ALMATY

Almaty had a cool climate but nothing like China! Of course once leaving the tropics fresh produce is ridiculous to buy from China onwards- especially here! Everything is mighty expensive in Almaty but after leaving the train early 7am with Eugene, he helped me secure a great apartment looking over the Kazakh mountain range. Eugene was going onto his home in Kyrgistan so I was sad to leave him. The supermarkets are saturated with Vodka- never seen so much of it in my life, and it definitely warranted a picture- Truly breathtaking!! Literally!! I felt so blessed to have found such a nice place, and quite reasonable for cost.

Owners of the apartment also took me out for some traditional Kazakh food, which typically consists of meat, lamb and more meat! I pretty much stuck with potatoes, tomato juice and, cheese and bread.

They took me for a drive up to the Kazakh mountains and gave me a tour of the place. Almaty is both poor and rich in parts, and the neighborhood I was put in, was quite well to do, so safety was fine.

I was to wait there for a week or so to get a visa for Uzbekistan, but I enjoyed my time very much. Great to sleep on a flatbed once again!

The Taxi Ride From Hell!! Onto Uzbekistan!

So since I couldnt find a train to go to Uzbekistan immediately after I got my visa in Kazakhstan, and since NO ONE spoke english at the station, and no signs were in English, I found an old man, must be in his late 70′s offered to take me to Tashkent, some 900 miles away.

God how my judgement of this man was poorly!! I will never underestimate an old person for being slow and gentle. This man drove like James Bond, but a drunken James Bond. In fairness the road is beyond SHOCKING. Pot holes litter most of the way and we hit our fair share of them but it didnt change the way the man drove, from one side of the road to another. I knew it would be a blessing if I made it to Tashkent alive because there were a few times where I didnt think it would be possible!!! So these were the conditions of the journey during the daytime. Just times that by 100 for nighttime. It really was a death defying journey. Shockingly dangerous, no lights, no lines, cars flying through the roads wanting to get out of the dark, and pot holes deeper than the Mariana Trench, we have a total of 4 flat tyres, two at the same time! I begged for the driver to slow down but he didnt understand me and frankly I dont think he wanted to. He should have because after that begging thats when we got the 2 flatty’s at once, and he hitch hiked into the nearest town 69 miles away from me. He thrust a knife in my hand and told me to ‘stay put’ in the car with the doors locked. A knife???!!! What the F&^$! Why did I need a knife like that for???!!

Well, I wasnt going to let the dark and bustling of trucks and cars scare me. I got out of the car, ate some snow from the side of the road, and sat on the car watching the soft moonlight cascade over the snowy mountain ridges, listening to dogs and wolves howl.

Maybe two hours later, the driver came back, put the tires on, and off we went for another hour until we got another flat, just outside of a small village town that we were going to stay on for the night. By the end of the night, I was almost an expert at knowing how to change a tyre Lol.

It was 2 am in the morning by the time we made it to this village town, to the place of his sister’s. She graciously woke up, fed us hot bread, potatoes and some meat thing I wouldnt touch, and hot tea/water.

Testing Times in Tashkent!

So the next day from this village town in Kazakhstan, I finally made it in one piece to the border of Uzbekistan. After holding me in the station for the longest time, they finally let me go onto Tashkent. I got a taxi and found a Hotel for a few days, so that I could get my Turkeminstan Visa and move onwards to Iran.

Well, things didnt turn out that way. I would not be issued a Turkmen Visa from Tashkent so I had no choice but to fly to Dubai. The night before I was due to leave for Dubai, I lost my credit card somewhere on the road whilst going out in Tashkent, and for the life of me couldnt find it.

I missed my flight, had no access to money, no where to go, not even enough for a taxi- and taxi to go where??? No where!! The greatest blessing I had was an airport traffic controller coming to me and asking me if I needed help or somewhere to stay- that was Shavkat! Shavkat put me up in his apartment with his friend for 5 days and really- I had the time of my life. They took me everywhere, my first experience at a Russian nightclub (unforgettable!), took me to his parents place where they cooked me a traditional Uzbek meal. His father had even made a home made sauna, which I had to try, and it was amazing.

We went to the Tashkent fair and went to the markets, we really had the greatest time.

I also met another extraordinary lady called Mastura. Mastura is no one like I have met before in my life. I mean I thought my life was strange, but hers was incredibly strange. The most compassionate, gentle and wise woman!

This journey was cut short too soon. I am now in the process of planning another journey and am leaving for Iran from Dubai within the next few weeks- all the way back to Australia!!

Out of China and onto Kazakhstan!!

Phew! Was  I glad to get out China! At the Border post when we arrived in the morning I got seriously haggled by the Chinese Military- but perhaps I provoked them. One of them saw me take pictures of the mountain ranges next to the border post. I have never seen such small squinty eyes open so wide!! He and 10 other military men rushed onto the train and searched through everything. I can honestly say it was the most dreadful feeling throughout the whole trip. I thought I would be taken off the train! They demanded to see and delete all my pictures on my computer and phones, camera. I took a spare USB card and swapped it for the one I had in my camera so it looked as if, I had already ‘deleted’ the pics.

As for my computer, the battery was flat, so I guess it was there bad luck. It was the most violating feeling with them. They searched through EVERYTHING and I mean everything- bras, panties, make up bag, little pouches, bags, everything. They thought I was a spy!!!! The Kazak train guys bribed them for a box of vodka as far as I know, and things seemed to cool down because I had got friendly with them and we tried to chat together earlier in the trip. Thank God! They saved my life. After some passengers saw what was going on, one guy from Spain came up to me and said “Its a good thing they didnt check one of my laptops because of flat battery” and Im like “Why??!” and he says “Im a journalist on assignment here to shed light on the harsh political conditions of Tibet and the Chinese regime” …. hahahaha now here’s the real spy!! He was quick to send all his pictures of his assignment to his editor the day he took them, and they were already published in the newspaper as we were speaking about it that morning! He said it was the first real time he felt under serious threat for his safety and I have to agree quickly with that. It was wretched!

Anyway, after that we became friends along with a some other passengers- a great guy from Kyrgystan called Eugene, Bella and  her mother from Kazakhstan, and a couple of others who were from Mongolia.

As we pulled into the first stop in Kazakhstan, we ate oily vegetables and mushrooms, and the food just got worse from then on! I had been smart enough to stock up on rami noodles in china and some candy. That kept me going till Almaty, Kazakhstan.

We truly had the time of our lives that following night. Seven of us: Eugene, Spanish Spy, Bella and mama and the peroxide blonde Mongolian ladies were in my sleeper cabin talking and crying with laughter for hours. I honestly thought my stomach would be cramped all night! It truly was the greatest fun- and this is precisely why I LOVE travelling like this. Absolutely pricesless memories as we dashed through the Shonzy midnight skies by train.

The Far Eastern Frontier Town Urumqi

This was the most industrial, dirtiest city I have visited so far. Urumqi is the most polluted, combustion-like city I have experienced so far on this trip. Full of Silo’s burning black soot and God knows what else- Its muddy, cold, slushy and wet but perhaps I should give it more credit because I only visited in the winter. I was haggled by bored taxi drivers outside the train station when I arrived and was taken to a warm hotel, and was blessed by meeting the clearest English speaking Chinese so far- Catherine! She is incredibly bright, and I left Uruqmi feeling sadness for her. She would be a scholar if she were in a Western country but due to the Chinese life, she was quickly married, settled for a married life and put her PhD in Philosophy in her treasure box, and instead took a position behind a reception desk at my hotel.

We have remained in touch, and it is because of these people that I have met on my journey that my life has been altered forever. She was most helpful during my whole stay- and so was her husband.

It snowed on the 2nd day in Urumqi and suddenly made Urumqi very beautiful and ethereal. Amazing how snow can just add a touch of softness to everything!

I organized my visa for Kazakhstan and was by no means sticking around in Urqumqi any longer.

Leaving Beijing to Urumqi

Well this train was really going to test me to my boundaries. By far the most uncomfortable train ride of my life! Since I have spend a good two weeks practicing the techniques of Zhineng QiGong, my ankles were now cankles. And the only available seats were upright, no sleepers available. Absolute agony keeping feet down, with swelling down like that for more than 24 hours. Train was crowded beyond belief. Like, people even sleeping in the toilet, on the floor between seats, sleeping standing up. Some would even let the other sleep for a half an hour and then swap or rotate around. I am sure half of those people didnt have tickets! The most horrendous train experience to date!

I begged the train staff to get a sleeper, to which he said they were still full but when the first available came, they would give it. 

I have never slept sitting upright in my life but after 34 hours of no sleep, swollen ankles, and squashed train seats I must have dozed for 30 minutes until I was woken at 6.30am the next morning to be told there was a sleeper available- I jumped up and couldnt get to it quick enough!

Met a nice Chinese guy in the sleeper and we just slept, or at least I tried to,  I was so overtired by this point! We finally made it to Urumqi later that night at 7pm.