Targhan - short of Korday

As Internet connectivity limited these days so must my blog entries. Obviously so much happens when you’re out on the road but the truth is that much of what happens each day when you cycle is rather mundane and while the scenery is often initially beautiful it rarely changes throughout the day especially in this part of the world.

It was nice riding with other people and especially when it comes to the evening and camping. During the day and whilst riding there really isn’t that much to talk about and Kazak roads don’t have the width of Chinese roads so riding side by side isn’t such a good idea here.

However when the evening comes it’s just nice to be able to sit back, have a chat and compare notes on the day. Camping by yourself while extremely peaceful can also be extremely lonely.

A storm is coming...........

The second day of riding saw me finish the day still 20km short of Korday. Riding in numbers brings companionship but also brings difference of option on where to camp. We ate at a nice Muslim restaurant but decided after dinner to venture a little further down the road to see if we could find a suitable place to pitch the tents for the night. A few kilometres down the road we were met by a very excited group of young boys just returning from a game of football. Kenta took the initiative and enquired as to whether it would be possible to put the tents behind their shop. This is when we met what I can only describe as one of the drunkest men I’ve ever met.

We were told it would be fine to sleep there but what with the group of young boys all eager to touch and prod the bikes and this incredibly inebriated guy offering us Vodka we thought it might not be our best bet. I must say though that his wife did seem to have him under control and would occasionally give him a whack with a stick much like a Sheppard herding his flock.
We eventually made our way back to the Muslim restaurant and after much waiting were invited to set up camp behind in a field.

Tomorrow myself, Paco and Kenta will all go our separate ways as I head to the amusingly named town of Shu and they go south to Kyrgyzstan.