Watchers at the border

Friends at the Kyrgyz border

Getting into Uzbekistan, a country of twenty five million people living in a region with large areas of desert, which is Central Asia’s cradle of culture,  and  has been under Russian control since the eighteenth century, but like most Stans countries has been independent since 1991, was almost a comic farce.

 The armed guards, the sniffer dogs, the yellow car which had  to be pushed into Uzbekistan and  back fired with sounds  like   Guy Fawkes night, the hoons that rode along side and  around us whipping themselves into a frenzy and then to find that because the president was in the part of the country we were travelling in, the roads were closed and we had to follow the driver and  guide in what seemed like a 360 degree re- route in the  rain.  

The border crossing from Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan took over seven hours but we were prepared with thermos of tea, refreshments and plenty of warm clothes as we were not going to be caught out as had happened on the border crossing into to Kyrgyzstan. Exiting Kyrgyzstan with its closed borders to all but foreigners like us ( the civil unrest means locals cannot leave the country) involved tight security. For this border crossing we were processed car by car. The occupants of each car had to present with their passports and their departure was logged. This involved officials practising their English as they delightedly pronounced our  names. We smiled and affirmed their pronunciation.

Then the gates were opened and we drove the cars into no man’s land. One by one the cars were motioned into Uzbekistan for the border control process . The passenger then went through one door and the driver another. The driver had to present the carnet and sniffer dogs sauntered  around the car, with the trainer giving taps here and there around the body of the car. The officials asked the drivers a range of questions: how old were they, why were they travelling, their status and so on. We also had to complete detailed documentation defining how much money we were taking into the country, what medication was in our possession and what cameras, mobile phones and GPS equipment we were carrying. The border guards were all armed with AK47s but they seemed personable enough. Some car boots were opened up and the contents inspected.

We had a three hour wait as we were car four to go through. We watched   Peter and Kerith get through officialdom and were aghast when their car wouldn’t start and it had to be pushed some 100 metres into Uzbekistan. Peter would be devastated as he is always out there looking under the bonnet and checking to modify and improve things.   By the time we got to the other side Peter and Dan  had the car running but there was a lot of backfiring which could send shivers down one’s spine given that all the armed guards had their loaded guns.  Once the vacuum advance and timing was fixed the car ran better than ever.

At 5:30pm all the cars were through and into Uzbek and we met our guide Gulya and lead driver  who told us that the President was in this province so the main roads were closed. We followed the driver some 350 kms to Fargona and what a trip through the back roads.

 We were once again the little convoy of MGs driving along with people waving wildly, calling out greetings and smiling broadly. Soon the locals were on to us. This involved approximately five cars driven by young guys, windows down and the male passengers seated out of each passengers window, waving madly, mock whipping the cars, speeding up alongside us and videoing each car. It was like the Wild West with the cowboys riding rough shod in their cars. They would speed past the convoy do a screaming turn and drive back for a second attempt to capture film of each car.

After about fifty kms we lost the cow boys and down came the rain. We eventually lost sight of the lead  driver and the convoy took a wrong turn. The CB radios were our main form of communication but unfortunately the Queensland CBs don’t work so they had to follow the four MGBGTs. We reformed with the guide and driver  and  got to our destination.  Red Car, us, was pulled over by the police so they could take a photograph of the car, presumably just for their own photo album.

The next morning we were having pleasant breakfast with departure time set at 8:30am. At five to eight Gulya told us we better get going as the president would be in this province and the roads would be closed. We bolted to our cars and hit the road to Tashkent. The following day in Tashkent our walk through the main square was thwarted, again by armed guards, as you guessed it the president would be passing by in the next fifteen minutes. This guy sure gets around!

PS: Tashkent is a modern cosmopolitan city of some two million people. The Russians have left a legacy of a well planned city with some beautiful public buildings, most of which are fairly new as a result of a 1966 earth quake.  The mosques, mausoleums, madras’s and bazaars are in Islamic style with the gorgeous turquoise domes with intricately and colourfully painted and tiled walls and panels.

PSS: Gulya told us that if you prayed at the Grand Mufti’s mausoleum your prayers would be answered within fifteen minutes. With that I borrowed her scarf and made my prayer that Sarah and Luke’s puppy  Daisy which was lost last Wednesday would be returned and within twelve hours we got word that the Daisy had turned up at the Lost dogs home.  Eureka!

PSSS: Today we are off to Samarkand a drive of 330 kms. We are told that the first section of the road  is in excellent condition because it is the part of the highway that (you guessed it) the President uses regularly.

• Simon’s wallet was pick pocketed at the Kyrgyz border. We believe it was a group of young guys Simon chatted with and was showing his iPod to.  Anyway a nuisance
• Ian B drove out of the service station in Bishkek and failed to look left. He hit an oncoming car; a very minor bingle. The driver of the other car made a quick phone call to determine the damage done to his bumper bar and a price of $150 US settled the matter. Handshakes all around. Ian B thinks it was the best $150 he’s ever spent. No damage to the rubber nose.  So all ends well.
• Dave’ s car is oil hungry and  over two days, about 600kms,  he has topped it up with eight litres of oil. We have workshopped ways that he could design and oil feeder which Dan could  hold and monitor from the front passengers seat.
• When entering the city of Osh, Kyrgyzstan the convoy was pulled over by the police. A huge, 100 plus kilogram policeman slowly walked around Peter and Kerith’s car and then bounced on the front mud guard to check the suspension, maybe. Anyway lucky the suspension was good and he enjoyed his bounce giving Peter and Kerith a big smile of approval and the thumbs up.
• In the main towns of Kyrgyzstan the local police are a real presence. Every 500 metres they wait for motorists in order to collect the assigned number of daily fines. A Stan’s road hazard.
• In our hotel in Almaty, Kazakhstan a female floor warden mans each floor. She checks who is entering rooms with an expression of great severity. I asked about internet connection in the room and got a real dressing down, I think, in Russian.  A real Svetlana, not at all helpful but given she is stationed at the desk over night, maybe it is understandable. The hotel was like something from the 1950s and it was easy to conjure up scenes  from The Thin Man and the intrigue behind the iron curtain.
• Ian M and Simon’s parts have been delivered to  Tashkent and  Blue car’s front suspension dampers have been  replaced
•  Sadly Dave’s  MGA’s parts ordered at the same time are still in transit.
• Red car, our car over heated on the way into Tashkent due to a poor connection on the cooling fans.
• Wherever you go kids are the same. Open faced, trusting and communicative.  While waiting at the  border Simon played his mouth organ to a gang of young kids who peered into our cars. He was surrounded  by the kids who were having a great time hanging out around an old car with a Simon entertaining them.
• Reg, who is or own Dick Tracey can still spot the undercover guys at the borders, on the roads and he has a detailed dossier on what cars have tailed us.He was quick to identify the sniffer dogs at the border.

Krygyzstan May 24 at 3, 200 metres

Heading into the pass:Krygyzstan

Road hazards

Kilometre after kilometre

From the car window

Driving some 750kms from Bishkek to Osh over two days   we traversed two alpine passes at 3,180 plus metres. The scenery was breath takingly beautiful   and it just got better and better. Spectacular, an overused word but I can’t find a better adjective.  Like the fjords and glaciers of Norway and Alaska but every vista offered a new and different dimension and the being encased in the motion of little red cocoon was the icing on the cake.  We decided the best word to describe the extended drive was euphoric.

Gliding along in the little red MG with the mountains bearing down on us, feeling every bump, swerve and roll and at one with the car, I just felt I could go on driving for eternity. Looking in the rear vision mirror at the five little MGs following I wondered if the drivers and passengers were having a similar experience. Probably not but then that’s the beauty of perception isn’t it. There really is something for this MG driving. I normally loathe long distance travel and just sleep, but in an MG, you are so close to the road and what’s beyond the road. You just feel part of it all, unlike regular car or van travel.

The rugged snow covered mountain tops with the contrasting  green slopes, the snow drifts, the pristine rivers, the people in their yurts, the roadside honey and mead sellers,  the cattle and pony herds, the clear blue sky with the  cumulus clouds, the donkeys and the horsemen herders, the alpine  flowers, the sound of  cuckoos calling   and the suspense of never knowing what awaits you around a bend; three trucks or a herder with his beautiful horses or flock of sheep or the odd milking cow ambling down the road to somewhere, presumably to be milked.

Accommodation at the guest house on the first night was a Pandora’s Box. The toilet didn’t flush so we had to use a bucket. It was so cold we had to sleep fully clothed and ask for more blankets. At dinner, the red wine was almost undrinkable but the friendly Kyrgyzstani  locals dropped in with a bottle of vodka for the group, told us how much they loved us and what wonderful friends we were and then, after a lot of flamboyant farewells,  just as quickly disappeared in their four wheel drive. The local constabulary also dropped by, probably to check us out and then they took someone away in their car. A friend we guess but given our experiences with the law watching us elsewhere, you just never know.

 Some one metre from our bedroom window was a rapidly flowing river which some would say serenaded us all night through. And to think of the previous evening we were in a four star hotel but we all agreed we wouldn’t change a thing as it all is part of Life’s rich tapestry!

The Fergana Valley is a sweeping, open plain which is intensely farmed. I think the Kyrgyzstani telegraph was operating because all the way along the road school children and people waved frantically and folks ran from the field to call to us. The convoy seems to put a smile on everyone’s face. We have young guys hanging from their cars and driving parallel with us and they wave and film the convoy. It’s a bit like the Queen Elizabeth II syndrome as we wave from our cars at all and sundry. 

The alpine roads, although narrow, have been surprisingly good, lots of twists and turns given the descents and ascents. The odd, short tunnels through the mountains are very narrow and it is a bit like going on the ghost train at Luna Park, pitch black and difficult to see. They have the potential to be extremely hazardous. We stopped near the exit of one of these tunnels, for a tea break and were intrigued to see some herders on their ponies and donkeys steering cattle into the tunnel. I was very pleased they weren’t in the tunnel when I was driving.

Osh was the final stop before the border crossing. Osh was a significant town on the Silk Road and is said to be older than the ruins of the Roman Empire but sadly, in our short stay, we saw little evidence of the old Osh.

As we moved from north to south the demographic changes with 40% of the population being Uzbeks. Our guide told us that the Kyrgyz are a fiery race of people who although Muslim are more robust than their conservative, law abiding and religious Uzbek neighbours.

This is an amazing little country, the size of Great Britain, and with tourism its main source of income it draws visitors from Europe, primarily France and Germany to take in all the wonderful outdoor and eco tourism opportunities. The infra structure, housing and general lack of affluence is very marked but the mountain ranges, glaciers, valleys and lakes are sensational.

Krygyzstan : the wedding

Krygyzstan Lake Issyk Kul

Krygyzstan:hotel-man made grandeur

Here we are in the little country of Kyrgyzstan which gained independence from the Soviets in 1991 and has had two revolutions to oust the former and current presidents. Currently the country of five million have no president or active parliament. Elections will be held in June to get the country back to some semblance of government. We visited the Kyrgyzstan white house, built by the Soviets, very impressive and with a much fancier fence than that other white house. Sadly, part of the fence had been destroyed and  blocked up after the recent civil unrest.

Kyrgyzstan’s main industry is tourism. The Americans and Russian pay for army bases here so that provides some income into the GDP. All the manufacturing industries and factories lie idle as after the Soviets withdrew the manufacturing industry collapsed and of course China their neighbour can provide any manufactured goods more competitively than this little country. The country side is littered with rusting and unused factories.

Bishkek is the capital and all the swish public buildings are the relics of the USSR. Approximately one million people live in Bishkek and there is enormous discrepancy between the urbanites and those who eke out a subsistence rural life.

Yet again the country side is a photographer’s delight. We have all OD on mountain/alpine peak pictures with juniper and fir trees. Everywhere you look the view is framed by snow capped mountains. 95% of Kyrgyzstan is above 1000 metres and 40% is at 2000 plus metres.

We have a great guide Arsen who is very informative pleasing  the “information hungry” He is happy to share his knowledge of the social, political and historical context of the country AND he provides clear and unambiguous directions about time and place. He is fluent in Russian and English. He gave the group a choice of four alternative routes given that we had to reroute into the country. It was put to the vote and everybody is happy.

We travelled by mini bus to Lake Issyk Kul, the world’s second biggest inland sea water lake. At an altitude of 1,608 metres, it was stunningly beautiful to observe a sea side environment set against a back drop of rugged snow capped mountains. We stayed at a former soviet spa and health resort which was built in the sixties with extensive gardens and many art deco features. The gardens were superb with an extensive palette of lilacs in bloom, tulips, jonquils, daffodils, snapdragons and pansies surround by fir and pine trees.  Apparently it was a favoured holiday destination of the Russian generals. It is currently run by the state and is in remarkable condition. The dining hall, the marble entry, the pools and health centre are extremely grand. We are now dining on Russian inspired cuisine: borsch, blinis and pancakes, rye bread, lots of cheese, eggs and Russian beer. And I thought I’d lose weight in The Stans!

We had the good fortune to visit the ruins of an ancient city which had been destroyed by Genghis Khan. The only remaining feature is the Burana Tower; 11^th century minaret. A wedding party were there for the typical family photos. They were accompanied by a guy playing “the Squeeze Box” and there was lots of dancing and singing. Before long we were all in with the wedding party dancing and downing vodka shots. We wish the bride and groom a long and happy union.

We climb to 3000 metres today so we will be out of internet and mobile range

Krygyzstan:Tall peaks that reach to the sky

After a fair bit of soul searching amongst the group about whether or not to cross into Kyrgyzstan and follow the original planned route, here we are in Bishkek.  Some border entrances into the country have been closed and we were sourcing conflicting advice. The guides said “of course you should come to the country” while some of the group who had spoken with a Reuters journalist were of the view that we should come up with a new route. Anyway everyone had a chance to have their say and it was put to the vote, good consensus model stuff. The vote was four to eight and true to form Ken and I were in different camps, no “group think” with us, you know.

We hired a truck and driver to lead us to the border as the truck was insurance for Dave’s MGA. Dave decided to drive and stopped every 75 kms or so to check and if necessary top up his oil. The truck was extremely slow and   spewed out black smoke on all the upward sections of the road.  This coupled with strong winds and heavy rain must have made those in the open MGA wish for the sun to return—–it eventually did.

 Once at the border we were categorised into driver and passenger status. The passengers went through one process and the drivers and cars through another. We had a group visa carried by the guide and at one point  I ended up being interrogated about the lack of a visa in my passport. I smiled and spoke softly and tried to explain that someone outside had the group visa. After ten minutes of being yelled at  the official asked me if I was “Mrs or Miss”, I replied “ I am Mrs and I am a grandmother” He and his colleague laughed and let me through.

Once through, the six  passengers had a four hour wait as the drivers were still on the other side. The paperwork on the carnets was checked and Ken as first car through was asked to open the boot as they were checking for guns. With this our  guide, apparently  broke  into a fit of laughter and after much debate between guide and official the six cars were allowed through

Time ticked and the rain came down. For most of the time the passengers were  huddled under a lean to shelter about two hundred metres from the customs building, then we found the only  “restaurant” and fortunately Kerith had five US dollars to buy us a cup of tea and some bun to warm us up. Adam, our son was texting Ken the Collingwood/Geelong quarter by quarter scores but I had the mobile and  Ken was not there to  live through, from afar, all the trauma of the game. Interestingly, Adam didn’t bother to text the final score.

So we made it to Bishkek and we are staying in a very nice hotel which is a joint Malay and Kyrgy venture. The hotel looks out to the most stunning yes, snow capped mountains. Today we leave the cars behind and go on a bus tour of Bishkek and then back track by bus to Lake Issy-kul where we will stay at a resort before returning to Bishkek tomorrow evening.  Attempts will be made to arrange the replacement of Dave’s rear main engine seal on the MGA. This means the engine comes out for the third time. The blue car’s front shockers (new before the trip) have given up and replacements will have to be flown in.  Hard to predict which advance town to send them to as worldwide couriers tend to a bit flexible in delivery times in this part of the world

Benjamin Bunny was on a mission. He wanted to find a tiger for Ava and in Kazakhstan of all places. He had missed his perfect opportunity in China but never mind. He was undaunted. A baby girl born in the year of the Tiger just had to have her own tiger.

A five mile trek into the beautiful Charyn Canyon, Kazakhstan’s answer the Grand Canyon but with snow capped mountains was the first stop, but the trek was fruitless. Susie saw a Kazakhstan version of a carpet snake. She was pretty chuffed as she is not always the best spotter but she saw it. It quickly wriggled away and disguised itself as snakes do, amongst the sandstone and granite outcrops. But tigers don’t eat snakes so it was unlikely that a tiger would inhabit this area. Next stop was a  beautiful and pristine lake but again not a good place for tigers or rabbits for that matter.

Benjamin Bunny thought he better ask some key questions so he quickly whispered in Ken’s ear. As a consequence of his action, Ken asked Egor and Vadam, the guides, to tell him something about Kazakhstan. With such direct questioning the following facts became evident.

The group was travelling in the south east corner of Kazakhstan, you know the points on the compass stuff, Benjamin Bunny started to ponder did the sun rise in the east and set in the west in the northern hemisphere?? No keep focussed he thought.  Basically after a bit of human waffle it became evident that these were the facts. Kazakhstan is the ninth biggest country in the world and no one knows much about this place. It is resource rich with oil, gold and gas. The country is the home of the Kazakhs who historically were nomadic horseback animal herders. There are 16 million Kazakhs. Most of the country is open steppes but the area that Benjamin Bunny was travelling through is very picturesque as every vista is framed by the snow capped Tian Shan mountain range.

The Tian Shan Mountains are home to the illusive snow leopard. This information sent a chill down Benjamin’s spine, so he blocked out such negative thoughts and did a little positive self talk. He realised that finding a tiger for Ava in south east Kazakhstan was nigh on impossible but he could still get some interesting and instructive information for her. For both of them really, cause Benjamin just loves learning new stuff.

Kazakhstan’s national symbol is the golden eagle. Pretty scary for a rabbit but that’s life, sometimes you have to confront the scary stuff before you can move on. So Benjamin Bunny was going to embrace this information.  The Kazakhs hold this huge winged monster of the sky dear to them because the eagle has served them so well. Even today falconers can train eagles to hunt prey like ibis, ducks, foxes, wolves and  rabbits to provide food and clothing for the nomadic horsemen and their families. The sleek and beautiful Tazi dogs are also part of this cycle of purposeful hunting. Benjamin sneaked a sideway glance at a beautiful Tazi dog that had killed forty wolves the previous spring.  It was too much information so he scurried off back to the MGBGT and the safety of the back pack. He better get out of Kazakhstan he thought. With so much emphasis on hunting and outdoor sports it probably wasn’t the safest of places for a cuddly little bunny and self protection is the name of the game. But with foolhardy resolve some would say, he determined he’d keep trying to find a tiger  for Ava but maybe  another country is a better chance.

We departed from China at Horgas  and crossed into Kazakhstan. Amazing place China: the infrastructure, the diversity of scenery , the people and a million other impressive things that suggest China is the place of the twenty first century.

The MGA Cherry Car has encountered major problems with rear main  engine oil seal leak which apparently has been a problem experienced before. This meant that the engine had to be removed from the car(twice) at Horgas taking some fifteen plus hours. Dave has sent for new oil seals to be delivered at Bishkek. Dan, Reg and Dave worked with the Chinese mechanics (who were very good) and have some stories to tell.

Crossing into Kazakhstan was a stark contrast to China. The customs officials  in their huge Russian caps welcomed us with broad smiles often displaying  extensive gold dental work. The roads were narrow, full of pots holes, cattle roamed freely and the odd donkey cart was sighted. Onion sellers and hitch hikers were common on the side of the road and cars drive in daylight with their headlights on.

The hotel was quite an experience, no four star luxury with the  breakfast preparation taking place  in a second hand shipping container but delivered personally to our rooms.

Our travel  plans have  changed as the eastern border into Kyrgzystan is closed so we are now going in via Bishkek. Dave’s car is being trucked to Bishkek hopefully to be repaied there. Fingers crossed!!!!!

Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny and Mr Jeremy Fisher were riding along in the MGBGT in Kazakhstan when they were silent witness to Todd’s phone call announcing  the arrival of darling little Avalon Lhotse Slater in Australia.  Bec was fit and well and darling Ava weighed eight pounds, fourteen ounces; a beautiful bonnie baby. Susie was reduced to tears and  rendered speechless, overcome with emotion and Ken  almost jammed the gear stick and nearly hit a roaming cow and a big pot hole  as he was driving along the bumpy road and trying to converse with Todd.  He was more emotional than the year Collingwood won the Grand final so that’s saying something. All he could  say was” that’s great, that’s great, well done, well done!!

The friends soon realised they had better get in on this extremely important to celebration  so   Benjamin Bunny did the Bunny Hop, his tam –o-shanter and kerchief falling  down behind the front seat; messy boy.  Peter Rabbit did a soft shoe shuffle and then burst into the highland fling. He’s such a softie underneath and would you believe he’s missing Flopsie, Mopsie and Cottontail, his little sisters. The thought of a new baby girl was just too much for him. As well, despite his bravado, he’s very insecure and emotional about life in general and specifically, this adventure. Mr Jeremy Fisher, who is normally a pretty dignified fellow, did a 360 degree cartwheel with those spindly legs flying in all directions. At first glance he looked like a bright green star spinning out of control in the back of the car.

You know suddenly the three friends knew what their purpose in life was. They had left the old country looking for friends but with this fantastic news they all agreed that their new, special friend would be Avalon or Ava, for short.  Mr Jeremy Fisher would teach her to fish from the rocks at Mills Beach or maybe in the swimming pool at her new home. Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny would help her grow the best lettuces in her little garden because they had spent many hours watching old Mr Macgregor tend his lettuces and they knew the secret to growing a good head of lettuce was in the hoeing.

How can they get to Avalon in Australia was the question they all pondered. Over a cup of green tea and a bowl of steamed celery they put on their thinking hats. De Bono’s of course! They knew they would have to take a car and a plane and they calculated that it will take sixty four sleeps to get to meet Ava. After extensive workshopping they came to the conclusion that they had been pretty foolhardy to hide in Susie’s case but what’s done is done and now they had to think ahead. They would use their time abroad to see and hear as much as possible so they could delight Ava with their stories of this wonderful world. They will have tales of the Chinese, the Uyghurs, the Kazakhs, and the Iranians and so on and they can tell her about the magical places they visit and the beautiful faces of the young and old people that they meet along the way.

They decided they should jump the back pack and go looking for a present for their new best friend Ava. Jeremy shopped till he dropped looking for a robust fishing pole but this far inland fishing was not a key industry and   he soon  realised he could not transport it back on the plane, so he settled for a pair of cute green shoes. The green   matched the colour of his sleek frog’s body so that was a nice touch.

 Peter and Benjamin Bunny went looking for some lettuce seedlings but they could only find spinach and carrots. These seedlings were well established because they had been grown in the mud brick and reinforced plastic hot houses that are dotted all over this area. It took them a while to deduce that the plants would not survive the sixty five days until planting. So Peter found a gorgeous pair of pink shoes with silver studding. He knew girls love pink cause he’s watched Flopsie, Mopsie and Cottontail doing all the girlie things which usually involve something pink.

 Benjamin Bunny wanted to buy some shoes too, but he was after a red pair which matched his kerchief. He had no luck.  Then he remembered he had met, little Koon Lia from Hongchun and she told him that babies born in 2010 were born in the Chinese Year of the Tiger.  

That set him thinking he needed to find a tiger for Ava, but where, now that he was out of China that was the question. Still he had sixteen countries to go. Do you think he’ll find a tiger for Avalon?