Welcome to the Mongol Rally Diaries series by Benny D. These weblog posts showcase Benny D’s journeying from London to Mongolia every bit business office of the legendary Mongol Rally.
Astana
After the undercover town of Aksuek it takes us some other 2 days to cross Republic of Kazakhstan from South to North stopping inward Karanganda where our host at our (again non hence slowly to find) Hostel informs us that this metropolis is much friendlier than that large novel metropolis upward the route – Astana.
Astana was only officially installed every bit Kazakhstans novel uppercase inward 1998 (the erstwhile uppercase existence the real charming Almaty) in addition to since in addition to then it has erected some of the worlds to a greater extent than cutting border architecture. It really is real gain clean in addition to quite the sight, perched every bit it is inward the middle of the desert, similar Las Vegas without the casinos in addition to the strippers. Or the restaurants in addition to the shopping in addition to the shows in addition to the neon lights.
Actually come upward to recall of it, its goose egg similar Las Vegas at all in addition to I got the impression that a backwater puddle hall inward Nevada would receive got to a greater extent than soul in addition to graphic symbol than this entire city. Sitting inward the bar of the Marriot Hotel belatedly 1 afternoon, 1 could consider where the metropolis abruptly ends into swamps inward the desert on the other side of the glitzy principal strip.
If the authorities is trying to present the the world that oil-rich Republic of Kazakhstan is a Central Asian powerbroker in addition to then they receive got all their eggs inward 1 basket. Or 1 large egg inward this (basket) case. And only to add together some other tentacle to its charming character, I’d declare that Astana has the rudest, most ignorant in addition to impatient drivers inward non only all of Asia but anywhere inward the the world I’ve had the pleasance to drive.
North of Astana the roads were a mishmash of beautiful brand-new double lane highway that would all of a precipitous plow into a bumpy corrugated track. It appears every bit though the countries whole route industrial plant budget is focused inward this expanse inward the Pb upward to Astanas hosting of the world expo inward 2017.
Russia
After Astana the scenery begins to alter every bit well. Instead of only stunted dry out dark-brown grass in addition to endless horizons, pocket-size trees in addition to light-green bushes get to appear. By the fourth dimension nosotros larn unopen to the Russian border, both sides of the route are flanked past times pino forests in addition to nosotros get to run across pocket-size streams in addition to it seems nosotros receive got seen the final of the Kazakh steepe.
I imagine that with most of the countries on this trip I had a preconceived persuasion of what they would await similar in addition to Russian Federation was no different. I had never really considered Russian Federation every bit a go goal in addition to I had visions of driving hundreds of kilometres every twenty-four hours along large highways running through drab industrial type cities with communist agency story blocks in addition to unsmiling locals dressed to ward off the cold.
What a delightful surprise it was to receive got my stereotypical imaginings erased past times the remarkable scenery of Russia’s countryside in addition to the historical beauty combined with the fashionable hipness of her cities. Not to cite the nutrient in addition to the hospitality served upward past times the locals themselves.
Little wooden houses dotted around lush countryside, huge rivers meandering through charming towns with impressive of bulb topped churches in addition to massive town squares occupied past times statues of National heroes. At starting fourth dimension I noticed that the truck halt nutrient was of decent character in 1 lawsuit nosotros managed to really club something.
There are no route signs or menus inward English linguistic communication in addition to of course of written report everyone speaks only Russian inward Western Siberia. But the closer nosotros got to Europe the to a greater extent than people nosotros constitute who had the capacity in addition to the wishing to communicate with us inward English. Not that this youngster particular e'er stopped the locals from trying to rope us inward to an impromptu vodka drinking session at ix AM inward the morning. And that was only afterwards our starting fourth dimension nighttime inward Russia.
After a calendar month of living on salami, string cheese in addition to dried apricots the Russian cuisine was a refreshing improvement in addition to I powerfulness only last the only someone to receive got participated inward the Mongol Rally in addition to managed to gain weight.
Over the course of written report of the side past times side calendar week I made myself familiar with dishes of mutual frigidness soups in addition to stewed meats, wood mushrooms inward sour cream in addition to pastry, herring in addition to Irish Gaelic patato salad also every bit Salo – pocket-size blocks of smoked hog fatty that is thinly sliced in addition to consumed every bit a zakuska, or accompaniment to vodka.
With a chip of extra fourth dimension upward our sleeves forthwith nosotros had fourth dimension to explore a piffling farther afield. We larn by to gain stops inward Yekaterinburg to consider where the draw of piece of job solid unit of measurement of the final Tsar were executed. The Kungur H2O ice caves which I cannot recommend, the lovely countryside around Perm in addition to a daze absorber in addition to brake draw fixed inward 1 afternoon inward Kostroma.
The highlight for me apart from the stunningly beautiful cities of Moscow in addition to Saint Petersburg was the hamlet of Suzdal, maybe a one-half days receive from Moscow.
It is what I imagine many towns may receive got looked similar inward this business office of Russian Federation hundreds of years ago, in addition to with its huge rock walls around a myriad of beautiful churches in addition to convents sprinkled alongside light-green fields in addition to a ponderous river.
I could consider why at that spot were hence many tourist buses lined upward on the principal street. Suzdal was the only house inward Russian Federation where nosotros managed to uncovering an official campsite, walking distance from the hamlet in addition to perched correct side past times side to a lovely stream.
The End
In Moscow I get together all my asset in addition to pack them into my backpack every bit this is where I state goodbye to Ms. Penny in addition to Marylou. They volition conk on on lonely for some other 3000kms to London where Marylou volition last scrapped.
I swear this machine had a personality in addition to the radio decided to operate in 1 lawsuit nosotros started to caput westward over again in addition to afterwards it hitting some pretty hateful bumps nigh the Russian border.
The liberty of having our ain carry bought many advantages. The most I had to behavior at whatever 1 fourth dimension was only a twenty-four hours pack in addition to nosotros could exit the mass of our luggage inward the machine along with our camping ground in addition to cooking equipment. We could write our ain schedule in addition to didn’t receive got to rely upon or pay for transport. This was peculiarly useful inward countries that had vast distances betwixt destinations in addition to fairly inexpensive fuel, similar Russian Federation in addition to Kazakhstan.
Despite the fact that nosotros did receive got a considerable amount of downtime spent on repairs, the toll of these repairs were non that expensive, in addition to fifty-fifty when it was quite obvious that our options were limited, non 1 mechanic overcharged us or tried to exploit the situation. Best of all Marylou could receive got us to places far off the beaten path, giving us the liberty to explore rarely visited locations – fifty-fifty if she wasn’t role built to explore places similar the middle of the Southern Aktobe Kazakh desert.
Without Ms. Penny in addition to Marylou it was fourth dimension to consummate the final leg of my journeying solo, transporting my asset with a heavy pump in addition to an fifty-fifty heavier dorsum pack through Scandinavia in addition to onwards to Canada where was scheduled to attend my long fourth dimension mates marriage inward Ottowa. I arrived with plenty fourth dimension to hitting the town with my friends in addition to reverberate over what was genuinely a remarkable, oftentimes frustrating but highly rewarding experience.
Jack Canfield says that everything y'all wishing is on the other side of fear. When y'all scope yourself the chance to demolish stereotypes in addition to conquer what are normally hear made apprehensions, the personal gratification in addition to feel of achievement glows similar a hot coal, only waiting to last stoked past times the burn of silent some other adventure.
Enjoying the story? It’s non entirely over yet. Stay tuned for the Benny’s stories most their unopen encounters with the law
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