Current Location : Kashgar, Xinjiang Province, China
Last entry date : 06 June 2008
[english]
21/May/08 to 22/May/08
The Lituanian adventure group (Martyn & Vee + Jonas 1&2) actually came out that morning with their video camera to film my departure from Gulnara guesthouse Tashkent, where they were also staying. Great stuff for their adventure documentary film, they said, which goes on Lituanian TV later in the year (… eh, suddenly I might be famous in Lituania). Almaty, capital of Kazakhstan was 2 days ride away, and the Krygyzstan border was just before that. I was still undecided if I should visit Krygyzstan.
No stress as I drove up to the customs control at the border, direction Shimkent. The control was lengthy as usual, but some things within the system do not surprise travellers to this region. At the Uzbek last stage border exit, 3 guards openly asked for US$ 10.00 for each of them, while holding onto my passport. I ignored what they were saying and after a while some cars began to queue up behind me. Seeing that I had the time, the guards simply said goodbye and let me through to the Kazakh side. No problem at the Kazakh side except one officer who liked my helmet and asked if I could just leave it there. I said I will do so on my way back.
As I head off towards Almaty, I began to realize that the scenery is different from the road I took in Uzbekistan – that was hot and almost desert enviroment. Here, the steppe countryside rolled in and horses were roaming free, with sheeps and cattle in these wide open spaces. Sheppards could be seen on horsebacks. A feast for the eyes and it continued for most of the day. And no police checkpoint hassles.
That evening I turned into the city centre of Taraz looking for a hotel. A taximan pointed to 2 grand hotels nearby, but these appeared to be a luxury. The next person I stopped to ask for directions to a more decent priced hotel and an internet café happened to be Mr. Suyunduk. He walked me a nearby internet café, then said in the few English words he spoke, that he would be pleased if I would be his guest at his home for the night. This man has not even asked his wife if its OK. Can’t do that in Europe. So spontaneous was his gesture, just like that of Nasir, Ozhan, Ridwan, etc whom I have met earlier. Mr. Suyunduk lives on the 4th floor apartment and had my bike parked in the closed courtyard of his neighbour. In no time, his wife prepared a big Kazakh meal and his daughter was acting as translator. Mr. Suyunduk was a proud Kazakh and he kept saying “Me Kazakh, you Sheen is my guest. Me Kazakh, you France we’re good friends”. Later they even presented me with a traditional Kazakh hat which Mr. Suyunduk then said I am now one of them. I gathered from his gestures friendship and guest take a deep meaning here in Kazakhstan. I felt really welcome. I liked this man. I have to add that he even insisted and brought me out to the internet café as well that evening … What can I say ??
After breakfast the next morning, Mr Suyunduk showed me to the edge of town where I should take the road towards Almaty. A few km later I got radar trapped and was called over by the police for speeding. Not knowing what to do with a foreign bike, they let me off. Again the road took me across the steppe. I was enjoying the scenery. Before lunch I found myself taking a right swing into an offroad towards a Kazakh village just beneath the mountain range separating Kazakhstan and Krygzystan. The photos taken of this lovely part of the countryside speak for themselves. The land is peaceful here. It even crossed my mind to camp right here that evening. That’s when I decided that Krygyzstan was worth a visit and there was no need to hurry to the Chinese border. [/english]
[french]
Du 21 mai 08 au 22 mai 08
Ce matin là, le groupe des Lituaniens aventureux (Martyn et Vee +Jonas 1 & 2) sont sortis filmer mon départ de la maison d’hôtes Gulnara, où eux même résidaient. Bon truc pour leur film documentaire qui, me disent-ils, sera sur la TV Lituanienne plus tard dans l’année. (…Hé …d’un coup je peux devenir très connu en Lituanie). Almaty, la capitale du Kazakstan est à 2 jours de route de la frontière avec le Kyrgistan. Je n’étais pas encore décidé si je devais aller visiter le Kyrgistan.
Pas de stress en conduisant vers la frontière jusqu’à la douane, direction Shimkent. Le contrôle a été long comme d’habitude, mais il y a des choses dans le système qui ne surprennent plus les voyageurs dans cette région. Coté Ouzbèque, au dernier contrôle avant la sortie, trois gardes m’ont ouvertement demandé 10 dollars US chacun, pendant qu’ils tenaient mon passeport. J’ai ignoré leur demande et au bout d’un moment, plusieurs voitures ont commencé à faire la queue derrière moi. Voyant que j’avais tout mon temps, les gardes m’ont simplement dit au revoir et m’ont laissé passer du côté Kazak. Pas de problèmes côté Kazakstan, excepté un douanier qui aimait mon casque et qui voulait que je le lui laisse. Je lui ai dit que je ferai ça sur ma route du retour.
Quand j’ai pris la direction Almaty, j’ai commencé à réaliser que le paysage était très différent des routes que j’avais prises en Ouzbekistan – qui étaient plutôt désertiques et très chaudes. Ici, la steppe est à perte de vue et les chevaux errent librement avec les moutons et le bétail. Je pouvais voir les bergers à cheval. Un régal pour mes yeux et ça a continué comme ça toute la journée. Et pas d’embêtement avec les contrôles de polices.
Ce soir là, je me suis arrêté au centre ville de Taraz, pour trouver un hôtel. Un chauffeur de taxi m’a montré deux grands hôtels proches, mais qui m’ont paru luxueux. La personne suivante à qui j’ai demandé un hôtel plus raisonnable et un café internet était Mr Suyunduk. Il m’a amené vers un café internet pas loin puis il m’a dit avec le peu de mots en anglais qu’il connaissait, qu’il serait très content si j’acceptais d’être son invité dans sa maison pour la nuit. Ce monsieur n’a même pas demandé à sa femme si elle était d’accord. On ne peut pas faire ça en Europe. Son geste était spontané, tout comme celui de Nasir, Ozhan, Ridwan etc. Les personnes que j’avais rencontrées auparavant. Mr Suyunduk habite dans un appartement au 4ème étage et j’ai pu garer ma moto dans la cour d’un de ses voisins. En peu de temps, sa femme nous a préparé un grand repas Kazaque et sa fille faisait office de traductrice. Mr Suyunduk est un fier Kazaque et il n’arrêtait pas de dire “Moi Kazaque, toi Sheen tu es mon invité. Moi Kazaque, toi France, nous sommes bons amis.” Plus tard, ils m’ont même coiffé d’un chapeau kazaque traditionnel et Mr Suyunduk m’a dit que j’étais l’un d’eux à présent. J’ai compris par ces gestes que l’amitié et les invités avaient une grande importance au Kazakstan. Je me suis vraiment senti le bienvenu. J’aime bien cet homme. Je veux ajouter, que ce soir là, il a même insisté pour m’emmener au café internet… Que dire de plus ?
Après le petit déjeuner, Mr Suyunduk m’a guidé jusqu’à la sortie de la ville, direction Almaty. Quelques km plus loin, j’ai été flashé par un radar et j’ai été arrêté par la police pour excès de vitesse. Ne sachant que faire avec une moto étrangère, ils m’ont laissé partir. Encore une fois, la route a traversé la steppe. Je me suis régalé du paysage. Avant midi, j’ai bifurqué sur la droite dans un petit village kazaque, situé juste au pied de la montagne qui sépare le Kazakstan et le Kyrgistan. Les photos que j’ai prises des paysages ici parlent pour elles-même. Tout est tranquille. J’ai même envisagé de camper ici pour le soir. C’est à ce moment précis que j’ai décidé que le Kyrgistan valait la peine d’être visité, et que je n’avais pas besoin de me presser vers la frontière chinoise.[/french]
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[english]Iran, Iran – How are you ? (2nd part)[/english] [french]Iran, Iran, comment vas-tu ? (2ème partie)[/french]
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[english]Passing through Bulgaria[/english] [french]En passant par la Bulgarie[/french]
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[english]Bine Ati Venit to Roumania[/english][french]Bine ati venit en Roumanie[/french]
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