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From Steppe to the Silkroad

my Flight started at 2:30 in the morning so i was done so much that i missed the Landing in Baku one and a half hours later…
There i had a ten hours stop before my flight to Almaty started in the Afternoon. The Airport at Baku is brandnew and the Waiting-Zone is extremly chic… They call it Coocoon Zone and is invitingly nice…

As the plane landed in Almaty in the Evening i was curious how my bike made the trip. Just a few screws got lost over caspian Sea and so i could start through after reassembling in the Lobby of the Airport. So ready for my first ride on kasachian ground…

The first minutes where a big switch. After almost 3 Months in Iran the liberality of the Women here had been a challenge for my dried out senses…

The Night i stayed in the City at the Apartment of Mike and Sabina, a Couchsurfing Couple. They really took good care of me and so i could go back onto the Road the next day. 800km Steppe westwards to Tashkent in Usbekistan.

The Traffic in Almaty was very chaotic and so i was happy as i left the city borders behind me and rode over wide plains on good paved roads. Right of me the southern Foothills of Tian-Shen, the Heavens-Mountains, level off and accompanied me for the next two days.
After a small Roadpass i followed the Border of Kirgistan southwards and turned westwards again the next day.

After visiting the Police the official Part in Kasachstan was done. As a german citizen you can stay 15 Days in the Country without applying for a visa. You only have to register at the Police in the first 5 Days.

the Mountains right of me grew again while left of me the endless Steppe spreads. This County of the Size of Western-Europe is only settled by 15 Million People, so you can cycle a whole day without a sign of civilization… Villages appear as little Forrests before you can recognize Roofs beneath the trees.
The Country is strongly characterized by the Soviet-Era. The Villages are designed generously and the Official Buildings in the bigger villages are pure socialistic…

The Kazach, a directly descendent of Jenghiz Khan looks exactly that way. The mongolian Faces are dominating the south where only a few russian Ones mix in. Friendly, simply people, had a lot of nice Contacts...

After eight days i reached the Border to Usbekistan south of Shymkent, a nice charmant City. Crossing this Border was the toughest Thing i could experience till now. They took a look on everything and also they checked my Computer and my Harddisks if there is not a dirty Movie or Picture… Tough Stuff!

After the Days out in the Steppe it was a good thing to sleep under a roof in a proper Bed, Also with Air-condition and Pool! A Perfect Place to wait for my traveling companion for the next weeks: Katharina!

She arrived on 1. of August in the late Evening and so we stayed a few Days in the City to get her used to the climate and the culture down here. We also had to apply for her Tajikistan-Visa. After we got it we left the town by Bus to Samarkand. There we had a day to take a look around before we had to leave again to start cycling towards Tajikistan.

Samarkand is really a part of 1001 Nights. Wonderful Buildings in (freshly renovated) perfect Condition let the Silkroad rise again…
Its a Pity that we didn´t have more time but our Visas expired…

First Day after the City we had to cross a little Pass and entered the Heat of the South of the Country. Three Days later we realized that there is not enough time left and so we chartered a Mini-Bus to bring us to the Border of Tajikistan. We drove through wonderful Mountains and reached the Border after a long day in the Bus. After another intense Check from the Uzbeks we crossed the Border right in Time on the Last Day of our Visa.

Here a real Highlight of the Trip is waiting for us: The Pamir Highway, a High Altitude Mountain Road that will lead us over a handful of more than 4000m high Roadpasses. I´m curious and you will read more of it, the next time!