Reaching Aktau and waiting for ferry
Mandag 20. november 2017 - 26. november 2017 (Update 01. feb. 2018)
Zharmysh - Underpass ved vejen 82 km
Underpass ved vejen - Aktau 108 km
4 dages venten på færge i Aktau
Vinden havde lagt sig næste dag, så vi pakkede vores cykler og gjorde klar til at cykel mod Shetpe. De første kilometer ind til Shetpe gik godt, men vinden blev lidt stærkere. Vi snakkede om at finde en restaurant og holde pause for at tage bestik af vinden. Men stederne vi kom til var lukket, så næste mål blev landbyen Beki, som lå 32 kilometer længere fremme.
Vi var heldige med vinden de første 15 kilometer, men derefter blev det mere blæsende ig vi må kæmpe med vinden. Vi må også forcere nogle længere bakker, de er ikke slemme men det er vinden og den tager krafterne fra os. Naturen er barsk og øde og her er ingen læ for vinden.
Da vi nåede Beki efter 60 kilometer og 4 timers cykling, meldte Heidi klart ud at hun ikke ville cykle videre, klokken var 14:30 og vi satte os på en lille cafe lige ved vejen.
Vi ville spørge om vi kunne sætte vores telte op ved cafe´en. Men inden vi kom så langt, begyndte MArianne at snakke om at vi godt kunne cykle videre. Klokken var jo ikke så mange og hvis vi cyklede 2 timer mere kunne vi nå godt 30 kilometer længere.
Må tilstå at nogen gange er jeg ikke fair og måske tænker jeg ikke så klart, men i denne situation var jeg så opsat på at vi skulle nå til Aktau så hurtigt som muligt, at jeg ikke hørte efter Heidi. How var både med på ide´en om at cykle videre og havde vi sagt vi bliver ved cafe´en var han også OK med det.
Vi fortsatte da klokken var 15 og nu måtte vi virkelig kæmpe op imod vinden. Jo, længere vi kom frem jo mere kunne jeg se hvor dum jeg havde været. Alt var åbent og øde. Ingen læ what so ever.
Ialt endte vi med at cykle 19 kilometer mere på 2 timer og måtte herefter slå vores telte op på et beton stykke ved et af de rør der går under vejen. Her havde vi læ. Men Heidi var rasende, hvilket jeg godt kan forstå efterfølgende. Vi havde ikke hørt på hende og hun var blevet presset til noget hun ikke ville. Overhovedet ikke rimeligt på nogen måde.
Vi fik snakket om vores følelser, men der var en trykket stemning i lejren om aftenen. Både på grund af dagens gang, men også fordi vi var meget trætte allesammen. På dette tidspunkt havde vi cyklet sammen med How i godt 3 måneder og det var nok ved at være tidspunktet hvor vi burde cykle hver for sig og finde vores egne rytmer igen.
Vi var hurtige til at gøre os klar næste morgen. Indefor 2 timer var vi klar og på vej. Morgenen var ikke kold, så vi skulle ikke pakke os ind i flere lag tøj. Ind imod byen Zhetybari, havde vi stadig vinden at kæmpe med, men vi kunne se hvis vinden blev ved med at være i den retning, så ville den blive vores fordel efter byen, hvor vi skulle dreje.
Området var fyldt med olie boringer og vi kunne se massevis af olie pumper der stod og pumpede op og ned. Ikke kønt overhovdet. Faktisk har jeg efterfølgende læst at Kazakstans olie reserver er to gange større en Kuwaits. Lige inden vi nåede byen, var der nogle vejarbejdere som forærede os 5 liter vand.
Efter Zhetybari fik vi drejet i den rigtige retning, så vinden kom lige i ryggen på os og nu fløj vi igennem det øde landskab.
Efter 60 kilometer nåede vi til Karagije dalen, her gik det ned i bunden forkastningen og pludselig viste vores højdemåler at vi var under havets overflade og vi troede den viste forkert, men til sidst befandt vi os 116 meter under havets overflade, som det stod på et skilt hvor vi cyklede forbi.
Vildt at tænke på at vi havde været i 4655 meters højde og nu var vi langt under havets overflade. En kæmpe kontrast.
Vi pressede på for at nå til Aktau og de lykkedes, selvom de sidste 25 kilometer blev med vekslende vind igen. Trætte men også vildt glade og stolte over at have nået til Sortehavet fandt vi frem til Dostar Hostel. Først cyklede vi forbi Dostar Hotel, da How havde fået sendt en pakke med film ruller fra Malaysia dertil. Pakken var ankommet og How var glad. På Dostar Hostel, lejede vi et stort værelse, hvor der var god plads til alle tre. Vi havde endda en balkon med udsigt over Sortehavet.
Nu var spørgsmålet, hvor lang tid vi skulle vente på at en færge kunne sejle os over Sortehavet til Azerbaijan.
I receptionen på Dostar Hostel var den sødeste dame. Hun hed Elena. Hun var klædt i det fineste tøj og lignede mere en´ der skulle arbejde som sekretær for en advokat. Hun var så hjælpsom og hver gang vi spurgte til færgen svarede hun: maybe tonight eller efter vi havde ventet et par dage: Must be tonight.
Elena var ikke finere klædt på til end at hun kunne gøre rent i hendes fine tøj iført gule gummihandsker.
Et pudsigt syn, som vi smilede lidt af.
De første dage var vi helt afklaret med at vente. Vi lavede ikke andet end at tjekke internettet, opdater vores blog og spise.
How havde kontakt til Hong Kong pigerne og de var også på vej mod Aktau. Vi havde regnet med at de kom på anden dagen, men de var blevet fanget i dårligt vejr og den ene havde problemer med hendes gear og kunne ikke cykle særlig hurtigt. Så de kom først da vi havde ventet 3 dage.
Endelig fredag morgen d. 24. november lå der en info seddel i spise salen, hvorpå der stod, at der var en færge lørdag morgen klokken 6. Perfekt tænkte vi. Nu skulle vi bare sidde i vente position til der kom en fra havnen, som skulle sælge billetterne til os.
Vi var egentlig meget heldige at det kun var tre dages venten, der var en franskmand på hostellet der havde ventet i ti dage.
Men lige som vi troede at nu kom vi afsted, fik vi en ny besked om aftenen. Elena sagde: No ferry tomorrow morning. Monday Maybe!!!!!
Nu handlede vi hurtigt. Vi havde ikke oceaner af tid, hvis vi ville gøre os håb om at være hjemme i Danmark til 1. marts. Så vi tjekkede flybillet priser på fly fra Aktau til Baku. Det kostede ikke mere end 600,- og så skulle vi betale for cyklerne. Men så tog turen kun 50 minutter istedetfor en sejltur på 1 1/2 dag og vi var sikker på at komme afsted. Vi købte billetter til afgang søndag morgen klokken 4:30 med Azerbaijan Airlines.
How og pigerne ville vente og tage færgen. Hvornår end den nu ville sejle???
Resten af fredag aften sad vi og hyggede over et par øl, sammen med How og Hong Kong pigerne.
Hele lørdag gik med at anskaffe papkasser til at pakke vores cykler i. Vi havde ikke held med at finde nogle cykelkasser, så istedetfor gik vi i en silvan ligende butik og fik samlet en masse pap sammen, som vi så kunne bygge cykelkasser ud af.
Butikken lå 3 kilometer fra Dostar, så vi havde godt ondt i armene efter at have løftet alt pappet tilbage til stedet.
Så gik vi igang med at bygge kasserne. Det blev Marianne´s job alt imens Heidi gjorde cyklerne klar til at pakke.
Vi tog ikke lang tid om det, da vi har prøvet det en del gange nu. Kasserne var ikke pæne, men cyklerne var beskyttet og vi var tilfreds.
Alt imens vi var igang kom How ud til os og sagde: You will not believe what Elana just announced? There is a ferry tonight. Sikke et cirkus.
Vi kunne ikke gøre andet end at grine af det hele. Vi vidste vi skulle afsted med flyet og nu kunne How og pigerne også genoptage deres rejse.
Om aftenen inviterede vi How ud for at spise på Chester og som afslutning ville vi have haft en vodka shot, men vi nåede det aldrig, da How blev ringet op om at manden der skulle sælge billetterne til færgen, var på Dostar og han skulle komme med det samme.
Han og pigerne skulle cykle til havnen klokken 22:00, hvor de så skulle ombord på færgen.
Nu skulle vi tage afsked med Mr. How og det var ikke sjovt. Han havde malet to bogmærker til os, som viste os cyklenede igennem bjergene og hele rejsen lavet som en filmrulle. Bag på havde han skrevet meget poetisk, hvad han havde oplevet sammen med os undervejs. Meget rørende for os.
Lidt før klokken 22, tog vi afsked med pigerne og How. Det var virkeligt underligt at stå og se dem cykle afsted og vi sad tilbage med vores cykler pakke i kasserne.
Vi ses i Baku råbte vi til dem, da de forsvandt ud i mørket.
English
Monday, 20th November 2017 - 26th November 2017 (Update 01st feb. 2018)
Zharmysh - Underpass by the road 82 km
Underpass by the road - Aktau 108 km
4 days awaiting a ferry in Aktau
The wind had gone the next day, so we packed our bikes and got ready to ride towards Shetpe. The first kilometer into Shetpe went well, but the wind got a bit stronger. We talked about finding a restaurant and taking a break to take a raincheck of the wind. But the places we came to were closed, so the next goal became Beki, a small town 32 kilometers further ahead.
We were lucky with the wind for the first 15 kilometers, but then it became more windy and we had to fight up against the wind. We also had to climb some longer hills, they were not bad, but the wind was and it took the strengths of us. Nature was rugged and desolated and there was no shelter for the wind.
When we reached Beki after 60 kilometers and 4 hours of cycling, Heidi clearly announced that she did not want to ride futher, it was 14:30 and we sat at a small cafe just off the road.
We would ask if we could put our tents up at the cafe. But before we got that far, Marianne began to say: that we could ride on. The clock was not that much, and if we were cycling for 2 more hours, we could reach
30 kilometers further.
I have toconfess that sometimes I'm not always fair and maybe I do not think so clearly, but in this situation I was so keen to reach Aktau as soon as possible that I did not listen to Heidi. How was both the idea of cycling on and had we said that we were staying at the cafe, he was OK too.
We continued at 15 o'clock and now we really had to fight against the wind. The longer we reached, the more I could see how stupid I had been. Everything was open and deserted. No shelter what so ever.
In total we ended up cycling 19 kilometers more in 2 hours and then had to pitch our tents on a concrete piece by one of the underpasses at the road. Here we had some shelter. But Heidi was furious, which I understand now afterwardds. We had not listened to what she had to say and she had been pushed on for something she did not want. Not at all reasonable in any way.
We talked about our feelings, but there was a dull atmosphere in the camp that evening. Both because of what happend during the day, but also because we were very tired everyone. By this time we had cycled with How for nearly 3 months and it was maybe time for us to cycle separately and find our own rhythms again.
We were quick to get ready the next morning. Within 2 hours we were ready and on our way. The morning was not cold so we should not pack ourselves in several layers of clothes. Towards the city of Zhetybari, we still had the wind to fight, but we could see if the wind continued to be in that direction, it would be our advantage after the city where we had to turn.
The area was filled with oil drills and we could see lots of oil pumps standing and pumping up and down. Not a beautifull sight. In fact, I have subsequently read that Kazakhstan's oil reserves are twice the size of a Kuwait. Just before we reached the city, there were some road workers who gave us 5 liters of water. What a gesture.
After Zhetybari we got turned in the right direction, so the wind was straight in the back of us and now we flew through the desolate landscape.
After 60 kilometers we reached the Karagije valley, here we had to go down a long way to the bottom of the plain and suddenly our altimeter showed that we were below sea level and we thought it was wrong, but at last we reached 116 meters below sea level and it was written on a sign we passed.
Wanting to think we had been 4655 meters high and now we were far below sea level. A huge contrast.
We pushed on to reach Aktau and we managed, even though the last 25 kilometers were changing with alternating wind. Tired but also wildly pleased and proud to have reached the Black Sea we found Dostar Hostel. First we rode past Dostar Hotel were How had to pick up a package of film rolls from Malaysia. The package had arrived and How was happy. At Dostar Hostel, we rented a large room where there was plenty of room for all three. We even had a balcony overlooking the Black Sea.
Now the question was how long we should wait for a ferry to sail across the Black Sea to Azerbaijan!!!
At the reception at Dostar Hostel was the cutest lady. Her name was Elena. She was dressed in the finest clothes and looked like someone who would work as a secretary for a lawyer. She was so helpful and every time we asked for the ferry, she answered: maybe tonight or after we had been waiting for a couple of days: Must be tonight.
Elena was not finer dressed than she could clean in her nice clothes wearing yellow rubber gloves.
A nice sight that we smiled a bit of.
In the first days, we were completely determined to wait. We did nothing but to check the internet, update our blog and eat.
How had contact with the Hong Kong girls and they were also heading for Aktau. We had expected them to arrive after two days of waiting but they had been caught in bad weather and one had trouble with her gear and could not ride very quickly. So they arrived when we had waited 3 days.
At Last Friday morning, November 24th, there was an info note in the dining room, which said there was a ferry Saturday morning at 6. Perfect we thought. Now we just had to wait until one came from the port who had to sell the tickets to us.
We were really fortunate that it was only three days awaiting, as a Frenchman at the hostel that had been waiting for ten days.
But just as we thought we were going, we received a new message in the evening. Elena said: No ferry tomorrow morning. Monday Maybe !!!!!
Now we acted quickly. We did not have oceans of time if we would hope to be home in Denmark at the first of March. So we checked the airline prices on flights from Aktau to Baku. It did not cost more than 600 kroner, and then we had to pay for the bikes. But then the flight only took 50 minutes instead of a 1 1/2 day trip and we were sure to get there. We bought tickets for departure Sunday morning at 4:30 with Azerbaijan Airlines.
How and the girls would wait and take the ferry. Whenever it would sail ???
The rest of Friday night we sat and enjoyed a couple of beers, along with How and the Hong Kong girls.
All saturday went on with finding cardboard boxes to pack our bikes. We did not manage to find any bicycle boxes, so instead we went to a silvanous shop and collected a lot of cardboard that we could then build bicycle boxes out of.
The store was 3 kilometers from Dostar, so our arms were quite sore after lifting all the cardboard back to the place.
Then we started building the boxes. It became Marianne's job while Heidi made the bikes ready to pack.
We did not take it long, as we have tried it a few times now. The boxes were not nice, but the bikes were protected and we were pleased.
While we were packing, How came out to us and said: You will not believe what Elana just announced? There is a ferry tonight. What a circus!!
We could do nothing but laugh at it all. We knew we were going by plane and now How and the girls could also resume their journey.
In the evening, we invited How to eat at Chester and at the end we would have had a vodka shot, but we never managed it, as How was called that the man who sold the tickets to the ferry, was at Dostar and he should come immediately.
He and the girls had to ride to the harbor at 22:00, where they would board the ferry.
Now we should say goodbye to Mr. How and that was not fun. He had painted two bookmarks for us, which showed us cycling through the mountains and the whole journey made like a film roll. On the back he had written very poetically what he had experienced with us along the way. Very touching for us.
Just before 22 o'clock, we had to say goodbye to the girls and How. It was really strange to stand and watch them ride away and we sat back with our bicycle pack in the boxes.
See you in Baku, we shouted at them as they disappeared into the darkness.
Into nothingness
Tirsdag d. 14. november 2017 - Søndag 19. november 2017 (Update 23. jan 2018)
Uzbek grænsen - Beyneu (KZ) 87 km
Beyneu - Truck stop med Cafe´ 50 km
Truck stop med Cafe´ - 69 km efter Cafe med risengrød
Cafe´med risengrød - Sayotesh 75 km
Sayotesh - Zharmysh 107 km
Zharmysh pause pga. storm
Vi var spændte på hvor meget der skulle tjekkes, når vi skulle ud af Uzbekistan. Ville de se alle vores hotel registreringer igennem og så finde ud af at vi ikke havde overholdt deres regler??? Hvad med billeder og video skulle det kigges igennem????
Vi havde ikke grund til bekymring, for 30 minutter efter vi kom til grænsen var vi både stemplet ud af Uzbekistan og budt velkommen til Kazakstan igen. Ingenting skulle tjekkes.
Nu skulle vi cykle 87 kilometer på elendig vej inden vi ville nå byen Beyneu. Vi var opsatte på at nå dertil samme dag. Men vidste også at det blev en hård dag.
Det første vi så da vi kom over grænsen var en stor flok dromedarer. En mand var ved at guide dem væk fra vejen. Hvis man kan kalde en vej lavet af store vej riller i hård lerjord og huller en vej.
Hele tiden skulle vi være opmærksomme på huller og underlaget for ikke at vælte. Heidi væltede en gang, How væltede to gange og Marianne var yderst tæt på at vælte en gang, men endte sidelæns i rabatten, hvor hun sad fast i jorden.
Terrænet var hård specielt ved nakken, men sidst på dagen da vi nåede til Beyneu var kroppen fuldstændigt mørbanket og vi var glade da vi cyklede ind i udkanten af Beyneu efter 5 timer og 40 minutter i sadlen.
Landskabet havde været jævn kedeligt, det mest spændende havde været når vi så en flok kameler eller dromedarer i det fjerne.
Faktisk fik vi en flok at se lige da vi kom ind i byen. De gik på gaden lige foran det hotel vi bestemte os for at bo på.
Beyneu er en by med ca. 40.000 indbyggere og byen ligger her pga. to ting: Der findes Olie i området og den Central Asiatiske gas pineline går igennem byen og derfor er der en måle station i byen.
Vi vidste at når vi cyklede ud af byen næste dag, ville der gå en del dage inden vi ville se en by igen og inden vi nåede til Aktau ved Det Kaspiske Hav skulle vi cykle 486 kilometer og det meste af de kilometer igennem ørken.
Inden vi faldt i søvn om aftenen, var Heidi gået ud på gangen for at få to mænd til at stoppe med at ryge derude. Hun havde vist den cigaret tegnet, lavet et kryds med hendes arme og holdt sig for næsen. Det så ud til at virke, for de slukkede deres cigaretter med det samme.
Da uret bippede næste morgen, var der ingen af os der var klar til at stå op. Klokken var 7:30 og det var stadig mørkt udenfor. Da det blev lyst kunne vi se at det havde været frost i løbet af natten, da der var frost på tagene rundt omkring.
Langsom fik vi gang i vores kroppe og fik pakket, hvorefter vi gik ned i den lille restaurant der hørte til hotellet og bestilte morgenmad. Som de fleste andre gange hed det: Spejlæg og brød med sort kaffe. Der skulle to kopper kaffe til for at kick starte os.
Inden vi tog afsted fra Beyneu, skulle vi have fat i flere penge og handlet ind til de næste tre dage. Så klokken blev næsten tolv inden vi cyklede ud af byen, som tre cowboys på deres heste, som var på vej ud i intetheden af den lange lige landevej. Når vi kiggede fremad kunne vi se flere kilometer frem. Fladt i fladt og tørt i tørt og vinden var enten lige imod os eller en dum sidevind.
Vi lavede et samarbejde, hvor en af os lå forest i en kilometer inden vi skiftede. Det fungerede super godt og gav os noget andet at tænke på, end hvis vi hver især lå og kæmpede mod vinden. Kvaliteten af vejen var blevet god igen, så det var også et plus.
Hvor kunne vi finde et sted at sove? Her var ikke en buks eller et træ at skjule sig bag og hvad vi havde hørt fra andre, så var der ingenting på ruten.
Hen sidst på eftermiddagen, kom vi til et truck stop. Her var en toilet bygning og lidt fra vejen lå et hus. Vi tænkte alle da vi så huset, det kunne ske at være en lille cafe´. Vi kig hen til huset og ganske rigtigt, indenfor var der to borde med stole og en lille luge hvor man kunne bestille lidt forskelligt. Det vigtigeste var at de serverede kaffe og at vi kunne få varmen. Nu sad vi en halv times tid og slappede af inden vi spurgte damen der passede stedet, om vi måtte sætte vores telte op bag ved huset. Det var hun indforstået med. Vi var endda så heldige at der var bygget et badehus bag ved cafe´en og ind i et indhak kunne vi fint passe begge telte, så de lå i læ for den kolde vind.
Da vi havde sat teltene op, nød vi en smuk sol nedgang og How fik taget et perfekt billede af os hvor vi stod i solens skær med den ene cykel.
Aftensmaden blev indtaget hurtigt og derefter opvask. Så var det ind i teltet og ned i soveposerne. Klokken var ikke meget mere end 19:30, men når frosten melder sig er der ingen grund til at side udenfor, så er det altså bedst i en dejlig varm sovepose.
Vi vågnede til en meget kold morgen med frost på vores telte. Inde i teltet viste temperaturen plus 4 grader, så det blev en langsom start på dagen. Det kræver overbevisning at kravle ud af soveposen, på sådan en dag.
Men det lykkedes til sidst og vi cyklede afsted ud i ørknen på en dag som kom til at ligne dagen før.
Vinden imod os og vi lavede et samarbejde, hvor en tog føringen 1 kilometer af gangen, på den måde kunne vi få lidt læ for vinden og hastigheden kunne ligge på 11 - 13 kmh.
Der blev ikke lavet meget fis og vi snakkede ikke ret meget på såden en dag. En sjælden gang ser vi vilde heste og dromedaer.
Hvor ville vi alle gerne have haft medvind, så vi kunne udnytte kvalitetsvejen og skyde en god fart. Heldigvis fik moralen et plus. Efter vi havde cyklet 69 kilometer, kom vi til en bygning, som både var restaurant og et lille hotel.
Nu kunne vi bestille kaffe og sidde indenfor i et dejligt varmt rum. Værelset vi fik, var et rum på cirka 9 m2 med en platform foret med gulvtæppe og en radiator som varmede rummet op, her kunne vi ligge på vores madrasser og soveposerne. For os total lukus i ørknen.
Aftensmaden blev et solidt måltid, som vi afsluttede med risengrød. Vi havde brug for det.
Da vi kiggede udenfor næste morgen, kunne vi konstatere tåge mikset med fugtigt og koldt vejr. Sigtbarheden var ikke mere end 50 - 100 meter, så oveni at være i ørkenen som allerede var ret så intetsigende, kunne vi godt regne ud at denne dag blev blot en transport dag, hvor det kun handlede om at cykle. Hvis der var huse ved siden af vejen ville vi ikke vide det, da tågen var så tyk.
Da vi holdt frokost pause, blev det frysende i et af de mange rør der gik under vejen. How satte hans pressening op i røret, så vinden ikke susede igennem. Men selvom det, frøs vi og det blev kun til en hurtig frokost for at komme på cyklerne igen og få varmen.
Heldigvis var vinden med os og vi formåede at cykel 75 kilometer på lidt mere end 4 timer. Her nåede vi til et rest stop hvor der var en cafe/restaurant og lige ved siden af kunne vi se et skilt over en dør, hvorpå der stod hotel.
Først indtog vi dejlig varm kaffe med et par stykker fabriks kage til og herefter blev vi vist værelserne på "hotellet". Jeg tror ikke at det var det sundeste sted at sove. Første rum vi kom ind i var væggene fyldt med skimmelsvamp og lugten var ikke roser, men vi kunne stille vores cykler der uden problemer.
Værelserne var varme og der var en seng. Vores værelse have ikke elektrisitet, så ingen lys. How havde lys, så efter vi havde spist sad vi inde på hans værelse og hyggede inden vi gik i seng.
Prisen for et værelse i den standard kostede os 19,- kr pr. person.
Selvfølgelig havde vi muligheden for at campere, men det fristede ikke når vi havde mulighed for varme indenfor.
Vi stod op klokken 7.10 efter en nat hvor vi ikke havde sovet alt for godt. Vi pakkede cyklerne og gik hen til restauranten for at få morgenmad. Men der var ikke åbent endnu. Vi valgte at vente en halv time, men da der stadig ikke var tegn på at der blev åbnet, bestemte vi os for at cykle 4 kilometer længere. På maps. me havde vi set at der skulle være en cafe. Vi vidste ikke om den ville være åben, men på den anden side gad vi ikke spilde tiden. Så vi tog chancen.
Det var bidende koldt, omkring minus 3 grader, men heldigvis en klar morgen med god sigtbarhed.
Stedet 4 kilometer længere fremme var åbent og nu kunne vi få morgenmad.
Husene i disse områder er virkelig ikke bygget til de store temperatur svingninger og isolering findes ikke. Der bliver bare fyret op for varmen, så på indersiden af vinduerne driver vandet ned og bordet vi sad ved var fugtigt på overfladen. Ikke et sundt indeklima.
Nu havde vi fyldt depoterne op og vi satte os for at cykle 38 kilometer til et sted, hvor der skulle ligge et fastfood sted. Det passede med at vi kunne nå dertil omkring middag, da vi var så heldige at have fået en god medvind.
Da vi nåede til stedet, skulle det vise sig at have lukket. Så vi blev noget skuffede. Vinden havde taget til, så vi fandt ly i indgangspartiet til spisestedet. For at undgå at blive kølet for meget ned.
Vi blev flyvende efter frokosten. For det første skulle vi ned af en lang nedkørsel, som bragte os ned til et helt andet landskab end det vi have cyklet i de sidste dage. Slugten vi kom ned igennem havde nogle helt speciellt klippe formationer på begge sider. Her kunne vi se jordlaget skifte farve fra brun, grå, hvid i de forskellig lag og med den fuldstænding klare blå himmel og solen var det utroligt smukt.
Med vinden i ryggen viste speedometeret 25 - 30 kmh og kilometerne tikkede ind på cykelkontoen. Landskabet og en masse dromedarer gjorde det hele meget mere værd at cykle igennem. En uforglemmelig oplevelse.
Faktisk mente vi på et tidspunkt at vi kunne nå at cykle helt op til 130 kilometer hvis vi blev ved på den måde. Men sådan skal man aldrig tænke, for så kommer der altid et eller andet, som en 5 % stigning vi skulle op ad over et længere stykke.
Men vi nåede at cykle 107 kilometer, da vi kom til en by som hed Zharmysh. Vi havde faktisk ikke regnet med at der var noget på dette sted. På Maps.me var der ikke angivet en by. Men her var 2 store restauranter med overnatning og en større by.
Vi havde snakket om at nå til Shetpe, men da dette sted pludselig bød sig, blev vi enige om at blive der for natten.
Alt så helt nyt ud og værelset vi kunne sove på var stort og lyst med 8 sovepladser i fine køjesenge. Vi kunne endda få bad. Hvilket vi ikke havde fået siden vi cyklede afsted fra Beyneu.
Dagen havde været meget mere inspirerende end alle de andre dage. Vi havde set ørne, heste, køer, dromedarer, små jordegern, bjerge, kløfter, klart vand og en mere bevokset slette.
Hen under aftenen kunne vi høre at vinden tog til og da How skulle ud på toilet, hvilket var udenfor, var han ved at blive blæst omkuld. Vi måtte se om det fortsatte næste dag?? For så kunne vi virkleig ikke cykle!!!
Vinden var lige så vild da vi vågnede næste morgen. Når blæsten føg hen over taget på huset lød det somom et godstog susede forbi. Vi tænkte måske vinden ville stilne af op af dagen og så kunne vi cykle 25 kilometer og nå til Shepte.
Ganske rigtigt lagde vinden sig da klokken var 13 og et kort øjeblik snakkede vi om at cykle videre, men vi blev enige om at vente til næste dag.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017 - Sunday, November 19, 2017 (Update 23. jan 2018)
Uzbek border - Beyneu (KZ) 87 km
Beyneu - Truck Stop with Cafe '50 km
Truck Stop with Cafe '- 69 km after Cafe with rice pudding.
Cafe´ with rice pudding - Saytesh 75 km
Sayotesh - Zharmysh 107 km
Zharmysh restday due to storm
We were excited about how much they would check when we were going out of Uzbekistan. Would they see all our hotel listings through and then find out that we had not complied with their rules ??? What about our pictures and videos would they like to look through then aswell????
We did not have to worry, 30 minutes after we got to the border we were both stamped out of Uzbekistan and welcomed to Kazakhstan again. Nothing had to be checked.
Now we had to ride 87 kilometers on a lousy road before reaching the city of Beyneu. We were keen on reaching that same day. But also knew that it became a hard day.
The first thing we saw when we had crossed the border were a big bunch of dromedaries. A man was about to guide them away from the road. If you can call a road made of big mud pills in hard clay soils and holes a road.
All the time, we should pay attention to the holes and the ground not to be overthrown. Heidi overturned once, How overturned twice, and Marianne was extremely close to toppling once, but ended sideways in the ditch where she was stuck in the soil.
The terrain was hard especially for our necks, but at the end of the day when we reached Beyneu the body was completely drained from energy and we were happy when we cycled into the outskirts of Beyneu after 5 hours and 40 minutes in the saddle.
The landscape had been even boring, the most exciting had been when we saw a bunch of camels or dromedaries in the distance.
Acctualy we got a bunch to see just as we entered the city. They walked on the street just in front of the hotel we decided to stay at.
Beyneu is a city of approx. 40,000 inhabitants and the city are here due to two things: there is oil in the area and the central asian gas pineline goes through the city and therefore there is a measuring station in the city.
We knew that when we rode out of town the next day, it would be a couple of days before we were to see a city again and before reaching Aktau by the Caspian Sea we would ride 486 kilometers and most of the kilometers through the desert.
Before we fell asleep in the evening, Heidi had gone to the hallway to get two men to stop smoking there. She had shown the cigarette sign, made a cross with her arms and held her nose. It seemed to work because they stopped smoking right away.
When the clock bipped the next morning, none of us was ready to get up. The time was 7:30 and it was still dark outside. When it became possible, we could see that there had been frost during the night when there was frost on the roofs all around.
Slowly we got our bodies to work and got packed, after which we went down to the little restaurant that belonged to the hotel and ordered breakfast. Like most other times it was: eggs and bread with black coffee. Two cups of coffee were needed to kick start us.
Before we left Beyneu, we had to get more money and shop food for the next three days. So it was almost twelve before we rode out of town, like three cowboys on their horses, who were heading into nothingness of the long straight road. As we looked forward we could see several kilometers ahead. Flat in flat and dry in dry and the wind was either straight in our faces or a stupid sidewind.
We made a collaboration where one of us lay in front for a kilometer before we changed. It worked super well and gave us something else to think of than if we had to fighti against the wind one by one. The quality of the road had turned good again so that was also a plus.
Where could we find a place to sleep? Here was not a pants or a tree to hide behind and what we had heard from others, there was nothing on the route.
At the end of the afternoon, we came to a truck stop. Here was a toilet building and a little from the road lay a house. We all thought when we saw the house, it could happen to be a little cafe. We looked at the house and quite right, inside there were two tables with chairs and a small hatch where you could order different things. The most important thing was that they served coffee and that we could warmed up. Now we sat for half an hour and relaxed before we asked the lady that took care of the place if we could put our tents up behind the house. That was allright she said. We were even lucky that there was a bathhouse at the back of the cafe, and we could fit both tents so that they lay in shelter for the cold wind.
When we had set the tents, we enjoyed a beautiful sun set and How managed to take a perfect picture of us where we stood in the sun set with one bike.
The evening meal was consumed quickly and then dishes. Then directly in the tents and down into the sleeping bags. The clock was not much more than 19:30, but when the frost comes, there is no need to sit outside, then it is best in a nice warm sleeping bag.
We woke up to a very cold morning with frost on our tents. Inside the tent the temperature only showed plus 4 degrees, so it became a slow start to the day. It takes conviction to crawl out of the sleeping bag, on such a day.
But eventually we managed and we rode out into the desert on a day that looked like the day before.
The wind against us and we made a co-operation where one took the lead 1 kilometer at a time, thus we could get a little shelter for the wind and the speed could be 11-13 kmh.
There was not much fun on a day like this and we did not talk much though out the day. We rarely saw wild horses and dromedaries.
We all really like to have a tailwind so we could take advantage of the quality road and roll at a good speed. Fortunately, morale got a plus. After we had cycled 69 kilometers, we came to a building, which was both a restaurant and a small hotel.
Now we could order coffee and sit inside a nice warm room. The room we got was a room of about 9 m2 with a platform lined with carpet and a radiator that warmed the room, we could lay on our mattresses and sleeping bags. For us total luxury in the desert.
The evening meal became a solid meal, which we finished with warm rice pudding. We needed it.
When we looked outside the next morning, we could see fog mixed with damp and cold weather. The visibility was no more than 50-100 meters, so in addition to being in the desert that was already quite so bland, we could figure out that this day became just a transport day, where it was only about cycling. If there were houses next to the road, we would not know it when the fog was so thick.
When we had a lunch break, it became us sitting freezing in one of the many tubes that went under the road. How put up his tarp up inside the pipe, so the wind did not blow through. But even then we froze and it was only a quick lunch to get back on the bikes and get warm again.
Fortunately, the wind was with us and we managed to cycle 75 kilometers in just over 4 hours. Here we reached a rest stop where there was a cafe / restaurant and right next to it we could see a sign over a door on which there was written hotel.
First we enjoyed nice hot coffee with a few pieces of factory cake and then we were shown the rooms at the "hotel". I do not think it was the healthiest place to sleep. The first room we came into was the walls filled with mold and the smell was not roses, but we could park our bikes there. No problem.
The rooms were hot and there was a bed. Our room did not have electricity so no lights. How had light, so after we had eaten we sat in his room and talked before we went to bed.
The price for a room in this standard cost us 19, - kr per person.
Of course we had the opportunity to camp, but it did not tempt us when we had the opportunity to warm up inside.
We got up at 7.10 after one night where we had not slept all too well. We packed the bikes and went to the restaurant to have breakfast. But it was not open yet. We chose to wait half an hour, but as there was still no sign of opening, we decided to cycle 4 kilometers further. On maps.me we had seen that there was a cafe. We did not know if it would be open, but on the other hand we did not want to waste time. So we took the chance.
It was biting cold, about minus 3 degrees, but fortunately a clear morning with good visibility.
The place 4 kilometers further ahead was open and now we could have breakfast.
The houses in these areas are not really built for the high temperature fluctuations and isolation does not exist. The people is just heating for the houses to get warm, so on the inside of the windows the water runs down and the table we sat at was damp on the surface. Not a healthy indoor climate.
Now we had filled up with food and we set ourselves a goal to ride 38 kilometers to a place where there should be a fast food place. It suited us to get there around dinner when we were lucky to have a good tailwind.
When we reached the site, it turn out to be closed. So we became somewhat disappointed. It was quite windy now, so we found shelter in the entrance to the eatery. To avoid being chilled too much.
We were flying after our lunch beak. First of all, we drove down a long drop which brought us down to a different landscape than we had cycled in the last days. The gorge we came through had some very special formations on both sides. Here we could see the soil change color from brown, gray, white though the different layers and with the complete clear blue sky and the sun it was incredibly beautiful.
With the wind in the back the speedometer showed 25-30 kmh and kilometers tapped into the bicycle account. The landscape and a lot of dromedaries made it all worth more cycling. An unforgettable experience.
In fact, at one point we believed we could ride up to 130 kilometers if we kept on that way. But one should never think like that, because something will always happen then, like a 5% increase over a long period of time.
But we reached 107 kilometers when we came to a city called Zharmysh. We actually did not expect anything to be in this place. On Maps.me, no city was specified. But here were 2 big restaurants with accommodation and a bigger town.
We had talked about reaching Shetpe, but when this place promptly prompted, we agreed to stay there for the night.
Everything looked brand new and the room we could sleep in was big and bright with 8 beds in nice bunk beds. We could even get a bath. Which we had not had since we cycled from Beyneu.
The day had been much more inspiring than all the other days. We had seen eagles, horses, cows, dromedaries, small squirrels, mountains, gorges, clear waters and a plain with more green.
Then in the evening we could hear that the wind got stronger and when How was going to the toilet, which was outside he was nearly being blown away. We had to see if it continued the next day ?? Because then we could not really cycle !!!
The wind was just as wild when we woke up the next morning. When the wind broke over the roof of the house, it seemed like a freight train was passing by. We thought maybe the wind would calm down later and then we could ride 25 kilometers and reach Shepte.
Quite right, the wind calmed down at 13 o'clock and for a short while we talked about cycling on, but at the end we agreed to wait until the next day.
More to come......soon
