On hold in Uralsk

The endless Kazakh steppe

Some people warned me that the Kazakh steppe are endless and a bit boring. 
I agree they are endless but for one or the other reason I dont't find them boring.

Endless roads.....

Endless steppe

With the good road conditions, almost no traffic, the nice weather and the clean and fresh air, it gave me a certain feeling of freedom.....
I enjoyed it!







Meeting the fastest woman on earth.......

She was alone, rode a motor bike, came from Finland and worked for the Orthodox church: Maria.

She stopped me and told her story: she wanted to be the fasted women on earth to travel around the world on a motorbike.

But in the short talk I had, she complained almost about everything: bad roads, terrible border controls, accident she just got and the Guinness book that will not recognize her attempt. Poor Maria!

She also told me that she accumulated her holidays of the last 2 years, 20 in total, so she could do this trip.
20 days for an attempt that anyway will not be recognized??? Maybe her accident has something to do with it but I don't know if Maria knew what she was doing.

Maria, most probably NOT the fasted women on earth....

One thing was clear: the Kazakh steppe were more interesting then Maria so I said her quick good-bye as I didn't wanted to be the guilty one holding her up and not succeeding her anyway impossible record.....




I continued and made a lay-over in Aqtobe, a middle size city close to the Russian border. You clearly see and feel the influence. Alcohol is everywhere and definitely an important part of everyone's life. I like Aqtobe!!!
From 11pm onwards, this transforms itself into boem-boem music and fascinating street races ....

From Aqtobe, I needed to go 470km west, to Uralsk to get my Russian tranfer Visa. When I checked the info site on Saturday evening, the Russian consulate is only open for Visa applications on Tuesday and Friday...

As I did not wanted to wait until Friday, this means I had only 2 days, Sunday and Monday, to cover the distance, 235km each day.
A lot but possible.

It turned out different.....
Due to a long sleep and a flat tire, I started very late, 3pm and stopped in Qobda, covering only 120 km that Sunday.


It was a long, long day.....: The Qobda-Uralsk leg

If I wanted to reach Uralsk, I had to bike now 350km.....

I never had done this, didn't know if it was possible but positive I was, I made again a plan: waking up very early (4am).
In Zhympity, approx. 220km further, I gave myself the go/no-go point. I will continue to Uralsk if I reached Zhympity by 6pm.

I was on the road a little later then planned (5am). The first 3 hours were horrible.
Did you ever felt asleep on a bicycle? Well, I did......
It was so bad that I had to stop twice, put my jacket in the grass and slept for 25 minutes.
The first 3 hours I only covered 40km. Not a good start!
After a late breakfast it went better.
Superlies must have gone to church the day before because the weather became perfect, with a nice tailwind (strait in the back...yeye) all the way....

It went all well, except that 15km. before Zhympity where I got a flat tire. It got repaired at lightspeed this time: 25minutes....

At 6:15pm I finally arrived Zhympity. Although 15minutes later then my committed go/go-no go point, I took the flat tire as acceptable excuse and continued to Uralsk, another 135km further....

In Zhympity, I got a good dinner and on the way I was again. All went smooth until on km 285 there were some road construction, slowing me down for 1 hour.

I now was biking in the dark and completely on "auto-pilot".
And when seeing, after 346km, still 26km to go, it became difficult. I can tell you: it's no fun anymore....

But I made it.....



Some analysis of a long, long day!

Afterwards, the wise man said: "Not normal anymore" and he is right!

But let me explain why I did this. Mainly because of the following 3 reasons:

1. Russian consulate availability: If I should have arrange my Visa on Friday, the visa only will be available 3 working days later. And with a week-end in between, this means I will got it the next week Wednesday. So, by applying on Tuesday, I could save 5 days.
2. Weather forecast and conditions: I knew that the weather will be perfect. Doing it in 1 or 2 days longer, the wind should have come from the opposite site.
3. Rest: After applying the Visa, I had to wait anyway, so I got 3 days of rest and could recuperate......


I am now in Uralsk "on hold", taking the deserved rest while waiting for my Russian Visa and the spare part package.

Talk to you next time....in Russian territory!