Early to bed, and early to rise. I wake at dawn and go out to find breakfast in Kobda. The motel cafe does not open until 8.00am, it is about 6.30am when I wake. I struggle to find a shop that is open, but outside one shop two local lads show me what to do. They tap on a little window, and a face appears at the window. I should ask and explain what I want, but as my Kazakh is non existent they let me in instead, even tho they are not properly open yet. I buy tins of fish, chocolate and fluids and leave the shop. I load up my bike and find a strange little man walking up to me. He has a familiar smell of stale vodka and asks for some money. I refuse, he responds by doing some funny little high kicks and then totters off to ask someone else for money.
The ride starts out flat but then gets quite hilly, very hilly for the steppe. I pass a very smokey factory at the bottom of a particularly large hill and a small flat bed lorry pulls up next to me and stops. The driver jumps out and cheerily offers me a lift. I stubbornly refuse as I want to ride to Aktobe and beyond. He smiles, waves goodbye and pulls off. I reach the summit of this hill and see Aktobe at the bottom, about 30kms ahead. Gleefully I freewheel towards my destination, only to not so gleefully find after about 5km the tarmac road ends, and traffic is pushed onto a very dusty, bumpy dirt road while the new road is being constructed. I bump along and finally reach Aktobe.
Aktobe is fairly small and easy to navigate. It feels good to be in a city again. My hotel window has a view over the city and it is good to see all the bright lights. I leave my room and eat at a very over priced but very nice restaurant next to my hotel, and have a walk. There seems to be a fair amount of new construction happening in the centre of Aktobe. Kazakhstan is developing its fossil fuel extraction industry, and there are many mines on the steppe near Aktobe. As a consequence Aktobe is becoming a service hub for these mines. A posh new Sheriaton Hotel is being built, and my restaurant was not the only fancy eating place in town. I finish my evening by having a drink in the night club next to my hotel. It has the Union Jack and a few pictures of London placed in the foyer, and the strictest security I have ever seen in a club. On entry you are searched, and then scanned by a metal detector. You then pass to the pay desk where your photo is taken. After all this you are allowed in. I guess there must have been or still is a problem with alcohol fueled violence in Kazakhstan.The club itself I am not so keen on. The music is typical US R and B schlager. I have drink and people watch. After a while a band takes the stage and starts to play some Kazakh songs. This I much prefer, but I am getting tired so leave.
My motel in Kobda at dawn.
Kobda houses.
The ride starts out flat but then gets quite hilly, very hilly for the steppe. I pass a very smokey factory at the bottom of a particularly large hill and a small flat bed lorry pulls up next to me and stops. The driver jumps out and cheerily offers me a lift. I stubbornly refuse as I want to ride to Aktobe and beyond. He smiles, waves goodbye and pulls off. I reach the summit of this hill and see Aktobe at the bottom, about 30kms ahead. Gleefully I freewheel towards my destination, only to not so gleefully find after about 5km the tarmac road ends, and traffic is pushed onto a very dusty, bumpy dirt road while the new road is being constructed. I bump along and finally reach Aktobe.
Aktobe is fairly small and easy to navigate. It feels good to be in a city again. My hotel window has a view over the city and it is good to see all the bright lights. I leave my room and eat at a very over priced but very nice restaurant next to my hotel, and have a walk. There seems to be a fair amount of new construction happening in the centre of Aktobe. Kazakhstan is developing its fossil fuel extraction industry, and there are many mines on the steppe near Aktobe. As a consequence Aktobe is becoming a service hub for these mines. A posh new Sheriaton Hotel is being built, and my restaurant was not the only fancy eating place in town. I finish my evening by having a drink in the night club next to my hotel. It has the Union Jack and a few pictures of London placed in the foyer, and the strictest security I have ever seen in a club. On entry you are searched, and then scanned by a metal detector. You then pass to the pay desk where your photo is taken. After all this you are allowed in. I guess there must have been or still is a problem with alcohol fueled violence in Kazakhstan.The club itself I am not so keen on. The music is typical US R and B schlager. I have drink and people watch. After a while a band takes the stage and starts to play some Kazakh songs. This I much prefer, but I am getting tired so leave.
My motel in Kobda at dawn.
Kobda houses.
No comments:
Post a Comment