MONGOLRALLY WEEK SEVEN:Intimidating locals and an inhospitable capital make for a bumpy ride through Kazakhstan, writes Guy Craigie
ENTERING KAZAKHSTAN was marred by what seemed to be corrupt border guards. After a succession of attempts at intimidation and bullying we were left shaken but relieved, having stood our ground and refusing to give them a penny. We were let through grudgingly, and took off towards Almaty, Kazakhstan's capital.
After camping on the side of the road, we pressed onwards, trying to cover the next 300km to the city. Along the way we were stopped by a police checkpoint and handed a $100 speeding fine (about €68), despite no evidence that we had been speeding - but after further intimidation, we paid up and ran. Our out-of-date map showed highways which were nothing more than crumbling remnants and we got lost very quickly.
Dehydrated and hungry, we reached Almaty nine hours later and, having earmarked a cheap hotel to stay in, were gutted to find it booked out. We spent the two hours scouring the city which is far more expensive than we envisaged.
Finally, at 10pm we came across a concrete block, untouched since the 1950s, that somehow managed to classify itself as a hotel.
Unpacked but still smelly, we made our way to the first Irish bar we could find and were appalled to find a pint of Guinness to be $9 (€6) and a bowl of soup $10 (€6.80).
We went to bed hungry, but not before I was confronted in the Gents' by a local thug threatening to "break my face" unless I gave him $20 (€13.50). Luckily the toilet attendant came to my rescue.
That night was the worst we had in a hotel with little sleep between any of us, as we realised that we had been bitten by bed bugs. More drama followed from David who felt unwell, and went back to the hotel, to bed.
Almaty was a shock. Having been told that it was by far the most western of cities in central Asia, due to the high presence of oil-rich expats, we were disappointed to find an ugly city that was unfriendly and overpriced.
We were desperate to check the rally website to see if any other teams were in the city for us to meet up with and convoy on to Mongolia.
We found two teams, and arranged to meet the next day. We headed back excitedly to the hotel, to find David in a bad state and refusing a doctor - so we let him be.
The next day we met the other teams with whom we have been convoying since, and made our way to a mechanic's for last-minute checks. We had lost fifth gear again, we needed a new fan, and the roof rack was coming loose and these were fixed easily enough. Meanwhile David's condition improved and was self-diagnosed as a serious bout of "traveller's diarrhoea".
On Friday we left Almaty and, in convoy for the first time since the Czech Republic, started towards Semey in Northern Kazakhstan.
We have had some fantastic camping and the presence of other ralliers has made all the difference. They consist of two English girls and a couple of Swedish/Scottish origin, all of whom could not have been more friendly, and keeping with the rally's ethos, are happy to help each other out.
Now we are in Semey, a former Russian nuclear testing site. It is a desolate-looking place, and we have been advised not to tarry. The roads are deteriorating rapidly and the other two teams have already had suspension problems and a puncture each. Boggy, though, is grand.
So we're making our way to the border crossing at the southern tip of Siberia where we will cross to the Mongolian border, hopefully by tomorrow.
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