Picture Gallery - images of trip - KAZAKHSTAN
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KAZAKHSTAN : Images from left to right:
NORTHERN KAZAKHSTAN - In northern Kazak the steppes stretch away to the horizon and all you can see is grain fields!!! Old Harvesters worked the fields just down from our camp for the night; while a short time later two old guys in a horse and cart loaded with grass came by. Like Russia, there were a lot of small wooden houses in the villages we passed through. Again some were painted in bright blue, or green; Across the dry steppes in southern Kazakhstan - the old Silk Road passed through here following the great rivers.
We came across this great little roadside stall selling kebabs, vodka & beer, along with tea. Run by two young brothers - Sag' (he youngest) spoke pretty good English and as we stopped welcomed us in English. He offered us Chia (tea) and kebabs and then we found out he also had beer and vodka in a cooler. It was a done deal. Gay & Viv opted for a nice cup of tea.
The roads were pretty awful. When we had bitumen you spent most of your time dodging enormous potholes, and when the bitumen finally got so bad and turned to utter shit, you left the road with everyone else and choose one of the many sandy, dusty side tracks.
We stopped at Aral'sk and found our way into the market place that was still pretty busy even though it was about 11am. Brought some fresh fruit and vegetables in the market and then found the ‘butcher' shop.
Went and had lunch down by what had once been the edge of the Aral Sea and a busy fishing port. Now dry as a bone, with old cranes, disused factories and a couple of old fishing vessels all that left to show for what was once a very prosperous town; Road north of Aral is nothing more than a choice of tracks across desert; Fire Engine on duty, Kazak style.
Pushed south east across flat country where once you were away from the irrigated fields it was dry desert country – like Oz - to the large town of Turkistan. We found our way to the Mosque and mausoleum of Kozha Akhmed Yasaui, the first great Turkic Muslim holy man and an important pilgrim site that attracts between 2,000 and 10,000 people every day. Three visits here equals one to Mecca by all accounts!
We stayed overnight in a hotel in Turkistan and had a good meal in the hotel . Our vehicles were of much interest to some of the local young boys; As we passed out of there was a fine tree-lined boulevard and then a great monument to the Old Silk Road – it was a beauty!
As we came into Shymkent we met Vitaliv Aliev as we stood on the side of the main road into Shymkent trying to figure out how we could get to find the Immigration Police. A keen four wheeler, in the local 4wd club and an auto spare parts saleman, he was very generous with his time and took us to the Immigration Police. From there he took us a small café where we had a delicious lunch of rice and beef (plov) and pots of delightful tea; Check out Rod & Ron pouring TEA!!!; the girls buying watermelons from the side of the road (they are everywhere). A camp in the desert – no hiding here.
Kazak nomad cattlemen are famed horsemen - and friendly; at another camp we had this horseman go by with his cattle so we offered him some bread and other bits of food – he was very happy to show off his horse. Village family shifting hay for winter.
The large city of Almaty was our next stop. It sits at the bottom of the Malaya Almatinka Valley and the Tian Shan mountains. It was once the capital. We meet up with the local ARB lads who were extremely helpful in doing some repairs and service to the trucks, as well as acting as guides and taking us up the cable car to the top of Green Hill and then for a drive up the mountains past the Chimbulak ski resort.
Gay finally got to post off her postcards which she has had since Moscow – she was so excited, now maybe she'll finally stop going on about finding a post office!!! Our very traditional dinner at a very famous local Kazak restaurant that the ARB boys took us to – how much meat can you eat!!! Our vehicle outside the ARB store/complex in Almaty.
Our vehicle outside the ARB store/complex in Almaty.
Alex (from ARB) and his wife, Oxsana and kids took time out to take us out into the mountains for a couple of days and show us some of their favourite country. Alex and his wife Oxsana stop off at some of the roadside stalls that line the roads out of Almaty to get some wonderful watermelons. We really enjoyed trip and the scenery was nothing short of spectacular. Our first stop was the Charyn (Sharyn) Canyon – an impressive mini Grand Canyon.
After the canyon, we headed to the man-made dam at Bartoghay. Alex took us through the tunnel at the dam wall to the river below where you could watch the water spewing out of the two sluice chutes in a thick arching plume of water – very impressive. Camp was back on the dam and a very pleasant spot, even though lacking shade.
The drive the next day took us past some amazing scenery like these colourful, weathered rock formations.
The trail climbs steadily from the dam and it becomes very dry and barren mountain desert country down low. Stopped on a ridge line at about 1700 metres where a spring was running crystal clear water into a few stock troughs. A nomad was there with his flock of sheep, goats and a few cattle and his wife – their camp was a short distance away.
This is one way to move house – an old truck is packed with all the belongings and ‘yurt' or Kiiz-uy (house) of a nomad herdsman, heading to new grazing ground.
As we continued the countryside became greener and more pleasant. We came to a top section of valley with a fine stream running through it. We stopped for a long lunch and afternoon break right beside the river, on a flat piece of grassy verge just below a low cliff. This was where we left the others to head back into Almaty to try and fix the overheating problem on our Patrol.
This beautiful, broad valley, 200km east of Almaty, is an age old summer pasture for herds and herdsmen and we saw really bigs herds of animals – sheep, goats, cattle and lots of horses. There were lots of ‘kiiz-uy' tents dotted along the valley, such as this.
Headed out of Almaty, north towards the Russia Border. Past these trucks which were fully loaded with hay. Our ‘windy' camp – a peaceful place in the evening before the wind storm hit. Gay doing a little hand washing – she doesn't look very comfortable. Harvesting the huge fields of grain/grass with the Chinese Border just over the mountains.
Past through lots of large fields of grain and saw many remnants of old hoppers such as this. A Muslim cemetery on the side of the road – we'd passed lots of them, but this was by far the most colourful. A typical street in a Russian village, this one we passed as we headed towards the border. The last town and a chance go get rid or what Kazak money we had left. These young lads were keen to sell us yet another watermelon.
Back into Russia – Siberia Russia!!
