Leaving Sokuluk

Regardless of the problems I've found and still have, the bike was OK yesterday, the fuel pump might not be 100% but it didn't cause any trouble besides the unhealthy noise it was making. I've just checked that I still don't have all papers I might be requested when crossing a border or when stopped by the police but time is running and I don't have much of it. Despite all of this, it's time too move on. Due to the missing papers and the time lost fixing the bike I decided to go strait to the border and leave the Pamir and Kyrgyzstan for another time. In the mean time I had the bike panniers as good as possible welded and straighten out.

I started quite late and had targeted Shymkent as destination in case I was able to cross the border.

It was quite hot and when I arrived at the boarder, there were only a couple of cars waiting but it took ages just to get inside the area to stamp the passport out of Kyrgyzstan, during all this time the fuel pump was working at full speed, even with the engine turned off. After approximately one hour I was out of Kyrgyzstan and waiting to get in at the Kazakhstan barrier. While no one was looking I disconnected the power to try to save the pump. During the time I was waiting a couple of guys came up for pictures and asking about the insurance and one saying he would help. Once I got through I had to fill two small forms, one for me and another (smaller than a credit card) for the bike, the personal one had the fields also named in English but the one for the was all in Cyrillic, that was when the other guy came handy and filled that up for me, after getting my entry stamp on the passport and the immigration card I had to put my jacket for X-ray, I asked about the helmet but they didn't care about it, then walk out back to the bike and get the contents of the panniers partially inspected. That was it, the worse about is the waiting time. I rode out to Kazakhstan looking for banks but there weren't any, turned around to look better and the guy that helped me came shouting, insurance! insurance! I needed one so I went with ihm. Then they asked me for 4.000 Tenge but I only had €, $ and Soms, the guy said well then 2.000 Som. I pulled out my cell phone and checked the exchange rate I had written for each country before I left. And replied, that's only 1.000 Som, clearly he was trying to rip me off but didn't argue about the price and offered to exchange all my Som at 1 to 4, it's around 10% less than the official rate but I didn't knew where or when I would be able to change them so I went for it. The roads after the border were in pretty good shape and I could travel at a good pace until Taras but then I was hit by a sand storm, stopped there shortly to withdraw some money and on the way out to take this picture.

After leaving Taras, I had to fight against a strong tiring wind and besides that I was heading into a huge thunderstorm, I continued ridding until I started to feel the humidity and looking for a place to hide and protect me but there was nothing, I did find a place to stop but it had no protection against the strong wind, putting on the rain suit was a real challenge. Then carried on until Shymkent were I tried the first logging waypoint on my gps. It was a huge building but outside was completely empty of cars and live, only a man in the parking lot. I asked him about the hotel, he smiled and said it was music hall. I then tried the next one, saw the name on the top of the building but no way to get in. Next try was to get something near to my route, got there, parking lot empty and the entrance looking like this.

Hided there while another thunderstorm passed by then got on the bike to look for something open. When I was driving out I saw a guy going to the entrance and decided to turn around and ask about it. He told me that it was open and the reception was on the second floor. While I was preparing to go inside, a group of young people came out and one of them asked where I was from then he said that the receptionist doesn't speak any English laughing and walked away. That's the kind of helpful Kazahk people seam to be.

I managed to get the room and Wi-Fi password, strange place though, in the evening I barely had water to shower but in the morning there was no water at all.