, chocolate, biscuits - typical of what might be seen in a european store. This side of the border I was observing a noticeable change in ethnic groups too with Russian, Kazakh, Uzbek, Ukrainian racial themes taking precedence- it seemed that this side of the border I was no longer a source of constant inquisitiveness, no, here I was just another one of the gang, amongst this cultural mix of identities. 

Unlike the disciplined ways of China, upon entering Kazakhstan there appeared to be this distinct ‘gung-ho’ approach to life; Clapped out european vehicles gallivanted about the place, road conditions took an immediate downward turn as I bid a fond farewell to the silky smooth highways of China- Kazakhstan appeared to have this distinct rugged, rustic interior to it. 

But for me, the real beauty of this country could be found from its exquisite scenery. The southern parts of Kazakhstan are blessed with stunning vistas of the magnificent Tien Shan mountain range acting as a natural border to neighbouring Kyrgyzstan. These extensive snow covered mountains tower over vast green grasslands below where animals roam whilst men on horseback herd their flocks. I have to admit, pedalling along on a peaceful evening, watching the sunset behind snow capped peaks, whilst horses spectate your rolling wheels, it really does make for some ‘above-average’ pedalling. 

Almaty

Less than a week after crossing the border, we made it into the sizeable city of Almaty- Kazakhstan’s largest city. We enjoyed a brief stay here, kindly hosted by the lovely Brodie family, before my loyal wingman, George, and I parted ways as he returned back to Shropshire whilst I continued my two wheeled adventure alone- Though, having left Almaty, I wasn't alone for long; the following evening after a long ride away from the city, I was kindly invited to stay in the home of a local Kazakh family. Refusing to accept that a tent was any kind of suitable sleeping environment for a lone girl, they insisted I spend the night with them. Here I was welcomed into their small rustic home where an entire buffet was laid out for me and comfy mattress set up for my nights kip. 

- There is no denying that I have just entered into a particularly male dominated part of the world here and to an extent I have reason to feel more vulnerable cycling alone here than in other parts of the world, but at the same time, as is becoming so often the case (in the above instance for example), I cant help but feel that the world is keeping an eye out for me; Its far too easy to constantly cast doubt over the safety of certain areas and though Im not naive to the dangers or risks involved in my day to day activities, particularly in places where crime and corruption is such common place, I realise that its important not to allow this to overshadow my trip or to overly dictate my movements. And perhaps this is something we should all consider when embarking on travels- Try not to allow media coverage to taint your opinion too much on a place, nor should you solely rely on 'official travel guidance’ to determine your travel choices- go out, explore and find out for yourself. Its probably not all that bad……the world is full of kind, caring people. 

Kyrgyzstan

So, after a brief stay in Kazakhstan, it wasn't long before I crossed the border into Kyrgyzstan and eventually into the lively bohemian city of Bishkek. Here I will spend the coming week organising my visa for Uzbekistan….and when I'm not doing that, i’ll be hunting down this fella ‘Stan’- he’s so famous?!

China (Part 2)

9600miles, 7 months on ‘the road’ 

So George and I have successfully completed our rolling jaunt across China. Over the past month we have pedalled west across the country following the decaying remains of The Great Wall until we reached its final outpost far in the dusty plains of The Gobi. We then went on to explore the ‘Singing Sand Dunes’ on the eastern rim of the Kumtag Desert before descending our way into the Volcanic lands of the Turpan depression. Finally we passed through the landmark location of Urumqi- the most remote city from any sea.

Wind

This region of China was a windy one. Wind dominated our days cycling dictating our mood, our alarm call, our speed, our progress…..our kite flying ability. Arid desert regions have this habit of generating huge forces of air, so often right in your face, which doesn’t bode well with riding a bicycle. But this is a feature which China appear to have exploited quite significantly, because vast wind farms became common place along our route. So often we would pedal our way to the brow of a hill only to look out at a sea of large-scale fans dominating every inch of our view- this became a clear indication that life was about to take a more turbulent turn. On some days we could barely turn the pedals of our two wheeled steeds, battling against its sheer force. It was positively exhausting stuff and however hard Celine Dion insisted her ‘heart would go on’, I wasn't entirely confident mine would….

   On some occasions you reach such a level of frustration, you find yourself on the verge of yelling at this unrelenting element to just ‘calm down’ for 5 minutes; “Oh will you just settle down. Whats with all this explosive anger?! Jeez, ‘chillax’, grab a drink, take yourself on a spa weekend….just stop taking it out on us”- having since built a better understanding of the relationship between desert regions and atmospheric process’s, it seems that the wind isn’t all that comparable to people after all, thus my words were probably wasted there…..

  

But of course, its worth mentioning that winds do turn, thus we have also had the luxury of steaming along effortlessly on some days, clocking off the miles barely working a muscle- on these days, I often find myself quietly complimenting my performance, complimenting my dramatic overnight improved fitness as I casually cruise along at 25mph…..choosing to ignore the rocket powered wind driving my back tire. 

Turpan- life in the oven

Reaching the raisin capital of Turpan was a joy, not just because raisins make the ideal addition to a muesli mix, but because at just 34m above sea level, during the spring and summer months this region warms up into a bubbling basin of intense heat (so often nicknamed the ‘oven’ of China). In fact, the 20/03/15 has actually become somewhat of a milestone date on our trip- we still talk about it today- ‘The Great Thaw’; the day we took off our jackets, the day the birds tweeted, the day we felt our toes again -  “This is it” we cried, “Spring has arrived”, “Its here!”, “Praise the Lord”…..before donning our gospel robes and breaking into song (well that parts not strictly true… it was far too warm to be wearing robes) 

Though this was undoubtedly premature celebration for the following few weeks happened to hand out yet another bout of snowy weather. Oh China, you tease…

Desert living

Cycling across stretches of far north western China through vast open desert lands, along dull dusty plains, endless regions of emptiness- there are undoubtedly moments when you’re led to feel totally disconnected with civilisation, but here in China its really only a matter of time before a bullet train hurries past or a field of cranes huddles in the distance preparing to erect yet another mighty city, or you take in the advanced levels of road infrastructure guiding your wheels- and with this you truly realise that in fact you’re never all that far away from civilisation at all, you’re simply pedalling in a land of nothing but a country with everything.

During some stretches of highway, we passed through deserted small towns, perhaps abandoned to accommodate the greater need of large scale infrastructure, but to us these empty ghost settlements provided us with some first class accommodation. We eagerly jumped off the bikes and pondered our way down the dishevelled streets eyeing up our chosen shelter for the night. Door to door, we fussily weighed up whether we’d be best located in a more established property complete with walls and windows or perhaps we’d be better suited in a property with ‘potential’, ya know, something we could put our ‘stamp’ on (tent in). In the end, we settled on a small semi-detached with ample amounts of natural light (windowless), within an easy commute of the roadside. All in all, a good decision, so much so in fact that it wasn't long after nestling into our abode for the night that, upon hearing footsteps next door, we realised we weren’t alone- slightly alarming since we hadn't noticed any other prospective home owners in town earlier, or anyone for that matter…..

The fuel station

In much the same way as ‘Roadhouses’ became of astronomically huge significance during my time cycling through the lonely desert of outback Australia, the fuel stations along this stretch of uninhabited highway became equally cherished by us. In fact, part of me starts living for the next fuel station (ironically, a place chiefly supplying a substance I definitely don't require on this trip), 110km to go…..65km……30km…..10km (“yay!”). And then we get there, and realise it offers us nothing really, we have all the necessary supplies we require- but you’re in this position where you have stumbled upon a hub of human activity, it would seem reckless to just pedal on by, you just couldn’t. 

Therefore, upon rolling towards the service station, there’s really just the two options to yell across to your pedalling companion. These come in the form of:

“Im just going to nip in and grab a bottle of water” (a.k.a At least a  2 hour break stop, lunch, a nap, 45minutes spent huddling next to the heater….)

Or my personal favourite- the golden words;

“Shall we just have a ‘nibble’?’” 

Now, for those reading where English isn't your first language, the term ‘nibble’ can be a little misleading, because in quite the opposite way to how a little mouse might nibble away at a small block of cheddar, ‘nibble’ perhaps better translates as ‘Im now going to indulge in an obscene amount of food and I'm making no guarantees that i’ll stopping any time soon’

Reaching the border

Our final days spent cycling towards the Kazakhstan border were an exciting few, primarily because we had spent almost 2 months riding 3200miles through China, and Kazakhstan represented somewhat of a ‘finish line’ for us, but also because we had settled into life in this country, the dynamics of society, the way of life had become familiar to us and though we loved our time here lapping up the dramatic scenery, absorbing this rich mix of cultures and enjoying the welcoming, kind, hospitable delights of the Chinese people, we were excited to see what the road ahead entailed. 

Border towns in particular fascinate me- this mismatch of people, languages, the hustle and bustle of movement to and from the border, busy transport systems, families laden with vast packs of goods from the bustling border markets, cars stuffed with every household item you can imagine, men with wads of cash eager to exchange currency- you’re not quite here but you’re not quite there- you’re revved up for change- pushing that door ajar into your onward journey! For us, Kazakhstan!