Ken's Blog

Tour du Monde

July 5th, 2010

They were a rarity in Central Asia in two senses. Long distance cyclists. And French. We’d met whilst queuing for visas at the Chinese Consulate in Almaty, Kazakhstan. And their situation made my present tussles attempting to enter China appear to be nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

Their Kazakhstan visas would expire in two days, and, contrary to the advice they’d been given, could not, as they’d now discovered, be extended. And they’d no visa for any of the neighbouring countries. All their hopes lay on securing entry to China, and in just a couple of days.

To be fair, seemed they’d been mis-advised by the Consulate when they’d been given their Kazakhstan visa. I’d not been surprised by this, as I’d found contradictory information about Kazakh immigration and visa rules on official websites. An understandable mistake.

Like most languages, other than English and a smattering of Welsh, my French was never great and hasn’t improved. But found I could make some sense of their website – www.freresquiroulent.fr – appeared they too were on an around-the-world trip, albeit skipping Australia and Africa. Assuming they don’t get detained or deported in Kazakhstan first.

Tags: China, cyclists, French, Kazakhstan, Silk Roads, visas
Posted in China, Kazakhstan | No Comments »

Plan B

July 4th, 2010

Plan B from Ken Roberts on Vimeo.

Ken explains the need for Plan B, a bold, decisive scheme to secure a fresh Chinese visa.

Tags: China, Kazakhstan, Silk Roads, visas
Posted in Kazakhstan | No Comments »

Not yes

July 3rd, 2010

The lady in front smiled at me. A young man had approached the Policeman keeping order at the front of the queue, asking, in English, where foreigners waited to enter Almaty’s Chinese Consulate. I’d intervened, explaining you queued with everyone else. Just as I was doing. He wandered off, looking frustrated.

After a lengthy wait I was eventually allowed into the Embassy compound, to be greeted by a rather helpful man. Took me a few moments to ascertain he wasn’t a Chinese official but an agency tout, of no use to me. More waiting, then eventually allowed to approach a glass screen.

“Do you possibly speak English?” I asked. “No” said the official, without expression. I explained my circumstances, my just expired sixty day visa, showed him my application form, the supporting paperwork. Seemed I’d also need a letter of introduction, then perhaps thirty days might be possible. I’d explained I’d not needed this for my previous visa, a return flight confirmation being sufficient. But he wasn’t budging. It wasn’t a simple no, rather a not yes – a polite no.

I’d wandered back out into the compound, found the tout I’d spoken to earlier and enquired about a letter of introduction. Around a hundred US dollars, would take a week or so. Bit of mental arithmetic – week for a letter, allow a week for visa processing – with no assurance of success, and I’d get perilously close to the expiry of my current Kazakhstan visa. Which would mean, in practice, a last minute flight out to obtain a fresh one. More expense.

So what to do? I’d get nowhere today at the Consulate, so decided to contemplate my next move over a cup of tea. Objectively. Seemed I could spend a good deal of money, time and effort attempting to secure a fresh visa in Almaty, but with no guarantee of success. Far from it. And even if I did manage to obtain a thirty day visa, I’d struggle to work with that for crossing China in its entirety. Time for Plan B.

Tags: China, Kazakhstan, Silk Roads, visas
Posted in China, Kazakhstan | No Comments »

On the case

July 1st, 2010

“Stoic” a friend had said. Realistic I thought. The next day I’d set out early for the Chinese Consulate, arriving shortly after nine. Already a lengthy queue, seemed quite disorderly, despite the barriers meant to avoid too much tussling. And there’d be no chance of admittance today.

So instead I went in search of a suitable visa agent. They supposedly hung around the Consulate, but the idea of handing over cash and my passport to a stranger on the street, purporting to be an agent, seemed inconceivable. Decided to go and look for a suitable travel agency in the city centre.

After much searching I eventually found Nurila. She spoke good English and understood my problem. Quick call to the Consulate. Unfortunately, she explained, without a residency permit they would not issue me with a visa. Where there any agents in the city who specialised in visits to China, I enquired? I’d heard a rumour they might be able to circumvent the residency requirement.

Took me over an hour to locate a specialist agency, tucked away in a small office inside a hotel on the far side of the city. Diana was very understanding, spoke excellent English, but no, without a residency permit, there’d only be a flat refusal. My only hope, she explained, was to go in person and plead my case. And get there early, around seven, to have any hope of admittance when the gates open at nine, she advised. But she could help me with the application form, especially as it was in Russian, an offer I gladly accepted.

Emerging back on the street, the lingering humidity had been replaced by gentle rain, soon descending into a downpour. A cheap umbrella – a few pounds – from a nearby bazaar and then the long trek back across the city, contemplating my next move.

Diana had explained that the Chinese Consulate only ever issued visas for thirty days, to Kazakhs certainly. Indeed, the application form gave no other options, unlike the one in Malta I’d completed. Would that really be enough to cross China, assuming I was able to secure a thirty day extension once I’d entered? Five thousand or more kilometres in a little over fifty days, terrain and roads a largely unknown quantity. Difficult. On the boundary between the art of the possible, and hopeless optimism.

Tags: China, Kazakhstan, Silk Roads, visas
Posted in Kazakhstan | 2 Comments »

A man called Eric

June 26th, 2010

He too was called Eric. We laughed. But no, I couldn’t cross into the military zone that flanked the Kazakhstan side of the border with China. The Chinese side was closed. Until the end of the week. By which time my entry visa would have expired. Phone calls had been made, I’d crossed a few land borders before so knew how sometimes these things played out. But no. A dead end. For now at least.

Lorries

They’d been clues along the road from Zharkent. A long line of lorries, of trailers, parked up, abandoned it seemed, just a few Turkish drivers wandering about, waiting. I’d checked a while back, and again in Almaty a few days earlier, that the Khorgas crossing – a major border post – would be open and was assured it would be. No doubt in good faith.

Disappointed? Yes. I’d pushed hard to reach the border, made compromises ordinarily I’d not have even considered. Down-hearted? No. Which surprised me at first. But, fact was that given the scale of the project, information on the road ahead often scant or confused, significant language barriers to overcome, the odd blow to morale was always going to happen. Just a question of when. Suppose I felt pleased I’d got this far without any major dramas. And I was still going to cross China. Just not today.

Tags: border, China, Kazakhstan, Silk Roads, visas
Posted in Kazakhstan | No Comments »

Rough sleeping

June 15th, 2010

He’d smiled. Understood what I’d muttered quietly in English when yet another person had tried to push in. Lost on the culprit. We’d picked the wrong ticket queue, but in the heat were resigned to a long wait rather than start afresh at another window.

Earlier I’d decided I’d take a train to get clear of Almaty, heading north as far as the town of Saryozek and the start of the run through the mountains east to the Chinese border. An unavoidable necessity to help ensure I made the crossing before my entry visa became invalid. I’d be arriving after midnight and was reckoning on sleeping in the station until first light. Around five am.

I’d then push east through the mountain passes, up to about five thousand feet, aiming to cover the one hundred and forty miles to the border in about thirty hours. I’d wild camp along the way so I could make the most of the cool mornings and late evenings. Plan was to cross into China the next morning, leaving myself a day spare. But first I needed to get the rail ticket…..

Tags: Kazakhstan, Railways, Silk Roads, visas
Posted in Kazakhstan | No Comments »

Longest Day

June 13th, 2010

If there’d been a flaw in the plan, it was the distance. Bit more than I’d anticipated. Quite a bit more. Around two hundred miles in a little over twenty four hours. I’d left Kyrgyzstan’s Capital Bishkek mid-afternoon, avoiding the full heat of the day, heading for the city of Almaty in eastern Kazakhstan. Slight delay at the border crossing. Refused to budge until the guards provided me with all the relevant stamps I’d need to be allowed to leave and cross into China.

Wild camping

I’d chosen to tackle the worst of the climbs on the road to Almaty in the relative cool of the evening. As dusk approached, around nine in the evening, I’d pulled off the road along a small track across rolling moorland. Found a discrete pitch for the night. Up at six, back on the road before seven.

Within an hour or so I’d finished the last of the climbs, and made a rapid descent to the plains below that would lead me to Almaty. Stopped at a small roadside cafe, the first I’d seen for quite some distance. After a quick breakfast I’d joined the lorry drivers freshening up at an outside tap, attempting to remove some of the previous day’s grime and salty deposits.

Road to Almaty

Then a steady grind eastwards, flat, barren steppe at first, more undulating later. Mile after mile. The odd cafe, small settlement with a few market stalls besides the road, perhaps a shop, to break up the monotony. And to replenish fluids.

Reaching Almaty around five, the evening rush hour traffic was quite bearable, the railway station rendezvous with my host for the next few days remarkably straightforward to find. I’d been my choice, largely because it appeared on my maps, but was on the opposite side of the city to where I’d be staying. The longest day. So far.

Tags: Desert, Kazakhstan, Silk Roads, visas
Posted in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic | 1 Comment »

Absolute conviction

June 9th, 2010

“You may go with your bicycle” explained the border guard. Finally. A little earlier, it seemed, there was a problem with my papers. I’d need to accompany a policeman, there were forms to complete, a fine to pay. I’d half expected difficulties getting into the Kyrgyz Republic, not leaving Kazakhstan.

I’d quickly decided on a friendly but robust approach. Absolute conviction my passport, visa and immigration card were entirely in order. “I don’t understand what the problem is” I said quite forcefully, quickly adding “I have all the necessary stamps in my passport, and on my immigration card. I know exactly what is required because I checked when I got my visa. In English. So very clear.”

It was then suggested a fine would not be necessary, just some forms to complete. I could be on my way in an hour or two. But first we’d have to meet with the Commissioner. We wandered around for a while but nobody seemed to know where he was. From one dilapidated office to the next, but no sign of him. Various calls on the radio from my English speaking escort.

In the meantime I’d struck up a bit of a rapport with my new found friend. Asked him where he’d picked up his remarkably good language skills. Had he been to England? “You know the rules very well” he said after a while. “Yes” I replied, “Out of respect for your country. I wish to make sure I comply with your laws. And I have a very comprehensive guide to the rules, written in English, your Embassy kindly gave me”. A brief pause. And then I was suddenly allowed to go on my way. Never did meet the Commissioner.

[Author’s note: For brevity, I’ve omitted the lengthy discussion where I explain exactly what the rules are, common mistakes foreigners make. Tiresome enough for the border guards. And forms to complete, if ever they’d materialised? I never sign anything not written in English. Period. No matter how long you seek to detain me. Probably best to let me go]

Tags: border, Kazakhstan, Silk Roads, visas
Posted in Kazakhstan | No Comments »

Crossing Kazakhstan

May 27th, 2010

Less than three weeks to reach the Chinese border. Otherwise I’ll need a fresh visa. Problematic at best. Unfortunately, this means compromise is unavoidable. Cycling Kazakhstan in its entirety, a country sixty percent of the size of the European Union, simply isn’t a practical proposition. Ironically, I’ve a generous Kazakhstan visa that would allow me to do so. But then that would jeopardise China. Practicality over purity.

Quite apart from reaching the Chinese border in time, I’m determined to visit Bishkek, the Kyrgyz Republic’s Capital. Scene of rioting in recent months, the situation appears to have calmed a good deal, making safe entry feasible. Keen to track down our Honorary Consul at Fat Boy’s Cafe. And I’ve an offer of tea at the British Embassy in Almaty, until relatively recently Kazakhstan’s Capital. Shame to miss that. A few things to weave into the plan for crossing the country.

The plan? A train from Atyrau, at the northern end of the Caspian Sea, to Kzyl-Orda, about three hundred kilometres east of the Aral Sea. Across largely flat, featureless terrain. But not the easiest of options. A twenty four hour journey. I’d been advised to take the luxury option for about forty pounds – a twin berth sleeper. Curious to know who I’ll be sharing with. Hopefully Emma, my trusty steed. Might have to pay a bit extra for that. We’ll see. I’ll reach my destination close to midnight so could be interesting finding somewhere to sleep.

Rail ticket

Getting the rail ticket had been a bit tricky. Queued for quite a while, only to reach an impasse. I’d a piece of paper explaining, in Kazakh, exactly what I wanted. Couldn’t understand the problem. Lots of phone calls made by the saleswoman, but no, a ticket wasn’t possible. Frustrating.

A young man, next in line, explained that the difficulty was that my name needed to be translated into Russian Cyrillic to be entered into the booking system. No doubt he could have done it for me in seconds, but he’d been pacing around endlessly, trying to push in front of me, so helping out now wasn’t going to happen. Instead, I disappeared off to seek further help from English speaking Manshuk in a local hotel. Half an hour later I had my ticket.

Beyond Kyzl-Orda I’ll be heading south-east for about four hundred kilometres to Shymkent, swinging north-east through the mountains towards the Kyrgyz Republic’s border. Brief foray into the Capital Bishkek, then back into Kazakhstan and its former Capital Almaty. Few days there and then the push through the mountains to the Chinese border. Fingers crossed.

Tags: Kazakhstan, Silk Roads, visas
Posted in Kazakhstan | No Comments »

Groundhog Day

May 20th, 2010

Another instalment of the armchair adventure? It was beginning to feel like Groundhog Day.

They’d been a development the previous afternoon. The ship was sailing for Kazakhstan, fully laden but no passengers. Not quite sure when it was going, and the idea of a ferry so full of cargo no-one else could board seemed almost beyond comprehension. That would make it two sailings, opportunities to cross the Caspian, that had alluded me. Two weeks left on my Azerbaijan visa before I’d need to leave the country to obtain a fresh one. Probably simpler than trying to obtain an extension.

Mostly out of frustration, I’d headed down to the port in the early evening. Ticket office closed. No one around. I’d got a bit lost and found myself wandering around the docks for a while. At least gave me a chance to see what ships were actually in port. A few Iranian flagged vessels. Not very promising. But a couple of Roll-On-Roll-Off ferries at anchor in the bay, too distant to make out their names. Maybe one was mine.

I’d known the visit to the port had little prospect of achieving anything, but it had at least given me chance to think. What I needed was anything that floated, and a fair wind. Could it be that difficult? I headed back to the western suburbs where I was staying with Brian and his daughter Savannah, a few fresh ideas beginning to gel.

Bottle

Over a very welcome beer and some fine homemade curry, Brian and I discussed the situation, carefully dissected what little information there seemed to be, looking for patterns that might unlock the problem. Perhaps the apparent absence of a pattern was itself a pattern? Brian suggested that this was becoming more than just about getting to Kazakhstan. It was an intellectual challenge. He was probably right.

The next morning – Day Eight – I’d a plan of sorts. Had to do something, anything, better than just waiting, especially when the prospect of success seemed so small. I’d made a few phone calls the previous evening and was waiting to hear back, see what they yielded. Couple more to make later. In the meantime, I’d other things to do. If I knew when the ferry was returning to port, I’d at least know when to head down there and try to get onboard. By whatever, albeit legitimate, means. But first I’d need the names of the ship. Or ships. No-one seemed quite sure.

Tags: Azerbaijan, Caspian Sea, Caucasus, Silk Roads, visas
Posted in The Caucasus | No Comments »