Having cycled pretty much from one side of Central Asia to the other I thought I would write a post with some hopefully useful and possibly interesting information on the region. The areas within the area I have experience of include Western Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, South Central Kazakhstan and far northern Kyrgyzstan. Sections: Sights Roads Drivers…
After I’d dropped the bike off at the Almaty bicycle shop I spent a pleasant few days in the city getting things sorted for India and catching up with people I’d met in Bishkek. Part of the sorting involved culling my luggage and sending some winter stuff home to the UK. I was fairly brutal…
After almost a month in Bishkek I finally managed to drag myself away as the Kazakh visa I had applied for some time ago started to run out. Unfortunately while I had been staying in Bishkek the weather had grown colder, quite a lot colder. In the day the temperature seemed to be around -20C…
The first night out of Taraz, I spent in the small town of Kulan, close to the border between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. I managed to find a reasonable guesthouse, which was relatively clean but a little bit more expensive than it should have been – especially given that showers were extra and had to be…
I rode out of Tashkent on wide Soviet built boulevards passing the city’s TV Tower as I went; bearing due north for the Kazakh Uzbek border at Jipek Joli about thirty kilometres away. Reaching the border I was expecting a repeat of the waiting and frustration I’d experienced when entering Uzbekistan from Kazakhstan in the…
Leaving Beyneu I was both sad and happy to see the back of it; sad because it had at least had warmth, clean toilets and electricity and happy because it didn’t have much else to recommend it apart from the three things I just mentioned. I was also quite nervous about my knee failing again…
I spent a few relaxing days in Aktau and managed to not get involved with anything too strenuous: lots of internet surfing in cafes and a few drinks with some locals met on couchsurfing. While there I was also lucky enough to meet another cycle tourer: Helen Lloyd. Helen was just reaching the end of…
Arriving in Baku I was immediately struck by how different this city appeared to be from the rest of Azerbaijan. On the surface it seemed modern and bustling; there were impressive skyscapers and some really amazing modern architecture giving it a distinctive skyline. There was also a wide variety of restaurants serving many different cuisines…
Riding ROUND 