Best Eastern Albion Aktobe

... br><br>At the border, I had to stick with the car as it is my name, while Chris and Damo go through on foot. I'm not sure whether or not I like this honour. It's no fun being on my own with very little idea whats going on, but at the same time, it's always interesting. I befriended a guard who spoke a tiny bit of English, having travelled to Halifax and Bournemouth. We ...

Salam, ich bin mit dem Zug von Almaty nach Turkistan gefahren, 600km entfernt (aber immer noch recht weit im Suedosten, Kazachstan ist das neuntgroeste Land der Erde mit nur 15 Millionen Einwohnern...), auf dem Hinweg mit First Class (Rueckweg dann mit Second Class, aber wie eine Kazachin meinte eher 3rd Class). Die Hinfahrt war wenig spektakulaer (die Landschaft ist weitestgehend langweilig), einmal gab es eine Polizeikontrolle ...

This isn't really an entry. I know it's been awhile, but not a lot is happening. Or the stuff that is happening puts me in a grumpy mood and it would probably be better not to write those things here. I think I might try to password protect this blog later on, if possible. I don't like censorship and having to give the URL to the PC. In class the other day, I was playing MASH with my ...

... and then got to escape. The train ride was interesting. I took platzcart from Zhengiz Tobe (the sketchy train station two hours from Ust-Kamenogorsk that we have to take if we don't want to take a train through Russia) to Almaty and then again from Almaty to Shymkent. Platzcart is the cheapest section on the train. Instead of rooms of four beds (or two for the even more well-to-do) with doors, they cram over 50 people into the car with sections of 6 beds ...

... arvo, i met up with david, who came back to the shymkent 'burbs with me to collect my kit. i said a fond fairwell to my lovely host family, promising again to send photographs. NOTE: TIME WITHOUT SHOWER Last shower: 9am, Jan 21. Time now: 5pm, Jan 27 Time elapsed since last shower: 6 days, 8 hours. A PERSONAL RECORD. WARNING: DO NOT VENTURE WITHIN A 10 METER RADIUS OF UNWASHED BACKPACKER. it was great to check into a couchsurfing home with a hot shower ...

... and his wife's booth. they invited me to join them for brekky and tea. i accepted eagerly, feeling guilty that i had no food to offer up for the feast. that i had nothing to offere, didn't bother them in the least. they both worked for the military, in border control. yernar was a captain of sorts, his wife (i forget her name, goshdarnit) worked in immigration, stamping people in and out of kazakhstan. i spent the day loping about ...

the first night was easy... a quick feed and then straight to bed. i slept thru the night, no hassles. no waiting to leave a port. no waiting to disembark or clear immigration. NO STINKY CABIN ooooh yeeeaaaahh!!! i like train travel in asia. its always cheap enuf to take a sleeper, which i find always very comfy. i like how, when i board a train, i don't know anyone, but after 5 hours or 2 days or whatever, i have new friends, i like how one can ...

Arrived by night train (nobody can snore louder than the kazakhs) and decided to check out the city of Schymkent before I crossed the border into Uzbekistan. I set out on a 5 part plan: 1) leave my bag at the train station 2) go for a coffee at the "vienna style coffee house" 3) go to the famous mexican restaurant 4) back to train station 5) Shared taxi to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Here's how it turned out: 1) Took ...

... Kazakhstan and borders Uzbekistan. We were all in heaven and we spent our time eating at every diverse cafe or place we don't have in Zhezkazgan... Turkish, Afghanistan, Baskin Robbins, bakery, coffee shops and a soft serve chocolate/vanilla swirl ice cream stand. There was also the traditional foods like Plov (rice, meat, carrot, onion and beans) and Shashlik (meat kabob) everywhere on the street and at all the events. As well as a wide variety they were also inexpensive since ...

I'm coming home. My child is not in Kazakhstan and I'm OK with it. I went to the orphanage today and saw three children, all of home have health issues too significant for me to handle. I've done a lot of soul searching over the last few days. I've been on this journey for nearly 10 years. Each time I thought motherhood was at my door, when I opened it, there was no one there. I thought that through ...