Astana is one of the stranger places in this world. Four lane highways with no cars, washed four times a day (worse than Singapur). Beyond this, just mosquitos and sun.
Casimir (July 98)
In June 1998, the Ministry of Environment in Kazakstan decided to try to impose a US$20 admission charge for foreigners into national parks. This potentially doubles the cost of hiking and trekking day trips out of Almaty. The charge has not yet been passed by the Ministry of Justice and is of dubious legal status.
Trying to get to the flamingos of the Kurgalzhino nature reserve is not easy. Not a single travel agent in Almaty (or indeed a single local person) even knew of their existence. Calls to travel agents in Akmola/Astana finally revealed one agent who knew where the park was and offered to arrange a driver - for the cost of US$315 including a night in a hotel. This price proved prohibitive, especially when the travel agent told us that you couldn't get near the flamingos because of the swampy land and that there were "much less birds than before". The whole thing smacks of an environmental tragedy unfolding without anyone noticing.
George & Lisa Horsington, (June 98)
For those who get a thrill out of the desolate and want to experience social reality in the Kazakh countryside, visit Akti and the surrounding area. Akti lays 117 km northwest of Almaty. The town was founded in 1931 as a kolkhoz where Kazakh nomads were forcibly settled during Stalin's collectivization campaigns. Between 1896 and 1930 the "Land of the Seven Rivers" - as this region is called, was the hotbed of the Kazakh basmashi-guerilla. Those were Islamic rebels who rose against Russian colonization and later against Soviet collectivization campaigns. The Red Army "pacification" caused half a genocide and the survivors were settled in concentration villages like Akti.
Akti used to be the admistrative centre of Kurtinsky rajon (county). Its economy entirely depended on unproductive but heavily subsidized state farms, mainly producing fodder and wool. The demise of the Soviet Union finished off the state farms and administrative reforms who abolished Kourtinsky rajon pushed Akti into further oblivion.
It used to be one of these Soviet model towns with its huge, completely disproportionate hospital, airport , apartment blocks of civil servants, secondary school, which are now all abandoned, plundered or are in full decay. Even radio waves no longer reach Akti. It looks like a Mad Max film set. The total collapse of the economy and the poor quality of soil, lack of water and the illusion of a better life in the city has driven its people away in droves. Within five years or so, Akti will be a ghost town.
Bruno De Cordier (Apr 98)
After hearing such descriptions about the Almaty-Urumqi rail link, I resolved to take the bus. Unfortunately the quote "travellers report no such hassles on the bus journey in either direction" may no longer be a valid comment. The Almaty-Urumqi bus quoted as taking 26 hours, took me 42 hours (albeit with a few break downs). Other sources say this journey should take 36 hours.
This trip, when I took it, did stop for sleep but didn't stop very often for food or bodily functions and wouldn't stop to allow me to change money. The customs procedures were, on the other hand, a breeze with officials on both border posts smiling, helpful and friendly. The Urumqi bus stopped at the rapidly growing town on the Chinese side of the border and I was forced to book into a hotel there for a four 1/2 hour stay.
When I left Almaty I was sharing the bus with half a dozen friendly Uyghur men. We smile and gestured with each other amicably and the bus, despite having a fractured windscreen, ambled on, through the "Zharkent Free Trade Zone" with no problems. There was the odd check point passport check but I didn't have to pay any "fees". At Khorgas, however, we waited in a long line up of backlogged trucks, cars and buses. My Uyghur friends got off but I was told to stay put. After three hours (no opportunity for food buying toilets or money changing), I was hastily transferred to another bus - this one had half the seats missing, windows were held together with sticky tape, had a very belligerent bus driver and I was the only passenger. They drove me to the border checkpoint, stopping to change a flat tyre on the way.
At the border I had no problems - a friendly Kazak official helped me to fill out the form in English - I wasn't asked for any currency receipts and I didn't have to wait long for processing. She offered to help me if I had any problems on the Chinese side. The bus was gone when I exited the Kazak post, but a different bus gave me a lift to the Chinese border. The officials there were friendly too, keen to practice their English - they even told me not to bother with putting my bag through the security check. Alas, the rickety sticky tape bus awaited me, and although I'd still had no chance to go to the toilet, buy food or change money, I was keen to keep going. The bus broke down 10 minutes later. Then, at the next town - quite near the border, we stopped. The driver disappeared into a hotel for a few hours. I waited in the bus and ate my emergency chocolate supply. When he returned he drove, with a new friend, to a restaurant around the corner and gestured "Eat!!". No, Yuan," I signalled and he grunted that I should stay put.
Two hours later he emerged, only to drive back to the hotel and order me to get out and "sleep". I had no money to pay for a hotel, but friendly people helped me out, giving me some food. Four 1/2 hours later I was rudely awakened and we set off again. We broke down several more times, including a three hour stint watching the dawn in the beautiful, but frosty Tian Shan mountains.
I had no trouble buying a ticket the day before but it is most advisable to bring as much food as possible. Don't bank on being able to buy any along the way.
Cate Turk (Mar 98)
The Almaty Institute of Archeology has started to excavate the Saraichuk site which was a very prosperous city of the Golden Horde in the 14-15 Century. It is 55 km north from Atyrau on the right bank of the Ural river. They dug out a big caravanserail and many tombs. The digging will begin again in late spring.
Liliane Metz-Krencker (Mar 98)
Train travel is loads of fun; rather uncomfortable at times but a great way of meeting the local people. We travelled over 10,000 kilometres through China, Central Asia and Russia and most of the time were the only westerners on the trains. We had taken photos of our home, family, gardens, cars, etc, and maps of the country in relation to where we were travelling, as well as a few glossy photos and touristy books of New Zealand. These were very popular and a great way to break the ice with fellow passengers.
Kate Frost - New Zealand (Jan 98)
The best remedy against problems in Central Asia is to stay tuned in order to keep your papers in order and give them the least shakedown opportunities as possible. The rules and regulation change all the time, thus leaving plenty of loopholes for whoever wants to abuse them.
Take the "72 hours-rule", according to which, a valid visa for Kyrghyzstan normally gives you the right to spend 72 hours in Kazakhstan without transit visa, registration or any cost (and the same with a Kazakhstan visa in Kyrghyzstan). But hardly anyone issues entry stamps at the border, and often they outrightly refuse you one when you ask for it. That way you can't prove how long you've been in the country, and its potluck whether an official will seize the opportunity to make problems at the first passport control or not. On top of that, recent anti-narcotic laws in Kazakhstan and Kyrghyzstan give police the full right to run in passengers at bus and railway stations, search, question and hold them for a longer time at the nearest police post.
When arrested, consular advice is not only a basic right, its you main tool of defence. For example, in Dzhambul policemen who searched my bag pretended that my water purifying tablets were narcotics and that I was ready for a long time in prison. But they quickly forgot about that matter when I said that in that case, I had the right to call my consulate in Almaty immediately and inform them about my arrest. Thus It is very wise to keep the address and telephone numbers of your embassy or an embassy that would help you in Tahkent, Bishkek etc with you.
It is important to know that only the issuing authorities and noone else are entitled to confiscate your passport, and that it should be with you at all times. It can only be taken for a brief check. However in practice they often take it away.
Never let a policeman put their hands in your pockets during a search. Instead take all stuff out yourself and turn your pockets out. There have been cases where policemen planted some hash in pockets while they were searching them.
Unless you understand Russian, never sign anything. One French man signed something of which the fine print said he admitted to 'aggressive behaviour towards policemen'.
Always insist on paying a fine at the back. This is official policy to prevent bribes. Demand a copy of the receipt, as with all documents or declarations involved. If they ask to see your money, insist on doing so at a bank, and count the money.
Making a scene can help if there is an audience. Officials are not used to contradiction, and locals have been known to help protect travellers.
This does not mean, however, that all C.Asian police are thugs. Most are simply underpaid and bored, and, more important, have families to feed. Some are friendly and have showed us around and given us meals.
Bruno de Cordier - Belgium (Dec 1997)
For anyone travelling by car, it might be useful to have some information about midway Almaty-Semey. A larger part of the road is so bad that it is impossible to drive it in one day. After 650 km from Almaty one finds, before Lake Alakol, a small village Ytsjaral. There are two small hotels for a couple of dollars per night. The restaurant was closed but there is a small kiosk with a terrace which serves beer, bread and tinned fish. North from Utsjaral, there are a few hotels along the road but they did not look very attractive. Ayaguz has also a hotel but is still much further and closer to Semey (from Utsjaral to Semey is also some 600 kms).
Joost van der Ven. - The Netherlands (Nov 97)
