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Bangkok to Brighton by tuk tuk: Welcome to Kazakhstan

Tuesday 11th July 2006: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Jo writes...

"We woke up at 6.45am yesterday morning and packed up Ting Tong (TT) before leaving Saryam Lake and heading to the border. Well, that was the plan anyway. It was about 5C and bloody freezing. Our fingers went numb and we had problems undoing TT's dressing gown (pink rain covers). Once everything was loaded Ants turned the key in the ignition. Can you guess what happened next? Nothing! As I have previously said, TT is a tropical tuk tuk and doesn't like the cold. We tried to start her on and off for about 20 minutes, pausing so we didn't flood the engine. She did start three times, but cut out straight away.

Jack, Ants and myself tried to push her backwards up a slope, but she was too heavy for us to push. Eventually, some locals turned up and we pushed her up the slope and onto the road, before bump starting her successfully. Drama over and it was only about 8am. Ants found the whole experience quite stressful, while I chose to laugh and use the opportunity to kickstart my nicotine fix. I would have started to get stressed if the the bump start hadn't worked, but in these situations you either laugh or cry and I chose the former.

Jo and Ants pose with the tuk tuk

Finally we set off towards the border, all of us shivering violently against temperatures we were not dressed for and hadn't experienced in a few months. We stopped briefly for breakfast and then tukked the last 30km to the border. It was totally packed with Kazakh families who had just been visiting China for the weekend. Unlike the other border crossings, this one was packed with people and vehicles and all of our luggage had to go through an airport scanner. The whole process of scurrying around to sort out passports and to check vehicle documents took the best part of two hours, but thanks to Jack we were processed more quickly than many others. We were fretting about getting to the Kazakh side before their lunch break, because we still had nearly 400km of driving before reaching Almaty.

We hugged Jack and said goodbye. I burst into tears and felt incredibly sad to be leaving both him and China. The moment of truth arrived and we entered the Kazakh side. A soldier dressed in khaki and spitting sunflower husks onto the floor greeted us and hopped into TT with his rifle slung from his shoulder. So far so good. We drove past all of the other vehicles and went straight into the compound where we needed to get ourselves and TT processed. We smiled nervously at the border staff and Ants used her Russian skills to find out what we needed to do next. It seemed that we needed to get all of our luggage scanned again - what a pain. A man approached with a trolley and asked for $10 to take our luggage through. I got a bit stroppy with him and said no, took the trolley from his hands and loaded our luggage myself, with Ants helping.

Ants had handed the guards our Russina press release, which they read. Then, our Guardian Angel arrived. We both think that he was an important border official and he took us under his wing. After asking if we had any contraband, he told us not to bother getting our luggage scanned again. We were then pushed to the front of the queue with our passports, which were quickly stamped. Then, we drove a few yards to get TT processed. The paperwork was all organised within quarter of an hour and we were told to get vehicle insurance in Almaty. Then, the kind officer (who was quite handsome and early middle aged) gave me a plastic bag. In this bag was litres of cold drink, a box of chocolates and two Russian dolls. We asked about changing money, but they did not know what to do with our travellers cheques and so the border official then gave us about $40 of local money. Ants and I were both speechless at the generosity of this man we had never met.

Jo and Ants pose with the tuk tuk

I offered him a packet of Chinese cigarettes, which he accepted. He climbed into TT and then we drove out of the border area with all of the guards, officials and soldiers saluting him and opening the gates for us. Ants later said that she wondered if he wanted a lift all of the way to Almaty. He didn't and hopped out after less than 1km. We screamed with relief and were absolutely thrilled to be safely through the border. Later we were stopped at an army checkpoint, but all they wanted was to see our passports and take photos of TT.

The drive to Almaty was over 350km and we had heard mixed reports about the state of the tarmac. Some people had said the drive would take us six hours, others eight hours and one even estimated 12 hours. The road had a few potholes, but we could still travel a good 40mph. The scenery was quite stunning. Initially flat with mountains on either side, then becoming grass covered sand dunes, then through some mountains and then flat again with mountains on either side. At one point it was so windy we were reduced to 30mph, with Ants gripping the handle bars with all her might so we didn't get blown back to China.

We stopped to fill up with petrol and I was pleased that I could fill TT up myself. However, the nozzle lever got jammed and I squirted petrol all over the petrol station and myself at a great velocity. A man then came and did the job for me, but he wouldn't listen to me about putting the nozzle in to TT too far. I smugly watched as the petrol squirted out back at him - why will nobody listen to us about TT's anatomy? I guess they just like to learn the hard way.

The roads were fine and the potholes did not slow us down much. We drove into Almaty at just after 8pm and got a tiny bit lost trying to find the apartment we were renting. We finally located Ants's mum and the apartment and unloaded TT. The fears have been banished and Kazazhstan looks to be a whole new and wonderful experience, although I desperately miss China still."

Thursday 13th July 2006: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Ants writes...

"Jo has gone off to collect Ting Tong's insurance and left me to start writing an article for the Mail on Sunday, so I thought I'd do a very quick blog.

We've been in Almaty for almost three days now and it's been crazy. Almaty is so expensive, statistically more so than Washington DC and Boston and with more Porsche Cayenne's per capita than anywhere else in the world. Jo and I are both finding it very odd being in the Western world again; being bereft of chopsticks and Jack (not in that order) and are looking forward to hitting the road again.

We'll write more tomorrow as its been a very funny few days. I got attacked by a Bride of Frankenstein dentist with facial hair and inch thick kohl, we've been hanging out with the Kazakhstan Feminist League (long story), I found a huge maggot in my salad at a 'snazzy' restaurant, we've drunk fermented mare's and camel's milk and today we had a press conference organised by the British Embassy with a scary amount of TV crews and newspapers! More soon and love from us both...

Love Ants and Jo x

Click here >> to follow the journey from the beginning
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update from Vientiane, Laos
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update from Vang Vieng, Laos
Click here >> to Ants' and Jo's update from Luang Prabang, Laos
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update on arriving in China
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update on troubles in China
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update on the Stone Forest, China
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update on China Under Construction
Click here >> for Ant's and Jo's update; dirty tukkers in China
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update on Western China
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update on the Silk Road
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update on the Great Wall of China
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update on sand tobogganning in the desert
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update from Turpan, China
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's final update from China
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's first update from Kazakhstan
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update from Almaty, Kazakhstan
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's first update Lake Balkash, Kazakhstan
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update on their impressions of Kazakhstan
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's first update on Russia
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's thoughts on Russia

Why are Ants and Jo undertaking this crazy trip?
The girls are completely the 12,000 mile journey from Bangkok to Brighton in an attempt to raise £50,000 for the mental health charity Mind. Here at gapyear.com, we fully support their efforts and wish them the best of luck in their challenge. We'd also ask that anyone who has a spare few pennies sponsors Ants and Jo, as it really is a fantastic cause.

Click here >> for the full story

More about Mind Mind

Mental health problems can affect anyone, rich or poor, young or old, shattering the lives of those affected and the lives of the people close to them. One in four of us will experience a mental health problem at some point in our lives. Each year more than 250,000 people are admitted to psychiatric hospitals and over 4,000 people take their own lives. Mind is the leading mental health charity in England and Wales working to create a better life for everyone with experience of mental distress.

Further info

Click here >> for an interview with Ants and Jo
Click here >> to sponsor them now - every penny counts...
Click here >> for Ants and Jo's website
Click here >> to find out more about Mind
Click here >> for more fundraising information

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