Yep there I am in Kazakhstan, fantastic.The stay in Almaty was short, we hooked up with a local Biker, a real biker, for example I just ride a motor bike, by no means am I a biker, these guys were, they ode choppers, I was the only one without a tattoo, leathers, chains, the whole works, lovely people though giving us a bed for our stay in Almaty. For once the visa saga went without a hitch, with Mongol taking a day and and only a transit visa needed for Russia, we had that one in about an hour, then sporting clean underwear it was north toward Russia across a very boring uninteresting landscape of Kazakhstan. It only took us 2 and a bit days to cover the 1500 k’s to the border, so as for Kazakhstan, short sweet, hassle free and no I did not see Borat but I think I may have seen his sister!
Camping in Kazakhstan.
What lays ahead is still a question, well China is the question, I have attempted to get my Chinese visa twice thus far but both times with no success and that goes with many people I have spoke with, China is closed for the moment due to the Olympics, Tibet issues, of course if you have a ticket for the games then sure it is possible but for a smelly traveller like me forget it. Before that anyway it is into Russia and then onto Mongolia-kind of feel like I am headed into a corner, into a very remote corner of the world and then if I get the Chinese visa then I still have to find a way of getting the mother ship over the border and if that happens I then have to try riding it 4500 k's to Loas which is NOT allowed, hmm a challenge lays ahead, if it does not work the options are limited, maybe then I will have to fly from Ulaan Batar to Bangkok over China at of course a very hefty cost. So anyway what ever the case the coming weeks will be exciting and one thing I have learnt is sometimes the impossible is possible!
