DAY 31 – 16 July 2014; Asthana to Kostanay

When I was in Almaty Ali connected me to the Indian Ambassador to Kazakhstan – Ashok Kumar Sharma. It turned out that we are batch mates, with plenty to recall from the days in the Administrative Academy in Mussoorie. Ashok told me that I should drop into his house when I arrived into Astana. The early morning arrival spiked the plan. I gave him a call in the morning and he requested me to drop in at the Embassy after 9.30 am. Well that was also not to be since Geniya and Bek got ready early and suggested that we should get on the road earlier than planned. The late night, rather early morning, arrival into the hotel meant that much less rest. More bothersome was the gnawing hunger. I could not wait till the time we had decided to meet for breakfast. It was very cold outside and a couple of forays to the car to load my luggage and clean up the windshield and headlights made me hungrier. By 7 am I was already on the second cup of coffee. Pancakes, cakes, bread, boiled eggs, salami and sausage were quickly feasted on. We were ready to leave the beautiful city of Astana, which we did not get any time to explore, before 9 am. Within a short distance of leaving the hotel a traffic policeman waved down both the cars. He told us to clean the number plates. The journey through rain filled ditches and dusty roads the previous night had made the cars almost unrecognizable. Geniya and I used wet wipes to do what the policeman wanted. Further up, at a police check post, we were waved down again. When we told the policeman, who identified himself as the Captain of the Traffic Police, that we are from India he mentioned Mithun Chakraborthy and asked us to get on. However, Geniya and Bek had some prolonged paperwork to get done before we hit the highway.

Kazakhstan is a huge country and is one of the two landlocked countries that span Asia and Europe. It is also the world’s largest landlocked country by size, which is larger than Western Europe. The terrain of the country includes flatlands, snow capped mountains, steppes, rock canyons and deserts. However, with a density of population of 6 per square kilometer vast areas lie unoccupied and bare. The total population of Kazakhstan is less than 18 million. The capital of the country was shifted from Almaty to Astana in 1997. The essentially nomadic country is home to as many as 130 ethnicities. The major religion is Islam (70%) with Christians occupying 26% of the religious space. While the national language is Kazakh, Russian occupies equal status in matters administrative and official. The country came under the sway of Chengiz Khan in the 13^th century and under the Soviets in late 19^th century. It gained independence in 1991 and has been a unitary republic since then with Nursultan Nurabayev as President. The country is rich in mineral and fossil fuels. Its balanced foreign policy has seen substantial inflows of foreign investment over the past years.

We had a 700 km drive across vast open flatlands and an unchanging landscape. We took the Atbashar, Ecil route piloted by Geniya. By 2.15 we stopped for lunch from where our destination was another 300 kms away. Geniya detected some problem with the car and decided to set that right before moving on further. The wait was more than 2 hours. Geniya left Bek in our company to help us order some lunch. When we asked Bek what the problem with the car is he turned on his translator and came up with, “The problem is with Candles”, which we figured out could be lights. Hence, Lal Jose mimed and made Bek understand the difference between candles and bulbs! For lunch I had a lamb soup – it had a humongous piece of lamb, almost as big as the bowl. The soup was served with home made bread. I used the rest of the time to write up the blog posts. When I went out later to get some stuff from the car I found a large group of huge Russians around the car trying to figure out the route. When they saw me they wanted pictures to be taken and questions to be answered. The former I did without any hassle but the latter was a bother for they spoke Russian and were sloshed on Vodka! A couple of them gave me bear hugs which I feared would not end for they found it tough to untangle after the hug, maybe the effect of the Vodka.

The small garage that Geniya had taken the car to seemed to have attended to the problem capably but it was Bek who managed to get most of the stuff done. It is when Bek was attending to the problem that we realised what he meant by Candles – they were spark plugs. The joke was once again on us! The drive from Ecil to Kostanay was smooth and trouble free. We got into Kostanay by 8.30 pm; the sun was blindingly hot! It did take us some time to locate the hotel where Ali had made bookings. But when we got there we were greeted by Mariya at the reception with flawless English.


We had a large Family Room to ourselves, which comprised of two bedrooms. Once we had put our luggage in there it was time to polish off the Vivita Vodka that we had been carrying with us since Naryn. With fruit juices it went down smoothly to make us happy and relaxed. At 10.30 pm Bek called to say that the car should be taken for a wash. Baiju graciously took on the responsibility and I continued to get certain logistics arrangements in place for the rest of the journey. By 11 pm Lal and I went down to the restaurant and were told that we could have only Salads for dinner. We ordered beef, chicken and fish salads with a large quantity of local vodka. We were joined by Geniya and Bek later. The young waiter, who too spoke excellent English, accommodated our request for two more salads despite the kitchen being closed. He was in line for a large tip.

DAY 30 – 15 July 2014; Almaty to Asthana

I had set the alarm for 3.30 am since Ali had promised to reach the hotel by 4.30 am to pick up our excess baggage. But when I woke up it was an hour past the wake up time. However, I hurried up to get ready in about 20 minutes. When I reached the lobby with the luggage Ali, Elvis and Alex were already near the car with Lal and Baiju. They helped with rearranging the luggage in the car. Elvis took over the responsibility of disposing off the oxygen cylinders. Geniya took the extra fuel cans. Lal and I had an extra bag each. Along with the Chemical Toilet we handed over the extra bags to Ali to be sent to Cochin at his convenience. Ali, Alex and Baiju signed the Campaign Poster and stuck the green dot against Kazakhstan. Finally, we rolled on at 5.30 am with Geniya and his friend Bek piloting us. It was an emotional moment bidding goodbye to those wonderful guys who had made us totally at ease in a foreign land in a short while. Their hospitality and warmth will remain with us always. This has been the experience wherever we have been – Jethi and Arvind in India, Mohan and Abhay in Nepal, Yingchu in China, Alexander, Raveendrans, Ajayan and Mrs and Mr. Khobragde in Kyrgyzstan and now these gentlemen in Kazakhstan. One feels happy and comforted at the same time when you know that these are kindred souls that travel with you in time and space.

Geniya is a superb guy but almost impossible to communicate with due to his lack of understanding of English; or our lack of understanding of his language, as he would see it! But Bek found a way around it. We had driven for about three hours when Geniya decided to stop for breakfast. There was a row of small stalls and none of them was busy. We parked in front of one and a huge lady barely turned her head to acknowledge our visit to her stall. It was only Geniya who could stir her up, literally. The menu being in the local language and our companions completely foxed by our words and gestures I wondered how we would get to the eating stage after the challenge of placing the order. That is when Bek came up with his mobile application; a language conversion app. He would speak into his phone in his language and it would show on screen its version in English. It was a major discovery and communication barrier was breached. It did throw up hilarious translations at time. Wanting to say that he had recharged my mobile he held up a message on his mobile, “Have thrown money in phone”! He was grinning from ear to ear and I was at a loss for words not knowing what he actually meant. Then Geniya said, “Speak” and I understood what he had wanted to convey. In another instance he showed me a message which read, “Disconnect high beam” – he was telling me not to use high beam; once you are on the highway in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Russia you have to keep the headlights on irrespective of the time of day.

We ordered a big plate of Koordak – lamb chunks with potato and onion – bread and chai. In a short while, what would have been an aged and lazy animal was put in a plate for us to address it. It was difficult but when you are hungry the antecedents of the stuff that goes into making the meal matters very little. Chai is had in small bowls – a smaller version of the erstwhile ‘koppa’. Black tea is the norm. Lemon, sugar and milk are offered separately.

I was warned to be careful with the fuel stations. Ali and Elvis gave special instructions to Geniya in this regard. Therefore, Geniya would stop almost every 300 kms at trusted fuel stations. Diesel fuel cost 115 KZT, the equivalent of about INR 39, per litre. Most of the fuel stations have well stocked stores attached to them. Most stations do not have attendants. Prepayment is compulsory at some stations. The balance amount is refunded if not fully used. Quality seemed to be alright, if not good, since the mileage improved as compared to India.

We stopped at about 3.30 pm for lunch. Geniya was tasked with the responsibility of ordering appropriately for all of us. Lal and Baiju requested for rice and I ordered macaroni. The food came in good time with pork chunks, bread and fish salad. Tea and Pancakes with milkmaid made the meal thoroughly filling. Lal and Baiju could not get even half their portions in. one common factor with all restaurants is that they do not have even half of what can be called a toilet. The restaurant will be well done up with pretty waitresses doing a competent job. However, it is next to impossible to get them to understand even a few words of English – the only word they understand is Toilet, but they have precious little to offer on that score.

We did not stop any place for dinner hoping that we would reach the destination early. En route we stopped at a few places for bio-breaks and even to photograph a camel. It was windy and cold; so much so that we had to retrieve left over woollens. We reached the hotel in Astana only by 1 am after travelling 1213 kms – the longest drive in the entire journey. It was tiring and enervating.  The Hotel Duman is a lovely property, but certainly not value for money. It did not even have a sachet of tea. Before turning in for the night we decided on a 9 am start the next day.

DAY 29 – 14 July 2014; Bishkek to Almaty

It was the day to leave Kyrgyzstan and get to Kazakhstan. I was originally scheduled to get to Kazakhstan via Shymkent. The route changed via Almaty and Astana in the past few days with benefactors and well wishers suggesting changes. I was keen to get as much of advice as possible about the ground conditions before setting out. Raveendran had also chipped in with his. In the morning before the others had woken up we launched on an excellent discussion about souls and their indestructibility. The discussion gave me a better understanding of why human beings refer to themselves as brothers. Souls emanate from the same source and hence, the appropriate address as brothers. The common descent and the eternal cycle of birth and rebirth bind souls into a network of conscious and unconscious brethren. The Universality of Man and Brotherhood of Mankind was established.

Mrs. Raveendran made dosas and pooris for breakfast. Besides these I feasted on the fantastically juicy melon. After the heavy breakfast we went down to the car for Raveendran and his wife to do the honours ‘converting’ the red sticker to green on the route shown on the car, signifying that we have visited Kyrgyzstan along our route to London. Four countries in the 27 have been done. We were off to the fifth.

The previous evening Danile Sivas, the guide who was to get us across the Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan borders, had told me that he would be on time for an 8 am start from Raveendran’s flat. He was a few minutes early and he got into our car and asked his to follow. Initially we were to have used the Korgay border. But Danile changed the entry border to Karaza. I was a bit worried about the change, but Danile comforted me saying that he had spoken to Ali’s contact who was to meet us at the Kazakhstan border. It was less than 40 kms to the border. The exit from Kyrgyzstan was smooth and so was the entry into Kazakhstan. I expected detailed documentation and check of baggage. We had to fill out a form to be stamped and retained for the exit from Kazakhstan. I was surprised that they were not bothered about what we had in the car.

When we were waved across the barrier to enter Kazakhstan Geniya was waiting for us. Immediately he handed over a mobile phone with Ali’s number and asked me to speak to him. Ali told me that Geniya knew only Russian, but would be an excellent pilot to get us to Almaty. He proved so. If it had not been for him we would have ended up paying huge penalties to the Police; they were everywhere, behind tress, around the corner and even targeting radar lying in bushes! Ali was constantly on the phone asking if we were comfortable and if we wanted anything en route. I was moved by his commitment to help. Danile had helped me secure a car insurance at the border on entry into Kazakhstan which cost me 400 Som. The 200 plus kms to Almaty was extremely slow despite the decent roads due to the omnipresence of police and surveillance cameras; the tough policing was there to be seen. I saw them chasing after cars and even dramatically informing forward posts to nab the offenders.

We arrived the Royal Tulip Hotel at 1.30 pm, where Ali had arranged accommodation for us. The hotel accommodation was superb but we did not have much time to relax there. I had two immediate tasks on hand – get the car serviced as it had done 10,000 kms since setting out from Cochin and finalise the route. Ali’s staff met us in the hotel and ensured smooth check in formalities in the hotel. The Ford service centre said that they would be able to take the vehicle in for servicing only the next day, which was not compatible with our schedule. Ali told Geniya to get the oils, etc checked in a private garage. The garage did a good job, completely drained the old oil and filled up the new that I was carrying. The brake fluid and pads did not require top up or change. Once I got back to the hotel Ali came there to finalise the route plans with Geniya. Ali wanted the route to be okay by the latter and also wanted him to pilot us to Russia. In a couple of hours the route via Astana, Kostanay, Ufa, Vladimir and Moscow was cast. Geniya also promised to pilot us with his friend all the way to Moscow in his car! He also spoke to another friend of his to accompany us from Moscow to St Petersburg. Ali had his own strategy to get Geniya to agree to what he wanted!

Alex Alexander (Alex is a CIS veteran having worked with Ranbaxy) had organised a get together in one of the local restaurants. We were joined by Elvis Roberts (Of Cruz Shipping), Sanju, Georgie, Nibi & wife, Rizwan, Sudhakaran and Antony. Elvis, Sanju and Antony have married local women and Riswan is dating one. Many Indians who come to study or start their career in Kazakhstan end up marrying locals and resettling from India. They prefer the life style there and do visit India at least once a year. Sanju, Alex and Riswan ordered traditional items for dinner. There was lamb, beef and horse meat, in kebabs, pilaf and soup. I had had a long day and was keen to get back to the hotel sooner than the rest. Ali agreed to drop me back and on the way back he gave me a short synopsis of his life (sounded as if he possessed an Aladdin’s Lamp) and work. More than his diversified businesses I was impressed by his philanthropy. He cares for orphans in various parts of the world. The self confessed ‘Black Sheep’ of the family has done extremely well in life. He makes it a point to utilise 20% of his gross receipts for philanthropy. I am extremely beholden to Suresh, in Cochin, for enabling me to meet this noble soul during the journey.

Ali asked us to repack our bags in such a way that we could leave some behind for him to send to Cochin with his employees. That was a boon. Accordingly, even though it was late by the time I got back to the room I repacked my bags and filled up one big one to be left behind in Almaty. I had also arranged with Ali to jettison the oxygen cylinders in Almaty, as also the extra fuel cans. This would substantially reduce the luggage in the car. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow as we have to get to Astana – over 16 hours on the road for over 1200 kms.

DAY 28 - 13 JULY 2014; In Bishkek

When I was travelling in China, towards the end of it, my brother in law Joe called up to say that the Company he is associated with has contacts in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Accordingly he gave me the contact of K Ajayan, a veteran of CIS countries. Ajayan kept in constant touch till we got to Bishkek. Since I was already scheduled to stay with the Raveendrans I told Ajayan that we would be at his disposal this day. When breakfast of dosa, chutney and sambar was being served Ajayan came over to Raveendran’s flat. Dosa had been a distant dream for Baiju from the time we entered China. He could not have been happier. We all relished the tasty fare served with much care and affection.

Ajayan had landed in Russia at the tender age of 17 to do his graduation. Since then he has been in various CIS countries, except for a few years in India, working in the Pharma industry. He presently lives alone in Bishkek while his wife, a teacher in the Foreign Language University in Hyderabad, and two kids live in India. Ajayan first took us to the Ethnographic Museum. The Museum is not well maintained and does not have any inscriptions or plaques to indicate what was sought to be showcased there. Ajayan and I had a long chat about the various ethnic influences on the development of the Kyrgyz nation. The lady who was in charge of maintaining a Yurt in the Museum showed us around. The Yurt had three compartments – the main hall and the two smaller ones for the lady and gent of the family. There were traditional garments and warriors’ attire to be hired for photo sessions. It was so cool inside the Yurt while it was steaming hot outside. The tall structure and the lamb wool felt produced an air-conditioned effect.

It was too hot to be roaming about. Therefore, we decided to spend time in Ajayan’s apartment to sort out the route and logistics in Kazakhstan and Russia. The fruit stall in the apartment complex stocked a wide variety of fruits. The watermelons were so huge that it would have taken a whole army of starving gluttons to polish one off! Ajayan picked up a local melon, which he said has diuretic properties. Next door was a store that stocked variety of liquor, short eats, cakes, provisions and the like. I was amazed at the amount of liquor that was neatly stocked in the store. Alexander had told me that the Russians are blamed by the locals for introducing vodka into this land. It had virtually taken over the daily lives of people once they lost jobs and became impoverished Independence from the Russian federation. Unlike the manner in which we drink vodka in India it is had neat in small shots. It is said that a vodka bottle once opened is not meant to be corked. Accordingly, many bottles have caps that cannot be used to close the bottle once they are opened! Ajayan picked up a bottle of Russian Standard vodka, fruit juices, gerkins in brine, sausage and cheese; the last three for the traditional zakushka – salty meals one has with the vodka.

Ajayan lived in an apartment that belonged to the Police department in the erstwhile Soviet time. The over 6 decade old building was in good condition and absolutely cool inside, thanks to the thick walls and high ceiling. The owner of the apartment is a retired police officer who bought it when the apartment was sold after Independence. Magnetic locks keep the apartments safe from intrusions. Once comfortable inside the apartment, Ajayan poured out vodka as per our requirement – Baiju refrained from the mid morning tipple. First it was a peg with orange juice and next it was with Tonic Water. Accompanying the jolly morning drinks was lively conversations on life in the CIS countries, business opportunities, traditions and culture. Prior to it Ajayan and I finalised the re-route in Kazakhstan and Russia. Elvis Roberts, of Cruz Lines in Almaty, helped seal the route and logisitics. Later Alex Alexander, another contact given by Joe, confirmed the arrangements in Almaty, including dinner with a few Keralites. Ali, a businessman and a contact provided by a friend in Cochin, called to say that he had made arrangements for border clearance in Kazakhstan as well as an escort to Russia! HIS help comes in many ways – I was personally a bit concerned about the drive from Kyrgyzstan to Russia. Assistance promised by all the Guardian Angels dispelled every bit of the anxiety that may have lingered.

Ajayan took us for a Shashlik meal after some justice was done to the Russian Standard vodka. En route we stopped at the Russian Orthodox Church for worship and touristic reasons. The service was over but many devotees came in to say their prayers and seek blessings. The Church had many icons of Saints, Our Lady and Jesus. They were in many sizes. We offered our prayers and went around the Church admiring the ornate Sanctum Sanctorum and prayer halls. From there we went for lunch to the Arzu restaurant. A Shashlik lunch with salads and lepreshka was ordered. It did not take much time for the lunch to appear on the table. Of course, it took much less time for it to vanish without a trace on our lips or plates. The effect of the vodka started to show. Eyelids got heavy and the yawns became so wide that the hand could not politely disguise them. I excused myself for a sound nap in Ajayan’s house on the sofa.

By the time I woke up it was time to go to the Ala Too Square, which was called Lenin Square till 1991, to watch the change of guard. A few steps away from Ajayan’s house is a lovely walkway lined with trees. The long rectangular walkway cum park has many eateries, ice cream vendors, play things for kids, bicycles for hire, TT tables, etc. the park also has open drains that play host to the water that comes down from the mountains and joins streams and rivers. The flowing water is even used to cool watermelons! The Ala Too Square is a favourite with locals as well as tourists. Fountains provide relief from the heat and the park by the side of the Independence Monument is an ideal place for lovers and elders alike. In close proximity is the White House, the office of the President. Ajayan recalled that horrific day in 2005 when security guards shot and killed many protestors in front of that building. Taking the President to safety involved ploughing down hundreds that had lined up to protest misrule of the incumbent, who now lives in exile in Belarus. The change of guard takes place every 90 minutes at the square. We were fortunate to be there when the peculiar stepping guards moved in to take their position relieving the couple that had been on watch the previous hour and half. We walked around a bit savouring the monuments in the Square such as that of the legendary hero Manas on his magical horse Al-Kula, Statue of Freedom, Victory Monument, etc.

Dinner was hosted by the Raveendrans in their house. The night wore on effortlessly in the company of Vishnu (working in the Pharma Industry) & his wife Smriti, Wilson (working in the Indian Embassy) & Panchami, Johnson Lawrence (MD of a plastic utility company) and Ajayan, besides the hosts and us. After the excellent vegetarian dinner was got over with I requested Raveendran to sign the Campaign Poster. Over tea, and after Ajayan had taken leave of us, we had a lively debate on whether it is improper to refer to people, who occupy senior positions in government, by their first names in private conversations. While Raveendran thought it most inappropriate I was of the contrarian view.

During the course of the evening the route from Bishkek to Russia underwent drastic changes. Ali and Alex were on the phone with suggestions. I decided to let the matter rest till I got to Almaty.

DAY 27 – 12 July 2014; Naryn to Bishkek

The idea was to get to Bishkek by lunch time. Accordingly it was decided with Alexander that we would leave after breakfast at 7.30 am. Breakfast consisted of a salty porridge – made of undercooked rice - boiled egg, Laprechka, Bread and raspberry jam, cheese, salami, vegetable cuts and coffee. Before leaving Naryn I wanted to tank up and Alexander took me to the Gazprom fuel station (it had run out of fuel the previous evening). Diesel cost less than INR 47 a litre – wish I could cart some to India! Among places to see are listed, on travel sites, the Naryn Square and the Naryn River. The Square, which was close to the Hotel we stayed in, is a small park and nothing much to write home about. A few of the elderly townspeople could be seen ambling along in the Park. The Naryn River flows through the city.  It rises in the Tian Shan Mountains and flows into Uzbekistan. The river is home to many hydro electric power projects along its 800 kms course. In Naryn the river looks contaminated and muddy. But further South, Alexander told me, the river is clean and still due to the network of dams and reservoirs.

Kyrgyzstan is an incredibly beautiful landlocked country with more than 93% covered by mountains (dominated by the Tien Shan range) and served by a plethora of rivers and four major high altitude lakes. People take pride in the fact that they can drink water off the tap. The year around availability of fresh water from melting snow and rainfall is a boon. The mountain range divides the country into the southern (actually the west) and the northern (the east) regions; the latter being cooler. The regions are divided into 7 administrative units. The language, Kyrgyz, is related to Uzbek and Turkish and the alphabet is Cyrillic. Kyrgyzstan was annexed by Russia in 1876 and remained within the Russian Federation till it attained independence in 1991. While it has one of the most progressive political systems post independence amongst the erstwhile Soviet federated units the country has underachieved. During the Soviet days the country had many factories producing arms and ammunition. A few of these morphed into industrial units and a vast majority just closed down, leaving people jobless and desperate. The drive to Naryn and Bishkek reinforced the fact that the villages and towns continue to preserve the old relics like houses, cars and eve bus stations. Many fuel stations were seen closed down and houses boarded up. Politics, while empowering a section, had left the vast majority outside the reach and spread of development. The political system soon developed into one corrupt and mostly incompetent. However, it is fiercely democratic and takes pride in freedom.

On our way from the Krygyz border to Naryn we passed the Chatr Kul (‘Chatr’ means roof – the lake takes its name because of the altitude, and ‘Kul’ is lake) which is fed by glaciers and mountain flows. Visitors throng to Issyk Kul Lake, the biggest lake in the country, for recreation and rest during the high season of July and August.  It is skiing that brings tourists into the country during winter. The Kyrgyz are basically a nomadic people with proud traditions; the 5.5 million population of the country is comprised of 49% ethnic nomads, 35% Uzbeks, 15% Russian and 1% of a variety of Central Asian peoples – the country has one of the most ethnically diverse population inhabiting it. The locals and Uzbeks are Muslim in faith while the Russians are Christians. The nomads stay on the mountain slopes and other grazing fields in Yurts, which is a portable dwelling unit. The traditional yurts are made using wood, fabric and sheep’s wool felt. The Chinese have made a difference here too. The modern ones have easy to assemble tent like features with light weight steel rods. It is said that a camel can carry a Yurt meant for one family. The horse is treated as a sacred animal among the locals. The utility of the animal in their daily lives, from milk to meat, is the reason for this. In fact, on the way to Bishkek is a town called At-Bashi; so named by a Kyrgyz horseman in memory of his dead horse, whose head he displaced on a pike at the entrance to the village. The road infrastructure is being given a complete makeover by Chinese companies that have won global tenders. They build the roads with imported Chinese labor who are housed in camps and work for over 16 hours day in and day out. Alexander showed me sections of the road to Naryn, from the border, that had been completed in less than a month. At the hotel in Naryn I met with a group of Chinese professionals who had come there to prospect non-ferrous mining possibility. The presence of Chinese in various businesses in Kyrgyzstan is obvious.

Alexander told me to follow a few basics to drive without hassle in Kyrgyzstan; keep to the speed limits prescribed - which is 90 kmph for the highway, 60 for the mountains and villages and 40 for special areas – keep the headlights on all the time except in cities, fasten seat belt and keep the front side windows free of any shades. On the road to Naryn we were stopped by the ‘Road police’, who let me off with a warning for not having switched on the headlights. It is not possible to take advantage of the good roads due to speed restrictions and the ubiquitous presence of the ‘Road Police’. In fact, they are a ‘feared’ lot and drivers expect them at every turn, thereby slowing down and becoming overcautious. Alexander did tell me that the police invariably fatten their purses using State provided technology rather than improve the revenues of the State!

All along the route to Bishkek I found many vendors by the roadside holding up small bottles of what looked like a summer drink. Alexander told me that it is kymys, a drink that we should be extremely careful of taking. It is fermented mare’s milk. This traditional drink is very strong and pungent with a strong smoky finish. It is fatty and, Alexander warned, a laxative! We had lunch at a resort called Hawaii, just 50 kms short of Bishkek. Saturday is a day for wedding, we were told. And the resort was hosting two receptions. It is a fabulous place with a lake filled with fish and swan, a small beach where people were sunbathing and an excellent restaurant. I decided to try out a Shorpo, which is a large portion of soup with potato, meat, carrots and onion. It was wholesome. We arrived into Bishkek by 3 pm and drove straight to the house of Raveendran, the Second Secretary to the Indian Embassy in Kyrgyzstan. We have been extremely lucky with our guides so far. Alexander, like Yingchu, was an excellent person and a rich source of information. It was Mirus, the agency in Delhi, which had sourced this Company and, must say, they did a very competent job.

Raveendran was introduced by a friend of a friend. He readily offered his house for us to park ourselves during the sojourn in Bishkek. It is only when he mentioned to us that he had worked in the Cochin Passport Office that we realised that all three of us had met him on different occasions for different reasons! I had met him in January 2008 to change the residential address mentioned in the passport. The courtesies he had extended to us, we told him and his wife. It was indeed strange that we came all the way to thank him once again for the favors he had given us! The Ambassador and his wife had invited us to his home for dinner. Jayant Khobragade, 1995 batch IFS officer, had also invited senior members of the Embassy and a delegation of doctors from Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, who were there to market medical tourism. The painter-artist Ambassador and his wife entertained us and made us feel welcome and warm. The food and drinks were excellent. It was Indian food after such a long time. Many cups of tea and coffee later we bid goodbye and it was almost midnight when we returned to the flat.

DAY 26 – 11 July 2014; Kashgar to Naryn

We had arranged with Yingchu to meet for breakfast at 8.30 am in the Hotel restaurant. When we got there breakfast was not yet underway. I got the log sheets signed by Yingchu as also the Campaign Poster. She was mighty thrilled being asked to do it. She signed off with a goodwill message in Mandarin. It was tough taking leave of her. As I mentioned yesterday, she had become part of the team and we had come to bank on her efficiency. After breakfast, Chinese fare of Baozi, boiled egg, vegetables and cakes, Baiju presented Yingchu with a token of our gratitude – a small tip. She was overwhelmed. She deserved more than what we gave her; nevertheless, it was a gesture.

 

Mohammed, the local guide who was to take us to the border, arrived as appointed at 9 am. By the time we left after goodbyes and photos it was 9.30 am. The first stop was the Customs station about 100 kms short of the Tourgat border. It was evident when we reached there shortly after 10.30 am that the station was just opening up. We used the time to change the left over Yuan to Som (Kyrgyz currency) and USD. The rate was poor, but that’s the best we could manage at the border. There were many local people vending foreign currency. But one of them was definitely the leader. He refused to negotiate the rates and berated others who ventured to. After that it was an endless wait till we were summoned into the Customs Exit Hall with our luggage. The formalities there were done soon. But then after that we had to wait for more than an hour and half before the permit was handed over to Mohammed. We reached the Chinese border with the permit by 2 pm, traversing some really bad roads, and a couple of stubborn police check posts. The final 20 kms to the Chinese border in Tourgat Pass is in very poor condition. The work at the final check point was completed and we reached the gate at 2.30 pm, where Alexander (our guide from Ak-Sai Travels) could be seen on the Kyrgyz side with my name on a placard. The gate was closed and no one could be seen around the place, except for a lone Chinese military guy in a watch tower. I parked just ahead of the gate and went across to meet Alexander. He said that the gate had been closed just a few minutes earlier after passing some freight trucks. We had to wait till after 3.30 pm (Beijing Time) for the gate to be opened. It was cold and windy at the Tourgat Pass. From the altitude of 1280m (Kashgar) we had reached 3800m at the Pass.

Once the gate was opened we moved across and adjusted our watches to reflect the +6 GMT against +8 GMT Beijing time. The No-Man’s Land stretched for about 8 kms. The reception at the Kyrgyz Customs and Immigration was very different from the cold and distant behavior of the Chinese officials we had faced in the past two weeks. A lady officer handled the Immigration while a Gent handled the formalities connected with the car. There was no Customs check or declaration. The road for about 20 kms beyond the border was being constructed but the surface was well compacted and hence decently motorable. The next 125 kms plus was in excellent condition. The last 15 kms on the approach to Naryn town was completely broken down. Despite all the waits and bad roads we reached the Khan Tengri Hotel in Naryn by 6 pm LT. the drive from the Kyrgyz border was extremely pleasant with Alexander displaying considerable knowledge in history, economics, culture and politics.

The Hotel was quite adequate for a night’s stay. We had a three bed dorm room with attached bath and toilet. Since we had not had lunch it had to be early dinner at the Hotel restaurant. The menu was in Kyrgyz language and hence without the assistance of Alexander we could not even order a beer. Arpa beer is the only beer of Kyrgyzstan. That and a bottle of local Vivat Vodka were ordered. When we asked for fruit juice to be had with the Vodka there was much mirth around the restaurant. Alexander also ordered a dish of lamb, potatoes and onions for dinner. The Laprechka – round bread made with wheat flour and water – was the accompaniment for drinks. After dinner we made a bee line for the common computer in the reception. We had been out of touch due to the ban in China of Fb. Even Gmail was a casualty. I had operated a Chinese mail account to facilitate the blog updates.

As I concluded the end of my stay in China I put together a few observations from interactions with those I met during the fascinating 14 day stay in China.

-          The developments in China over the past three decades have been a mixed blessing. Income levels have gone up but so has the gap between the rich and the poor. Urbanization has been frenetic, which has led to massive influx of village people into cities in search of jobs. This has led to congestion and pressure on civic amenities in the city agglomerates. Property prices have shot up and become unaffordable to the vast majority of citizens. Young people take out mortgages on their property and are forced by circumstances to continue with their job even if they do not like it for fear of default of the mortgage. In Shanghai 1 sq mtr of living accommodation can cost as much as Yuan 10000 (INR 1 lakh). Even food prices have been on the increase. Crime has not only reared its ugly head, it has become a way of life with some sections of society.

-      Modern times have also brought in social changes – dating, live in, casual flings are all becoming socially acceptable. Parents still frown upon relationships in school but they accept relationships after high school. The legal age for marriage is 20 for girls and 22 for boys. When girls go past the age of 25 parents start getting worried and work their social and professional networks to get her introduced to suitable boys.

      Formal education starts at age 7. Almost all schools are government run. The fee structure is reasonable. Education is compulsory up to high school. English, Chinese and Math are compulsory subjects in school. However, many have started to question the need to learn English for they don’t get to use it later. The routine is 12 years in school and 3 to 4 years thereafter for graduation, depending on the course. Most professional courses are for 5 years. Members of the minority communities get financial assistance for higher education and relaxation in the eligibility for entry into institutions for education.

-      Controls are still in place in so far as the number of children one can have is concerned. Single child parents can have two children, so also parents with two girl children. Parents with physically or mentally challenged children are also exempt from the single child norm. In case the norm is violated heavy fines have to be paid which depends on whether one is from a village or a city, earning capacity, number of violations, etc. Yingchu claimed to be the legal child of her parents while they had to pay a fine of Y 1000 for her younger brother! The restrictions are basically for the numerically large Han population. However, minority communities are exempt from the family size norm. One of the reasons is that they inhabit sparsely populated regions such as Tibet, where the government even encourage parents to have more children. It is not uncommon for families to even have 6 children.

-          Dowry system is prevalent in China. Household articles and ornaments normally form the substance of the dowry (does vary depending on need – in mountainous areas a herd of Yak is a more preferred dowry!), which is decided at the time of fixing the marriage. It is a matter of prestige for some families to offer large dowries to make their children ‘comfortable’ in the house they go to. The larger the dowry the girl brings the more significant is her ‘voice’ in the house.

-   The importance of Yak in the daily life of a Tibetan – the animal is useful in life (milk, butter, wool, transportation) and in death (horn, hoofs, skin, meat, intestines). Dependence on the Yak is total in the Tibetan region.

-          God in personal life of Han people – basically observe Taoism and Buddhism; they do go to places of worship, but do not have deities ruling their lives. It is not as if they do not believe in a Supreme Being, it is just that the Supreme Being does not have a form. They do pray for personal comfort, wealth and material needs but do not have worship at home and daily prayer.

-          Physical features of the inhabitants change quite a bit through the vast sweep of Tibet to Xinjiang. They also indicate the without a guidinfluences these regions have had in the past. Apart from the Tibetan and Han characteristics the influence of Mongols in Kuerle and Russians in Turpan was quite distinct. As for religion and language the influence of Islam and Arabic could be seen right from Qinghai Province (minimal) bordering Tibet to Xinjiang that has 8 international neighbours.

-          The use of electric vehicles is encouraged in China by pricing it lower than the rest. It is quite popular with city and town users. Many local transport vehicles are also battery operated. This, along with emission norms, keeps cities and towns free from fuel particle contamination.

-          Almost entire townships have been set up with solar roofs that can be manipulated to maximize the use of sunshine. Solar water heaters are a norm for most households, hotels and restaurants. In Tibet locally assembled solar units are used for heating water for making tea. The solar farms in Geermu were an encouraging sight. Wind energy is substantially leveraged in Xinjiang Province.

-   Without a local guide and interpreter life in China, at least the places I travelled to, can be tough and disappointing. The only word you hear from a Chinese person when you try to communicate in English is ‘Mayo’, meaning ‘No’. And that was the only Chinese word I picked up too, for I heard it so often! It they are taught English in schools I fail to understand why they do not make an effort to speak the language, for China is opening up big time to Tourism and tourism related activity.

All in all the experience in China was very good, thanks mostly to Yingchu. The team of NAVO Tours had done a most competent job making our stay comfortable and transit easy. However, if possible, NAVO Tours should try and compress the self-driving trip to 10 days.

DAY 25 – 10 July 2014; Akesu to Kashgar

Breakfast spread at the restaurant of the Zhongtian Hotel was substantial. Apart from the Garden Hotel in Kuerle this was the most impressive. The only difference was that the latter had more Continental variety. This Chinese feast had a lot of vegetable, boiled, cooked and pickled. Thus, there was Fried Rice, Porridge, cabbage, lettuce, celery, spinach, radish, carrot, cucumber, mushroom, boiled egg, sesame balls, cakes, hard bread and eggs to order. We took time over the breakfast since the drive was a long one and, like yesterday, would find no place to stop for regular meal. The only thing lacking was tea and coffee.

We were to take the G3012 to Kashgar from Akesu. As we experienced it during the day the G3012 was closed for most of its length; there were many diversions to take the G314, which itself was under repair in many places. Thus, it was not a stretch conducive to speed as we had yesterday. The road was bumpy in a few places too. However, we got into Kashgar by 3 pm, when the fuel tank was almost about to yield. There were no hassles filling up fuel. The friendly fuel station attendant wanted to know how easy it was to drive the RH car in China. I gave him the special bookmark as a souvenir.

Yingchu had arranged accommodation in Xiyu Holiday Hotel within the city. It had private parking facilities. We checked in and sought the restaurant. It was a Continental restaurant and the staff spoke English, which was a relief. We were seated by a window and the dry heat penetrated the thick window glazing and made it uncomfortable for us as the lunch wore on. The menu was rather elaborate and so were the prices! Instead of trying anything fancy we ordered two fried rice dishes, one with Ham and the other with Abalone, and a Noodle dish with beef. For the first time in a couple of weeks we were served water, else it was either green or black tea, mostly on demand. The food was good; it vanished faster than it took time to prepare, for we were ravenously hungry.

With Yingchu we decided to visit the Grand Bazaar and the Id-Kah Mosque after some rest to wait out the blazing Sun. In the meanwhile, I went with Yingchu to get the car water washed. The car was covered in a thick layer of dust and grime. The Car Wash was a short distance from the hotel and was operated by a family of three; the young son chipped in too with his mother to wipe dry the car after it had been expertly hose down by the father. Even by 6.30 pm, when we got out of the Hotel, the Sun was fierce and the heat was intolerable. Local people went about their businesses as usual. It was only visitors like us who were getting fried. The city of Kashgar, or Kashi for short, is an ancient city and has been inhabited for over 2000 years. The city was an important hub along the old silk road. It was from Kashgar that the northern (via Turpan) and the southern (via Yutian) routes diverged to the East. The city has a population of over 3.5 million and it can be felt on the roads, where taxi drivers (in smart uniform), women on scooters, men driving electric hand carts, public transport and swanky private vehicle jostle to get ahead of each other.

We took a taxi to the Eastern Entrance of the Grand Bazaar. It is more known as the Sunday Bazaar, for it is on that day that one can get the best bargain. It is reputed to be the biggest market in Asia, and most definitely in China. As I got in through the carved gate of the Bazaar the strong smell of spices hit me point blank. The Bazaar has abundant varieties of all kinds of commodities, durable and perishable. There are almost exclusive alleys for clothing, handicrafts, carpets, footwear, hardware, electrical and electronic goods, dry fruits, spices, musical instruments, hats, capes and stoles, etc. There were even vendors selling CDs of Hindi movies – Chennai Express seemed to be a hot favourite. (We were asked by many shopkeepers, once they came to know that we are from Hindustan, if we knew Shah Rukh Khan!) The local people, I understood, flock to this market to source their wares. Even retailers from other villages and cities could be seen bargaining for the right price. I bought a pant piece for Yuan 35 (INR 350), which will certainly cost over INR 1000. The market offered goods from various parts, as was the tradition during the heydays of the Silk Road. The opening of the Khunjerab Pass and the Tourgat border has resulted in more merchant and tourist activity in the recent past, which in turn has increased commercial activity in the Bazaar. People started coming from faraway places to buy things from Kashgar for sale in their own countries. It is said that the annual sales in the Grand Bazaar totes 125 million Yuan. A walk through the Bazaar was a wonderful experience to feel the folk custom and culture of the Xinjiang Uyghur people. The shopkeepers are so hospitable that were only too keen to explain and make you experience their products. Within the Bazaar large number of battery operated handcarts convey huge bags from and to the shops. The Bazaar, for the number of people it serves, is neat and clean.

From the Grand Bazaar it was another taxi ride to the Id-Kah mosque, which is the largest in China. It was built around 1442 (it incorporated structures that belonged to the 10^th century). It is one of the holiest places of worship for Muslims around the world. The street around the mosque is extremely colorful and busy. Stall selling small electrical and electronic items, bakeries, kebab shops, food stalls, homemade ice cream shops, etc made for a very congested but thoroughly enjoyable walk. We picked up a few sticks of chicken and duck kebabs and returned to the hotel. Thus, the last city on the China leg of the journey had been completed. The experience was thoroughly enjoyable, mostly due to the effervescent presence of Yingchu. She was calm and composed at all times. She always explained anything that you asked of her without any hesitation; questions were never brushed away, however controversial the topic was. She sourced us the best accommodation for the price we wanted and helped us flavor local cuisine and experiment with them. She even got us hooked to the chopsticks. Most importantly, she was like a team member during the entire two weeks, eating what we ate, drinking what we did and even humming Hindi songs! Three cheers to her and the NAVO team, who made this a memorable trip for us. We had a lot of misgivings, but they were all belied.

Tomorrow morning another NAVO guide will take us to the Tourgat border to exit China. I have also arranged another on the Kyrgyzstan side. We have decided to leave Kashgar by 9 am. There are two customs points on the Chinese side. Most importantly, there is a time difference of two hours between the two borders – we will gain two hours as we move to Kyrgyzstan. From now on it is going to be a journey from +8 GMT to 0 GMT. 25 of the 75 days have been completed, and we hope that the rest of the experience is as pleasant as it has been till now. The prayers and good wishes of our families and friends back home, I am sure, will ensure that.