It’s time to hit the road again!
Today we leave Almaty and head towards the Kyrgyz border. Along the way we’ll stop at Charyn Canyon for a little off-road fun.

We’ve enjoyed staying in Almaty. With many parks and beer gardens spread throughout the city its a good place to relax and just hang out. There are shops and markets everywhere, so finding whatever you want is not difficult. Getting it for a good price is another matter… as Almaty tries to rival Moscow for high prices.
Another downside is the traffic. With an estimated 600,000 cars on the road (and only 1.5 million residents), getting around the city is a frustrating affair. Drivers fight for every inch, honking, pushing and cutting each other off. At one intersection we are unable to avoid this ’side step’ by the car in front and collide. We get away with only some minor scratches an sore right ankles. There is no damage to the bike.
Trying to control this mayhem are policemen stationed at every corner. They of coarse use it to their advantage and collect ‘tea money’ wherever they can.

Bribes also extend to embassies, where the amount you pay for a visa depends on the day and mood of the official. We had to pay US$100 each for a Tajikistan visa and GBAO border permit. Of coarse no receipt was given…

Overall the last couple of days have been pretty uneventful… apart from the fact that Kamil managed to fix the engine leak we have had since Mongolia

Ahead of us are the high mountains of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. We should take plenty of good pics and some more off-road practice. We can’t wait!!!

P.S. Mateusz thanks again for being our host in Almaty! We’ll remember the ‘Finka’ drinking session for a long time… it was delicious!