Bishekek to Omsk

So I managed get the Russian visa. Seemed almost impossible for a moment but turned out to be not that difficult in the end. I got a original Letter of Invitation from Stantours, costed me 85$ to get it shipped to Bishkek, took no more than 1 day. With this i went to the embassy and somehow managed to convince the lady to accept my visa application without having an kyrgyz visa that would be valid 1 month after my arrival to Russia(this seem to be the new rules) applied on Thursday and picked up visa on tuesday(52$)

Wanted to make it fast to Omsk and make the most out of my 29 day russian visa that would start the day after I picked it up. I've decided to describe the hitch Bishkek-Omsk in boring statistics this time, here we go:

Kazakstan south to north

Distance: 1 809 km
Time: 51 hours
Number of vehicles: 15

     Cars: 13

     Old Kamaz truck: 1

     Milk truck: 1

Longest ride: 432 km (Karaganda-Pavlodar)

Shortest ride: 1 km ( in city of Karaganda)

Longest wait: ~1 hour (North of Pavlodar towards the border)

Shortest wait: 5 minutes

Average wait: 10 -15 minutes

Number of times police helped me get a ride: 2

Number of rides given by police: 1 (100 km Jambyl province)

Number of nights spent in Police road post: 1 (Pavlodar)

Number of nights spent in abandoned Police road post: 1 (Balkash)

Money spent: 325 Tenge (1.6 EUR)

Money earned: 170 Tenge (0.9 EUR)

Number of times asked if im married: 9

Number of times asked when i'll get married: 6

Number of times asked if i'd like to marry Kazak girl: 4

Number of hours looking out over a flat steppe: Too many

And thats it. Im in Omsk, in few days heading west west west. some cities on the way, dont know which yet, Moskva st petersburg and finland before 9th when my visa ends. Then almost home.

Friendly driver pouring Kymyz, fermented mares milk

This man stopped a truck for me

Henry throught the looking glass

               

Urumqi to the border and Kyrgyzstan

I had luck leaving urumqi in the afternoon, got a 1.5 day long ride all the way south of Taklamakan desert, to Hetian. From there i made it to Kashgar and finally the last 150 km to the border. The road was terrible the last bit and it took a day. At the border in the morning the border guards checked my passport and claimed I was lacking a exit stamp(so make it please!) The explained this was not longer the border post, the imigration has moved to Ulugqat. ULUGQAT? Thats 120 km back, on the worst road. There was no way i had to go back. Another 6 hours in a truck. In Ulugqat i was told to come back on monday(this was friday) The border is closed on the weekend.. I wanted nothing else than to cross into Kyrgyzstan but there was no way. Finally i went back to Kashgar, had dinner with some Uiguyr people i met, got a mild food poisoning, slept on the roof of an artifical cave, tried to do busking cause i was almost out of money having changed my cash earned in china to euros. Made 10 Yuan(1 euro) in 20 minutes(great huh). Hitched back towards the border, got a cold, spent some time next to a river, was given loads of nan bread and tea by the people in the villages as i was walking to make the time pass. Monday morning, caught another truck went 7 hours to the border, slept in an abandoned shop on the border. crossed finally into Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday morning. I was worried they Kyrgyz guards would make some long and uneccesary search of all my bags but nothing, the first guard greeted me with a handshake and said 'welcome!'.

Caught a Kyrgyz truck to Osh, beautiful road, so nice throught mountains and rain. Lots of yurts along the way and the horses and sheeps ofcourse. My driver invited me to his house outside Osh and i was treated with the most delicious food and then a well earned rest, having slept badly for some days. In Osh i stayed a few days with a couchsurfer. Mostly walking around and juggling in the parks ofcourse.

City of Osh seen from the sky

Next i headed northeast, taking the small road from Jalal-abad to Kazarman, the road was narrow and steep, heading up up up, into fog and rain, lots of animals on the road. Stayed one night in Kazarman with the driver and family. The onto the emty road to Ak-tal, bought some supplies and started trekking to Song kolm an lake on 3000 m. Before the evening i was offered a ride(which i later had to pay for) Another mountain pass with narrow dangerous curvs. Only this time it was in the night with a car from soviet times. So, the battery was crap i suppose, had to push it to start, sometimes overheated and we had to fill up with water, then push it downhills(backwards) for the driver to start in reverse. Doing this on the narrow road with the cliff closeby i was happy to be pushing, not driving. Rain came and ofcourse the windshield wipers occasionally stoped working making visibility hard or non existing. As a grand finale up on the pass the headlight ocassionally stopped working, leaving a pitch black narrow road in front. Scary.

Hardcore vodka drinkers of Song kol and old car

Two nights in Song kol with mixed feelings for this place i left walking.. Until a car offered to take me down the pass, some more walking and finally reached Kochkor in the evening. There happend a weird story, a little bit funny but quite sad involving 4 drunk men fighting eachother somewhat over me and then hugging crying fighting again, ah the story requires explanation however lets for now leave it to one simple explanation, Men drinking to much vodka.

Finally made it to Bishkek where im staying with Couchsurfers and making a Kazak visa. The there is two routes and i have to choose. Russia or Caucasus. I prefer russia but visa is difficult atm..

Henry managed to hitchhike a horse a few km