Update July 2018

Countries visited: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan

Cycled mileage in July: 1,675.4km
Cycled mileage per country: 401.0km China, 1,170.3km Kazakhstan, 104.1km Kyrgyzstan
Total cycled mileage incl. July: 40,034.2km
July mileage not cycled 592.4km (Car, Bus)

Days per country: 8d - China, 18d - Kazakhstan, 5d - Kyrgyzstan
Days cycling: 17d

Technical failures: 5 Punctures

Link to this month's route

Last month we had finished the Mongolian leg of our journey. It was a struggle to get to the border before it would close for the weekend but we succeeded. After all that stress and after the exhausting cycling in Mongolia we decided to have a 2-day break in the Chinese border town Tarkshken. The days were mainly used doing nothing and enjoying the food at the amazing barbecue place next door. Throughout the weekend a strong westerly wind kept howling outside the hotel. No need to say that our direction was westwards.
The forecast was for calm weather on Monday morning and subsequently we got a super early start just after sunrise. We felt a bit sorry for the sleeping receptionist whom we had to wake up to check out and to get our key deposit back. Not even 2 kilometres into the day we ran into our first police checkpoint and learned the routine we would have to follow throughout the countless checkpoints in the next days. We showed our passports and realized the blank stares meant the officers couldn't read a single word of the information in our passports. We explained via a translation app that we were German citizens, that we were in possession of a valid double entry visa for China, that we entered through the Tarkshken border and that we were headed to the Kazakh border. We repeated the same thing until we had entertained all available officers and until apparently one of them understood what was going on. Our passports were scanned, pictures of us and our bikes were taken and our phone numbers were noted down. Half an hour later we were eventually allowed to go.
That early in the morning the road was almost empty, the wind was actually calm and despite a lot of hills we made good progress. Slowly the temperature went from chilly to pleasant to unbearably hot. The traffic got more and more but the narrow road didn't get any wider. By midday the traffic was pretty heavy, mostly trucks hauling coal and covering us in a layer of black dust. We were glad when we reached the turn-off to Qinghe. The town was quite a bit out of our way but apparently it would be the only place with a hotel nearby and we weren't to keen to pitch our tent. The wind was picking up and the green valley we were following for most of the day was pretty densely populated. While we cycled the last hills on the way to Qinghe the wind was back to gale-force. Once we rolled into town our first priority was food and we found a restaurant that served some outstanding stir-fry chicken dishes. They proudly emphasized it was local chicken meat. After lunch we checked the weather forecast and for the next days the wind was supposed to be seriously strong. On the next few kilometres we would slowly get back into the desert, there would be now shelter from the wind, the road wasn't very enjoyable and the traffic was heavy. After some soul-searching we elected for taking a bus to Beitun and to skip the next 200 kilometres. We still weren't entirely convinced things would work out when we cycled to the bus station. But everything went surprisingly smooth. It was fairly easy to buy the tickets and the lady behind the counter even managed to phone the bus driver and to confirm there would be space for the bikes. Score!
After a short wait the bus arrived and we squeezed in our bikes and bags. Just when we wanted to board the bus a policeman ordered us to come with him. We did and the routine from earlier repeated. We had been sitting in the waiting area for more than an hour and the policemen must have seen us but naturally they decided to do their checks when everybody was busy and the bus was about to leave. We were fuming but managed to stay friendly. Eventually they were satisfied with the approximately 60 pictures they took of every single page of our passports and let us board the bus. The next 3 hours went by uneventfully and we figured it was a good decision not to cycle that stretch. It was an awfully boring and busy road with no shoulder. Around 8 PM we arrived to Beitun. Our bikes had survived the journey without damage. We quickly packed up and rode to a random hotel. It didn't accept non-Chinese. We continued to the next hotel – same result. At least they did have an idea which of the hotels in town might be accepting foreigners. Luckily the hotel they suggested did accept us. The rates were a bit steep, but the room was nice and our bikes were securely stored. We checked in and then we went out for a well-deserved dinner.

Early morning in Xinjiang

Being under surveillance... of marmots

On the bus from Qinghe to Beitun

The next morning started with a thunderstorm and strong wind. We couldn't be bothered to get on our bikes in such a weather and just stayed indoors for the rest of the day.
The day after looked much brighter and we probably could have cycled 100 kilometres easily. But in this part of China's Xinjiang region hotels (or even sizeable towns) are scarce. In fact there were only 3 on the 300 kilometres to Karamay. We decided to stop in all three. This meant we would only have to cycle 40 kilometres that day hence got a very late start. By 2pm we had reached our destination. The first hotel we asked in accepted foreigners. Score! It wasn't a great place but there was an amazing restaurant next door. After the limited variety of dishes in Mongolia food was higher priority than a spotless hotel room.

Food, glorious food...

The next morning we got a very early start and thankfully the wind wasn't too strong for the first few kilometres. We made good progress until we reached the shores of Ulungur Lake. The next 20 kilometres took us more than 2 hours. Eventually the road turned and the wind was in our favour again. We kept climbing steadily for most of the day but a looooooong downhill made up for it in the afternoon. After 150 kilometres we reached Hoxtolgay, the next sizeable city along the way to Karamay. According to the maps there were heaps of hotels and we were optimistic to find one that would accept foreigners. The first we checked didn't. When we wanted to cycle on to the next one Simon's rear tyre was flat. We fixed the puncture in front of the hotel with a growing number of spectators around us. At the next hotel they said 'Yes' when we asked whether they would accept us. Then suddenly they changed their minds and a said we would have to go to another place nearby. The receptionist kindly offered us to show us the way on her scooter. So we got to that other place and suddenly police turned up. Via a translation app they told us we would have to answer some questions before we could stay. They wanted to search for an interpreter first and we asked whether we could have lunch in the meanwhile. We hadn't had any food since breakfast. So they escorted us to a pretty fancy restaurant and ordered food for us. Menu Surpris! It turned out to be a vegetable soup, tofu in a garlic sauce and some steamed dumplings. No need to say it was delicious! While we ate the interpreter arrived, an English teacher at the local school. We finished our late lunch and then we were escorted to the police station. The usual passport-checking routine started again plus some additional questions about our journey and the different visas in our passports. By 8pm we had apparently answered all their questions and were told we could go on now. Pardon?! We wanted to stay here! Blank stares. We explained (once more) that we had cycled more than 150 kilometres, that we were tired and that 8pm was a bit late to go much further on a bicycle. They assured us it would only be 60 kilometres to the next hotel that could accept us in a place called Urho. We refused to go any further. Some more phone calls followed. Then they offered to call a car for us. We just couldn't be bothered with the whole situation any more and reluctantly accepted that offer. After a last selfie with the policemen they helped us loading our bikes into the back of a pick-up truck and off we went. We could have gotten to the hotel within less than an hour probably but two more police checkpoints followed. Passport-check routine twice more. The second checkpoint was about 5 kilometres from the hotel. For some reasons our driver wasn't allowed to take us there. Some more phone calls. Once more answering the same questions. Once more taking pictures of every single page of our passports. We had to unload the bikes from the pick-up. Our driver disappeared. A few minutes of confusion and blank stares. Then the policemen ordered us to load the bikes into the back of their police van. Off we went with sirens on. Eventually we were dropped at a hotel. Actually they accepted us and so this very loooong day came to an end.

On the way...

...to Hoxtolgay

Fuming but smiling. Posing with local police officers

We slept late the next morning. Urho had been on our list anyway and now we involuntarily got here earlier than expected. There were some rock formations nearby that were called “Ghost Town” because their weird shape resembles houses. After a lazy morning we cycled the 5 kilometres there. The area was tucked between oilfields so visiting it on our own didn't seem to be possible. We paid for a guided tour on one of the tourist buses and after another police check (of course!) we could begin the tour. It wasn't exactly mind-blowing but seeing all the weird rock formations admittedly was interesting and certainly more entertaining than spending a day in the hotel.

Weirdly shaped rock formations...

...in the 'Ghost Town"...

...in Urho

The next morning we got an early start to escape the scorching heat. It was an uneventful ride into Karamay. We cycled through endless oilfields and barren landscape. There was ample shoulder on that road but it was covered in all kinds of debris. At some point Simon hit a rock with his rear wheel. Fixing another puncture in scorching sun. Great fun!
Finding a hotel that would accept us in Karamay wasn't an easy exercise. Thanks to the oilfields Karamy is a wealthy town and hotels are exceptionally expensive. The hotels that can accept foreigners even more so. Even though we checked about a dozen hotels we ended up in the most expensive hotel room since New Zealand. And even that was only after a police officer turned up at the hotel to ask the usual questions, take the usual pictures of us, our bikes and our passports.
Police in Hoxtolgay had told us there wouldn't be any hotels along the hilly 250 kilometres to the border town Tacheng. We were just tired of our hotel struggles in Xinjiang and so we elected for taking a bus there the next day. We figured it would be sensible to buy the bus tickets one day in advance and so we went to the bus station after lunch. Naturally things weren't that easy. We quickly got the tickets but the lady at the counter couldn't confirm whether we could take our bikes on the bus as well. When we left the counter police was already waiting and we were once more escorted to a police station. Same questions, same pictures, same procedure. We were fuming but kept smiling. 30 minutes later we were allowed to return to our hotel. We grabbed a beer and decided to retire into our room.
When we got to the bus station the next morning we had to send our bikes and all our bags through an x-ray machine just to be told that the bus was too small to transport our bikes. After some arguing our tickets were reimbursed. Outside the bus station there were some independent drivers looking for passengers. They even spoke Russian and so Simon explained them the situation. One agreed to drive us to Tacheng. Great! While we were loading the bikes in his van police turned up once more. We noticed how it became increasingly difficult to stay calm and polite and the police guys seemed to sense our impatience. After some hasty phone calls they buggered off.
The road to Tacheng looked nice and would've probably been good fun to cycle. But as things stood we just couldn't be bothered with any more accommodation struggles. Just short of Tacheng we stopped at another police checkpoint. Pictures, passports, the usual questions. We asked them in which hotel we could stay. They told us a name and we instructed our driver to drop us there. He did. Naturally the receptionist told us they couldn't accept foreigners. They sent us to another hotel. How difficult can it be to find a hotel that accepts foreigners in a border town!? We cycled to that other hotel and in fact they accepted us. We checked in and went out to have a late lunch. We had just spread out on the beds when someone knocked on the door. Two police officers. Pictures, passports, same old questions. We sat on our beds and tried to stay friendly. Half an hour later they were gone and we decided we would need a beer. Just before midnight and after we had gone to sleep someone knocked on our door again. Police. Of course. We opened the door just in underwear. We made it pretty clear we were annoyed and upset. We didn't invite them into our room this time. Same questions, same pictures and eventually they buggered off.

Taking a car to Tacheng

The border between Kazakhstan and China is one of the few landborders where the time difference is 2 hours as all of China has the same time zone despite its size. That also meant that it didn't get dark before 11pm in summer in Xinjiang. And it also meant that the border wouldn't open before 10am Chinese time. We slept in and quickly cycled the last 20 kilometres to the border. Another police checkpoint, once more the same stupid procedure. Eventually we went to the immigration office, got stamped out – and finally left China behind! We had to get on a bus for the short stretch of no-man's land but we were so enthusiastic to be back in Kazakhstan that even that couldn't annoy us. We had expected to find an ATM or an exchange office in the border town but there wasn't anything. In the morning we did have a very rich breakfast so we figured we would easily make it to the next sizeable town in 60 kilometres. And we did. We dispensed some money, had lunch and then we powered on for another 50 kilometres to Urdzhar where we found a nice little hotel. We also found a shop that sold cheese, butter and fresh bread. How much better can it get!?

We're in Kazakhstan!

Smooth riding to Urdzhar

The road had been all smooth tarmac from the border and it stayed like that for another 50 kilometres the next day. Then suddenly the tarmac just ended. It was only about 20 kilometres to the main north – south highway and those 20 kilometres were off-road – WTF?! We got to the main highway after a lot of cursing. Just to find the main highway was an awfully bumpy affair that wasn't much better than a dirt track. We plodded on and when the sun set we had hit the 150 kilometres mark despite the road conditions. The only viable camping spot was a construction site. It wasn't overgrown with waist-high shrubs and that was the only thing it had going for it.

The first road sign for Almaty

Scenic route through the Kazakh steppe

Camping on a construction site

By 7am the next morning we had packed up and hit the road. The rest of the day went by rather uneventfully. Vast expanses of nothingness around us, a bumpy road ahead of us, enthusiastically waving drivers speeding past us and the sun scorching down on us. In the afternoon clouds started to turn in and the wind picked up. We reached Kabanbay in kind of a sandstorm. It was the place where we had wanted to stop anyway and we even found a nice, modern hotel. Score!
The next morning the storm continued and we decided to take a day off. There wasn't much to do and so we just relaxed and spent our time listening to audiobooks.

Sunflower fields along the way

The forecast was for cloudy weather but no storm the next day. We got an early start and for the first kilometres we even had some sunshine. Soon clouds turned in. We left the last steep-ish hills behind and reached a plateau. Meanwhile the clouds had become darker and darker and inevitably it started to rain. We found shelter under some lonely trees but doubted that this was a good spot to wait out the rain when lightening struck another group of trees not even a kilometres from where we were. The rain had almost stopped anyway so we decided cycling on would be more sensible than waiting under some lonely trees during a thunderstorm. We carried on and soon the weather cleared up. The rest of the day went by uneventfully. The road improved slightly but remained bumpy and unpleasantly narrow. We passed through a number of villages as the population density increases closer to Almaty. That also made it more difficult to find a good camping spot and so we happily stayed in a hotel in Zhansigurov. After our usual shopping and dinner routine we went to bed early.

Waiting out a rain shower between wild hemp plants

The next morning greeted us with sunshine and we were preparing for a scorcher of a day. We were wrong. After not even 10 kilometres we got into a rain shower. We waited out the rain under a tree in a trash-littered highway rest area. By the time the rain had stopped the wind had picked up and cycling became seriously unpleasant. Just when the worst gusts stopped, it started to rain once more. This time there wasn't any shelter around and by the time we reached a lonely tree next to the road we were soaking wet. We took shelter under it and waited out the last rain drops and also another round of gusty wind. Eventually the weather allowed for continuing. The ride was pretty arduous with a lot of uphill and the sun was scorching down unrelentingly. On the last hilltop we were waved down by the driver of a broken down car. For some strange reason he figured that cyclists might have the tools he needed to fix up his car. In fact we did. 30 minutes later the car was about roadworthy again and the grateful driver sent us off with a huge bag full of sweets and fresh fruits. Soon later we reached the outskirts of Taldykorgan and finally the road improved. Despite the heavy traffic the last kilometres into town were bliss! We easily found the hotel where Valentina was waiting for us.
For those who haven't followed our Mongolian adventure – On the way from Hohhot in China to the Mongolian border we were asked by Italian cyclist Valentina to get some spare parts for her bicycle that broke down in remote Mongolia. We eventually got to meet her in Ulaanbaatar where she picked up the spares and had her bike fixed. While she was headed to Russia we were heading towards China. We had stayed in contact, though. Initially we were thinking we would meet again in Almaty but as things stood we figure we could meet in Taldykorgan instead.
We had a great afternoon and evening catching up with Valentina and exchanging stories from our respective journeys. While we were chatting a local family sat down on a table next to us. They were intrigued with the fact that we were cycling. We learned that they belonged to the Korean minority in Kazakhstan and that they owned the pub right across the street from the hostel. After chatting for a while they invited us into their pub where we watched football together while we were treated to delicious food and drinks. What a great day!

Dark clouds and bumpy road

We probably had a bit too much beer and vodka the night before so we got a really late start the next morning. Except for some construction work the riding was smooth. But the hills, oh the hills! It's not particularly enjoyable to cycle an infinite number of hills in unrelenting heat. Doing the same thing when you're hung over and while 40+ years old soviet trucks bath you in stinky fumes is a different story. Eventually we climbed the last hill and rolled into a town. The first hotel we found was closed but eventually we found a very basic room in a guesthouse next to the train station. We dumped our bags and then went out for dinner.

Riding with Valentina

On the way to Almaty (Picture courtesy of Valentina Brunet)

The forecast was for a light tailwind the next day plus we had a long downhill ahead. We left town in high spirits but soon realized that the weather forecast was rubbish. There was a strong headwind instead of tailwind. Even on the downhill we had to pedal hard to achieve a reasonable speed. After 40 kilometres we stopped at a restaurant. It wasn't particularly late but we figured we wouldn't get to Kapchagay anyway. When we were offered to pitch our tents on the green grass behind the restaurant we happily accepted. A nice Uzbek man who worked at the restaurant as a chef kept us company and gave us ovenfresh Samsas (bread filled with meat and onions) and watermelon.

Camping behind a restaurant

The next morning the wind was calm and we reached Kapchagay by early afternoon. Kapchagay has a quite scenic setting at the shores of a big lake. There wasn't any affordable accommodation right at the shore so we treated ourselves to a hotel with swimming pool instead. Unfortunately the hotel wasn't as great as we initially thought with rather lazy and unfriendly staff and run-down facilities but the pool was great.

Posing with Valentina at the beach in Kapchagay

We set off early the next morning. The highway we had been following for most of our way through Kazakhstan became an expressway for the last 80 or so kilometres into Almaty so we had to take a detour over secondary roads. We had been dreading those roads given our experience with road conditions in Kazakhstan. But actually the way was a pleasant surprise. Well-rideable surface and hardly any traffic. The last kilometres into Almaty were stressful, though. At 5pm we arrived at the apartment we had rented for a week. After a short wait the caretaker turned up and handed us the keys. For the equivalent of $15 we got a fully equipped flat big enough to accommodate the 3 of us.

Secondary roads on the way into Almaty

There we are!

The next week was rather uneventful. We had been to Almaty before so there wasn't much point in sightseeing. Instead we did a lot of relaxing and shopping. A fair bit of our gear needed to be repaired or replaced and Almaty was the one place in Central Asia to do that. In the evenings we helped our personal Italian chef Valentina preparing delicious food.

Cooking with Valentina

Time to replace some of our gear

Strolling around Almaty

Green Bazar

Ascension Cathedral

After one week we had most of our chores done and were ready to ride on. The way out of Almaty was equally unpleasant like the way into town. Also the terrain was pretty hilly which didn't help, either. None of us was particularly motivated and we opted for a short day. After a mere 80 kilometres we found a nice camping spot and called it a day. It was surprisingly chilly that night given the the unbearable heat the days before and with sunset we all retired into our tents. The view on the snow-covered mountains nearby was stunning, though.

Way out of Almaty (Picture courtesy of Valentina Brunet)

Stunning camping spot

The next day the temperatures were back to hot. We followed a nice back road for half of the day. There was a fair bit of climbing but the views were rewarding and there was hardly any traffic. Eventually the secondary roads ended and we had to go on the main highway connecting Almaty and Bishkek. It wasn't as bad as we expected it to be but still it wasn't enjoyable. We had found a suggestion for a camping spot next to a lake just aside the highway and that was where we decided to aim for even though it meant putting in a long 120 kilometres day. By late afternoon we reached the turn-off to the lake and were delighted to find a small shop right next to the turn-off. We bought some beer, cycled the last two kilometres to the lake shore and enjoyed our cold beers right there. When the sun set we pitched our tents and admired the views over the lake.

Secondary road to Bishkek (Picture courtesy of Valentina Brunet)

Great cycling!

Another nice camping spot

The next day was our last day in Kazakhstan. The morning started with a solid 600 metres climb. We always dread to start a day with a climb but this time it was worth it. The remaining 40 kilometres to the border were all downhill!!!
We spent our last Kazakh Tenge on food and then we headed to the border post. Stamping us out of Kazakhstan and in to Kyrgyzstan was a hassle-free affair. From the border it was only about 25 kilometres to Bishkek. Again the traffic was rather stressful and we were glad when we finally reached Angie's home.
2 years ago Angie and her partner Nathan, avid cyclists themselves, had set up a makeshift guesthouse for cyclists called the AtHouse. When Nathan moved back to Canada the AtHouse was closed. But Angie still lived in Bishkek in the same place. We befriended her when we stayed in the AtHouse back in 2016 and so we were invited to stay with her while in Bishkek.
It was great to see Angie again after these 2 years and after all those kilometres. And there was one more reason to celebrate – we had hit the 40,000 kilometres mark on the way into town. We stayed up until 2am, chatting and exchanging stories. Also it was the night of the longest lunar eclipse of the century. What. A. Great. Day!

Almost there

Waiting at the border post

Made it to Bishkek

Chatting and chatting

We hit the 40,000km mark!

Posing with Angie

Watching the lunar eclipse

The next days were again rather uneventful. We chatted a lot, relaxed a lot and tried to sort the remaining chores. The bikes needed to be prepared for the Pamir Highway and we had to sort out visas for the route ahead.

Always something to do on the bikes