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Floating road between Russia & Kazakhstan
The Roads are HORRIFIC. The road from Astrikhan, Russia to Atyrau, Kazakhstan was like driving on the moon with one pothole after another. (I drove a decent amount of it – OUCH) Our team got ALL 3 of our flat tires in Kazakhstan on the road to Semey. Thankfully, we met some helpful Kazakhs that sorted out patching our only drivable spare in approximately 30 minutes at 11:30 at night!!
There’s a major road project going on in Kazakhstan with the most beautiful roads being built, too bad they weren’t ready to be driven on this summer. (Except we did drive on one being paved in Atyrau. We saw no alternative route and we were looked at like we were crazy. It was nicer than most roads despite being wet.)
Sitting on One of the New Roads paying off Police
They are opening up their borders like never before. US Citizens no longer need a tourist visa upon entry as part of a test period for up to 15 days in Kazakhstan. This change applied to 10 countries in total and will last up to July 15, 2015.
5 Year Visa Entry into Kazakhstan
Despite their obvious push toward growth in tourism and otherwise, Kazakhs, in general, don’t seem too keen on tourists.
There are some seriously civilized cities in Kazakhstan such as Almaty.
Almaty had Anything You Might Need!
There is no such thing as orderly lines, by in large, so be prepared to push your way forward and stand your ground. In fact, people are impatient in general.
Our Rally Cars Took a Beating in Kazakhstan
It’s cheap but not as cheap as you’d think or expect.
Negotiating a “Fine” Equaled $200 USD
The police are corrupt and not just to foreigners. We were pulled over in Kazakhstan 4 times in one day. However, over a period of time, we realized we could blatantly ignore the police, which felt odd as it’s not in our nature.
Dirty Windows Help Police Solicit Us as “Free Money”
Kazakhstan is dusty and dirty. It wasn’t easy to keep our car or ourselves clean.
Kazakh Gals Drink Beer with Straws
There is NO Borat and Kazakhs DO NOT appreciate Borat references. Fine Kazakh ladies do, however, have some odd customs.
Lauren,
That “floating road” looks scary as hell. No way this old man could handle that. Would probably have to change my underwear! Hope you are okay and off to a great start in 2015!
Mike
Mike (Nomadic Texan) recently posted…The Santiago Way: How to Keep Your Feet Fighting Fit
Maybe they are not so nice to foreigners because they were isolated for a while. It does sound like an adventure. Do you think it would be safe to travel there alone?
Jo (The Blonde) recently posted…Teaching English in Thailand – how we party at my school!
Hi Jo. Thanks for stopping by. It could be from isolation although other “stans” have been far more isolated and the people were far more kind. I do think it’s safe to travel alone. If you’re driving just be prepared that you WILL be pulled over and you WILL probably be forced to pay a bribe. It just goes without saying.