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Camper trip Kazakhstan I

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Kazakh hospitality

Russia-Kazakhstan border crossing

Just before the border, there’s a wooden shed. I first arrange third-party car insurance there for less than €25 (30 days). At the Kazakhstan border, everything goes smoothly: car papers, passport, nothing special, and no corruption. As a Dutch citizen, you don’t need a visa for Kazakhstan. At the border, they even speak a little English, and they cheerfully shout “welcome to Kazakhstan!”

Oral, the oldest city in Kazakhstan

I drive on to the city of Oral, the oldest city in Kazakhstan, and spend the night at the truck stop. There’s also a small supermarket and a hot shower! Everything you need. Oh yeah, and lots of roaring trucks… All night long, there’s a constant coming and going of trucks, a restless night.

Leo and I walked to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, beautiful! There was a mass going on inside, and I stayed for a while to listen. Then on the way and fill up with diesel for €0.52 per liter!

Endless steppe

Long paved roads and the steppe, I’ve never seen anything like it and I’m enjoying the expansive landscape. And suddenly a pristine white mosque in the middle of nowhere.

We park in the steppe, a perfect spot to spend the night. It’s lovely, but we have to move on; the heat is unbearable.

Aqtöbe city

Laundromat in Aqtöbe, yeah, looking forward to it after a month! I’m at the laundromat, but everything is closed, which is a shame, I was really looking forward to it. A local helps me translate, and the shop opens at 10:00 AM. Okay, I’ll wait. At 10:15 AM, the washerwoman walks in cheerfully, she is relaxed!

Meanwhile, Leo and I explore the city. Aqtöbe is one of Kazakhstan’s newer cities, and the Abdul Khair Khan monument is impressive! I check out the murals on apartment buildings and all sorts of monuments.

The A26, bad road!

I drive out of town without good preparation which is a bit foolish. The A26 is largely unpaved and a nightmare to drive, but I don’t know that yet. (For the most up-to-date information, check the iOverlander app) I drive on this terrible road all afternoon and arrive in Embi completely exhausted.

I park next to the mosque and the locals give me the thumbs up, it’s no problem to spend the night here.

Warm welcome from locals in Embi

Elvira and her family even invited me for tea. They have four daughters; daughter Zhuldyz is 14 and speaks good English, which is great! I fresh up and look forward to the tea date. The table is laden with tea, sweets, fruit, and Baursak (fried dough balls). There are also potatoes with beef and a lovely tart, a Kazakh delicacy filled with liver—oh, that’s a bit too much for me.

I’m also invited for breakfast with fried eggs and more! Elvira is a beautician and gives me a facial before I leave. What a joy to be with these amazing people.

En route A26

We continue on the rough A26 road, which takes hours, with an average speed of 30 km/h. Besides the road being difficult to drive, there’s more to report.

I drive straight through a steppe landscape, enjoying the emptiness and space. I often see herds of wild horses in the fields or drinking at a pond. Sometimes they just stand on the road; there are hardly any cars here, and the animals wander where they please. All sorts of mouse-like animals also cross the road, like small hamsters or marmots.

I’m having lunch at a covered table with benches, enjoying the surroundings. And then, suddenly, at the very last minute, a stretch of new asphalt, hooray! I’m so tired, I can’t believe my luck.

Shalkar cemetery

We park in Shalkar next to the cemetery. The children in Shalkar like Leo and hang around the camper.

Walking in the steppe!

After a long day of driving, I arrive at the road E38, and there’s regular asphalt again, yay! I have to admit that my car simply isn’t designed for these kinds of roads.
A26 – 400 km – 3 days – approximately 18 hours. I treat myself to a cold beer and spend the night comfortably at one of the many truck stops.

On the way to Aral Lake

I see my first camel! And I also see often these old-fashioned manned railway crossings.
Aral is a small town of 40,000 residents. I chat with a local who wants to practice his English, and it turns out that Lake Aral has completely dried up.

On to the next lake. At Lake Qamystybas, it’s 44 degrees Celsius. Part of the lake is dried up white, a great picture with the cloudy sky above. It’s so hot that Leo runs back to the camper and lies down in the shade.

Baikonur Cosmodrome

The city of Baikonur houses a Russian spaceport. It’s the world’s first and largest spaceport, and it’s a major base for Russian space flights. Unfortunately, you can’t enter the site without a permit. It’s possible to watch a launch from a distance, but the next one isn’t until three weeks later, we’re not waiting for that. So I’m just looking at the museum exhibits!

Mausoleum Qorqyt Ata

Mausoleum Qorqyt Ata is a spiritual place. People take photos and come to pray. Wind blows through pipes at the top of the monument, creating a nice, serene sound.

We’ve already driven 1,400 kilometers through Kazakhstan and travel further in the southern part of this unique country. Would you like to travel with us?

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