We are now in Dushanbe (Tajikistan), the prettiest capital in Central Asia but one with not that much to do. We got here by shared transport on a Toyota land cruiser which provided a much smoother ride than the Russian jeeps. We scored the ride by haggling at the Khorog Bazaar and it took us about 20 hours to get from Khorog to Dushanbe via Kalaikhoum.
It is impossible to share all that has happened in the last few days but life has certainly been eventful.
The most aggravating thing about Tajikistan is the fact that the government and those who are seemingly in authority abuse their power over the people who are already so poor. I now understand why a Kyrgz friend (corruption is also rife in Kyrgzstan) said she would not be voting in the Kyrgz elections because not voting is also taking a stand. In her own words, she said 'Voting for the current government means voting from a thief. Voting for the oppostion menas voting for an even bigger thief.' I didn't fully comprehend the gravity of this stamenet a week ago but I am now the wiser having travelled through Tajikistan and been searched by border guards so many times. The worst incident was when we met border guards at 10pm who simply created an issue in order to obtain a bribe. They insisted that the dates between which our Tajik visa is valid must correlate with the dates on another document we hold called a GBAO permit to enable us to travel along the Pamir Highway. This was absolute bull. The small dimly it 'registration office' was crowded with about 8 Tajik border guards glowering over us. I disappointed myself in allowing myself to be intimidated. Kenneth was prepared for us to be detained for the night and refused to pay the bribe as a matter of principle though he was mostly hoping that this would just call their bluff.
After about 45 minutes of arguing, our driver got our passports back and bundled us into the landcruiser to continue our journey. Only later did we discover that our driver did not have the heart to leave us behind and so he ended up paying the bribe to the border guards. We are still fuming over the injustices that these authoritative figures perpetuate against their own people who have grown to accept it as a way of life. Since that incident we have heard of other incredulous stories of what border guards and policemen have done to both locals and foreigners.
It makes me want to do something .... anything! Is there something that we as an international community can do?
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Langar and the Simple Life
[Written on 24 July 2009]
We continued driving through the Wakhan Valley past the most stunning landscapes of cliff faces and the rivers which act as the border line between Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
Today, we stopped off at some ancient, abandoned forts which were built decades ago to protect the Wakhan Valley from potential attacks. In reality, the border is now riddled with check points every few kilometers. It was quite a hassle having to have our passports checked and registered at each checkpoint but our driver, Omarbek would simply collect our passports and take it into the registration office, leaving us in his Russian jeep. It did occur to be that it was odd that at most checkpoints, no border guard came to have a look at us to ensure it was actually our passport that they were registering. In hindsight, I now suspect that our driver's cost already included bribe money needed to get us through each checkpoint. This makes me angry as I experienced for the first time the injustices and abuse of power perpetuated by a corrupt government against its own people. I have never felt so passionately about this before till now. More on this issue in a later post.
We also stopped off at Bibi Fatima's Hot Springs. It was a queer operation where men and women enter separate bathhouses. In the bathhouses, you strip down and enter the hot springs through a cave hole. This hole leads you to the hot springs under calcite formations. I was not able to bathe as it was that time of the month for me but was persuaded by a local girl who was an English student in Dushanbe to just have a look which probably made the other women in the springs a tad uncomfortable, being in the nude with a fully clothed foreigner peering in on them! Kenneth came back from his bath blown away by the cultural experience. He commented that descending the steps of the cave hole in his birthday suit while a dozen generously endowed and circumcised Tajik men watched was one of the most intimidating experiences he has ever had!
I ended up purchasing a Pamiri style necklace made by a girl working at the hot springs. Being poor at Maths and having not acclimatised in currency conversion since my dealings with the Kazakh tenge and Kyrgz som, I paid 20 Tajik somani for the necklace thinking I got a good bargain for a necklace under AUD$1.00 only to later realise I'd actually paid AUD$7.00 for it. Still, I like the necklace and I liked the girl who made and was selling it so hopefully a little encouragement of her talent will go a long way though the concept of paying 'foreigner's price' for an item does annoy me at times. It must be my Australian egalitarian upbringing which stirs this emotion.
To give you an idea of the price discrepancies between foreigners and locals, the foreigner's fee for the hot springs was 10 somani (AUD$3.30) while locals pay a mere 2 somani (AUD$0.60).
After 6 hours on the road, we arrived at Langar village which is the most picturesque village I have ever come across, scattered across the descending slope of a fertile valley rich in wheat, rice and vegetable crops. The village faces the mountains of Afghanistan and gentle streams run through the village providing natural irrigation for the crops. We took a 1.5 hour walk around the area before dinner, led by 2 cute little village girls we chanced upon. They were keen to show us where we could enjoy the best views of their village. Like gazelles, the skipped over streams and brooks and ran up hills effortlessly while we plodded along behind them. We homestayed with a family in Langar for US$15 each, including dinner on the first night and breakfast the next morning. The homestay was a typical Pamiri house where an empty carpeted room (with various carpets also strewn across the room as wall hangings) is converted into a bedroom by laying out thin mattresses on the floor. It was comfortable aside from the fact that the pit toilet was a 2 minute walk away and there was nowhere to bathe. I suspect the villagers just bathe in the river.
Crossing Over from Kyrgzstan to Tajikistan
[Written on 23 July 2009]
kenneth and i survived the 12 hour army jeep ride from osh to mugrab yesterday. it was rough and bumpy pretty much all the way along the pamir highway but the changing landscapes were spectacular. when leaving kyrgzstan, we were treated to fields of wildflowers and gushing streams as we rode across the fergana valley. there were plenty of alpine lakes, salt beds and ginger coloured marmots scurrying across gravel rocks (they looked like garfield the fat cat!).
we saw some dodgy things take place between our driver, the kyrgz border guards and the tajik border guards but we will elaborate further once we are out of central asia! the lonely planet describes the pamir highway as 'the opium highway' to give you a clue.
tajikistan's landscape is surreal... like a different planet! parts of it looks very similar to taliban territory which we have seen on the news! one of the most majestic views was one of karakol lake glistening in a baby green hue set against semi-dessert mountains with the snow capped pamir mountains amd the hindu kush ranges all the way across pakistan in the backdrop. we will upload photos as soon as we find a place with unlimited internet!
we are now in a town called mugrab which is embedded in the pamir mountains and it looks like what we imagine bethlehem town to look like! we are both suffering from mild altitude sickness (headaches, shortness of breath, constant weeing, loss of appetite) due to being over 3600 m above sea level. the highest pass we went through to get here was over 4000 m above sea level. we are staying at Surab's Guesthouse which functions more like a homestay. there are 5 spanish cyclists also staying at Surab's - all P.E. teachers. no surprise as you'd have to be super fit to conquer the harsh pamir region by bike! Surab has a wife, 4 lovely Tajik daughters and a little son of about 7 years. Tajiks have lovely olive skin (some with green eyes!) and look like a cross between Afghans, north Indians and Persians/Iranians. the homestay has been ... interesting. we are sleeping in a room with a raised stage with two mattresses laid out on the floor for us. in another section of the room is a small table upon which we are served our meals whilst we sit on the floor on a rectangular mattress. we understand that this is a typical pamiri home. the pit toilet isn't too bad (better than in mongolia) but the bath area which is without any lighting and looks like a torture chamber takes a bit of getting used to.
the mugrab bazaar is pretty strange. the vendors all sell their goods from steel shipment containers - traces of the soviet era. i am guessing this is due to the dust which is prevalent up here and also the cold. i did manage to get some fantastic shots at the bazaar. mugrab consist of about 40% kyrgz people and 60% tajiks.
we are now trying to organise transport to get to khorog via the beautiful wakhan valley tomorrow. another 10+ hour drive awaits us but the scenery between the hindu kush and pamir mountains promises to be well worth it according to the european tourists with whom we are crossing paths.
kenneth and i survived the 12 hour army jeep ride from osh to mugrab yesterday. it was rough and bumpy pretty much all the way along the pamir highway but the changing landscapes were spectacular. when leaving kyrgzstan, we were treated to fields of wildflowers and gushing streams as we rode across the fergana valley. there were plenty of alpine lakes, salt beds and ginger coloured marmots scurrying across gravel rocks (they looked like garfield the fat cat!).
we saw some dodgy things take place between our driver, the kyrgz border guards and the tajik border guards but we will elaborate further once we are out of central asia! the lonely planet describes the pamir highway as 'the opium highway' to give you a clue.
tajikistan's landscape is surreal... like a different planet! parts of it looks very similar to taliban territory which we have seen on the news! one of the most majestic views was one of karakol lake glistening in a baby green hue set against semi-dessert mountains with the snow capped pamir mountains amd the hindu kush ranges all the way across pakistan in the backdrop. we will upload photos as soon as we find a place with unlimited internet!
we are now in a town called mugrab which is embedded in the pamir mountains and it looks like what we imagine bethlehem town to look like! we are both suffering from mild altitude sickness (headaches, shortness of breath, constant weeing, loss of appetite) due to being over 3600 m above sea level. the highest pass we went through to get here was over 4000 m above sea level. we are staying at Surab's Guesthouse which functions more like a homestay. there are 5 spanish cyclists also staying at Surab's - all P.E. teachers. no surprise as you'd have to be super fit to conquer the harsh pamir region by bike! Surab has a wife, 4 lovely Tajik daughters and a little son of about 7 years. Tajiks have lovely olive skin (some with green eyes!) and look like a cross between Afghans, north Indians and Persians/Iranians. the homestay has been ... interesting. we are sleeping in a room with a raised stage with two mattresses laid out on the floor for us. in another section of the room is a small table upon which we are served our meals whilst we sit on the floor on a rectangular mattress. we understand that this is a typical pamiri home. the pit toilet isn't too bad (better than in mongolia) but the bath area which is without any lighting and looks like a torture chamber takes a bit of getting used to.
the mugrab bazaar is pretty strange. the vendors all sell their goods from steel shipment containers - traces of the soviet era. i am guessing this is due to the dust which is prevalent up here and also the cold. i did manage to get some fantastic shots at the bazaar. mugrab consist of about 40% kyrgz people and 60% tajiks.
we are now trying to organise transport to get to khorog via the beautiful wakhan valley tomorrow. another 10+ hour drive awaits us but the scenery between the hindu kush and pamir mountains promises to be well worth it according to the european tourists with whom we are crossing paths.
Assalam from Osh!
[Written on 21 July 2009]
Yesterday, we flew out of Bishkek to the southern town of Osh here in Kyrgzstan. Since the flight was just $US60, we thought we'd fly this leg instead of haggle at the bazaar in Bishkek for a taxi. A fair price for the taxi to drive the 13 hour stretch from Bishkek to Osh would have cost US$30 each.
Flying was quite an experience. Part of the air stip also functions as the US military base from which the US keeps an eye on Afghanistan. It was amazing to see real life US Air Force airplanes and troops. We flew in a small aircraft with Kyrgzstan Airlines and we soon understood why this was a blacklisted airline (by the way only 3 companies fly from Bishkek to Osh and they are all black listed). There was no air-con for half the duration of the flight and there were even flies in the cabin. It was sweltering in the cabin and everyone was using the cardboard given to us with safety instructions as a fan. Before take-off we were each given a black plastic bag because the chances of throwing up must have been probable.... in fact, I did feel nauseous towards the end of the flight when it dipped a few times. Also, after the air-con was switched off just before landing, the vents started leaking from precipitation! So Kenneth's pants got a little wet as there was a vent above him. Needless to say, this was yet another new experience for us but it wasn't too bad because it was just a 1 hour flight!
Osh certainly has a more Central Asian feel to it compared to Bishkek. Bishkek wasn't too unlike Almaty in terms of its Soviet layout with plenty of flags, dancing fountains and leafy parks with statues of the Soveit era's greats like Lenin. Osh is a lot more overtly Muslim with more women in head scarves but their dresses and clthing are still very colourful with plenty of prints on them.
Today, we walked through the main bazaar and saw amazing things for sale. We then headed for a little mountain called Solomon's Throne. Legend has it that this was where Solomon once came to sit and meditate. Not sure if it was where he may have written Proverbs or Ecclesiastes? Not sure if all this is truie but this is what the Muslims here believe. Solomon is 'Suleiman' to them. Osh is made up of up to 40% Uzbeks and the rest are Kyrgz. Not that many Russian here. This region has been fough over for centuries because Osh runs through the very fertile Fergana Valley and so many of the Central Asian nations want it to grow their crops. Very strangesly, the border of Kyrgzstan was drawn in such a way that this town which had to many Uzbeks ended up being part of Kyrgzstan instead of Uzbekistan! So we are staying at Osh Guesthouse which is run by Uzbeks!
Uzbeks look more north Indian or Iranian/Persian whereas Kyrgz have mixed Europeans and Asian features. I am now better able to differentiate between the various Central Asian races. Have not yet met any Tajiks or Turkmen so am increasingly curious about what they look like!
We are meeting a lot of European backpackers now and exchanging travel information and tips in passing ranging from the routes travelled to the cost of transport (so we don't get ripped off!). They are telling us about the things they have seen and experienced in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Turkey (all places we are heading towards) whilst we are telling them who to contact in Bishkek, Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia because their onward journeys will take most of them to those places. It is just like the days of Marco Polo when the European traders passed through Osh to get to Asia with their horse laden goods and the Asian traders also passed through Osh with their spices, teas and crafts usually on camels or yaks. How amazing that we have reached the middle point of trade on the Silk Road!
Tomorrow, we will be sharing a private car with a Swiss girl we've met at Osh Guesthouse and we will head towards Sary-Tash and cross the Kyrgz-Tajik border. The Swiss girl will be getting off at Sary-Tash to cross the Irkhtam Pass into China and she is headed to Kashgar. She is a cyclist so she will cycle the rest of the way. The Europeans love to cycle the Silk Road - tough but amazing! We will then continue to Mugrab, Khorog and finally arrive in Dushanbe which is the capital of Tajikistan! At this stage, we have only worked out how to get to Mugrab. As per usual, we can't really book our onward journey in advance and it will need to be figured out once we get to Mugrab. This is the first time I am travelling and arranging things as I go! I have learnt to chill a bit more, be less structured and 'play it by ear'.
The weather is getting warmer and warmer but we are keeping hydrated as we seem to be very thirsty here in Osh. Otherwise, we are keeping well and God has been providing us contacts along the way to help us get to our next destination. It has been a bit like that in Central Asia. As I said, we can't always plan things in advance and you typically end up buying your plane tickets 3 hours before you fly! Just enough time to catch a taxi to take you to the airport and check in on time!
We have now reached our our 1/2 way in our journey both in terms of time and distance.
Yesterday, we flew out of Bishkek to the southern town of Osh here in Kyrgzstan. Since the flight was just $US60, we thought we'd fly this leg instead of haggle at the bazaar in Bishkek for a taxi. A fair price for the taxi to drive the 13 hour stretch from Bishkek to Osh would have cost US$30 each.
Flying was quite an experience. Part of the air stip also functions as the US military base from which the US keeps an eye on Afghanistan. It was amazing to see real life US Air Force airplanes and troops. We flew in a small aircraft with Kyrgzstan Airlines and we soon understood why this was a blacklisted airline (by the way only 3 companies fly from Bishkek to Osh and they are all black listed). There was no air-con for half the duration of the flight and there were even flies in the cabin. It was sweltering in the cabin and everyone was using the cardboard given to us with safety instructions as a fan. Before take-off we were each given a black plastic bag because the chances of throwing up must have been probable.... in fact, I did feel nauseous towards the end of the flight when it dipped a few times. Also, after the air-con was switched off just before landing, the vents started leaking from precipitation! So Kenneth's pants got a little wet as there was a vent above him. Needless to say, this was yet another new experience for us but it wasn't too bad because it was just a 1 hour flight!
Osh certainly has a more Central Asian feel to it compared to Bishkek. Bishkek wasn't too unlike Almaty in terms of its Soviet layout with plenty of flags, dancing fountains and leafy parks with statues of the Soveit era's greats like Lenin. Osh is a lot more overtly Muslim with more women in head scarves but their dresses and clthing are still very colourful with plenty of prints on them.
Today, we walked through the main bazaar and saw amazing things for sale. We then headed for a little mountain called Solomon's Throne. Legend has it that this was where Solomon once came to sit and meditate. Not sure if it was where he may have written Proverbs or Ecclesiastes? Not sure if all this is truie but this is what the Muslims here believe. Solomon is 'Suleiman' to them. Osh is made up of up to 40% Uzbeks and the rest are Kyrgz. Not that many Russian here. This region has been fough over for centuries because Osh runs through the very fertile Fergana Valley and so many of the Central Asian nations want it to grow their crops. Very strangesly, the border of Kyrgzstan was drawn in such a way that this town which had to many Uzbeks ended up being part of Kyrgzstan instead of Uzbekistan! So we are staying at Osh Guesthouse which is run by Uzbeks!
Uzbeks look more north Indian or Iranian/Persian whereas Kyrgz have mixed Europeans and Asian features. I am now better able to differentiate between the various Central Asian races. Have not yet met any Tajiks or Turkmen so am increasingly curious about what they look like!
We are meeting a lot of European backpackers now and exchanging travel information and tips in passing ranging from the routes travelled to the cost of transport (so we don't get ripped off!). They are telling us about the things they have seen and experienced in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Turkey (all places we are heading towards) whilst we are telling them who to contact in Bishkek, Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia because their onward journeys will take most of them to those places. It is just like the days of Marco Polo when the European traders passed through Osh to get to Asia with their horse laden goods and the Asian traders also passed through Osh with their spices, teas and crafts usually on camels or yaks. How amazing that we have reached the middle point of trade on the Silk Road!
Tomorrow, we will be sharing a private car with a Swiss girl we've met at Osh Guesthouse and we will head towards Sary-Tash and cross the Kyrgz-Tajik border. The Swiss girl will be getting off at Sary-Tash to cross the Irkhtam Pass into China and she is headed to Kashgar. She is a cyclist so she will cycle the rest of the way. The Europeans love to cycle the Silk Road - tough but amazing! We will then continue to Mugrab, Khorog and finally arrive in Dushanbe which is the capital of Tajikistan! At this stage, we have only worked out how to get to Mugrab. As per usual, we can't really book our onward journey in advance and it will need to be figured out once we get to Mugrab. This is the first time I am travelling and arranging things as I go! I have learnt to chill a bit more, be less structured and 'play it by ear'.
The weather is getting warmer and warmer but we are keeping hydrated as we seem to be very thirsty here in Osh. Otherwise, we are keeping well and God has been providing us contacts along the way to help us get to our next destination. It has been a bit like that in Central Asia. As I said, we can't always plan things in advance and you typically end up buying your plane tickets 3 hours before you fly! Just enough time to catch a taxi to take you to the airport and check in on time!
We have now reached our our 1/2 way in our journey both in terms of time and distance.
Crossing Over from Kazakhstan to Kyrgzstan
[Written by Kenneth on 15 July 2009]
Our final day in Almaty we managed to meet up with Doug Boyle who founded the Teen Challenge drug rehab programme in Kazakhstan. They now have 17 rehab centers and plenty of "sheep sheds" where followers gather for worship! They don't have much but have been very influential and successful in what they do. Check this out: http://www.tckazakhstan.com.
Doug is a fearless Aussie who has suffered for the cause and has been in Kazakhstan now for 19 years with a one year commitment to the Lord every year because he wants to go back to Australia. :) He also talked about the suffering one must go through to see the Kingdom established, but the satisfaction and the grace is so sufficient. He says that in life you suffer anyway, but suffering for the Master at least you have fruit. It is starting to make more heart sense to us. Don't know whether we're there yet to embrace suffering, but we are so much more convinced that giving up all and living wholeheartedly for Him is the only way to real life.
We are so glad to be here in Bishkek (capital of Kyrgzstan) after only a 5 hour journey by bus. What we expected to be a 4 hour travail at the border crossing turned out to be only a 1/2 hour and we were the ones holding the bus up with our foreign passports! We were also well taken care of when we got to town by this really nice Kyrgz girl we met on the bus called Elmira who turned out to be an English teacher at Central Asia'sonly American university in Bishkek.
We have noticed certainly that the Kyrgz people (apart from the Caucasian Russian immigrants) look more like Mongols. We don't really stand out that much here, although there were these little kids on the bus who were very amused when they thought we were Korean.
Steph is comfortably asleep now 11:15pm Bishkek time, so I think I'll do the same before a day of exploration tomorow! So far the Central Asian people we have met, despite their embassies, have been so friendly!
Our final day in Almaty we managed to meet up with Doug Boyle who founded the Teen Challenge drug rehab programme in Kazakhstan. They now have 17 rehab centers and plenty of "sheep sheds" where followers gather for worship! They don't have much but have been very influential and successful in what they do. Check this out: http://www.tckazakhstan.com.
Doug is a fearless Aussie who has suffered for the cause and has been in Kazakhstan now for 19 years with a one year commitment to the Lord every year because he wants to go back to Australia. :) He also talked about the suffering one must go through to see the Kingdom established, but the satisfaction and the grace is so sufficient. He says that in life you suffer anyway, but suffering for the Master at least you have fruit. It is starting to make more heart sense to us. Don't know whether we're there yet to embrace suffering, but we are so much more convinced that giving up all and living wholeheartedly for Him is the only way to real life.
We are so glad to be here in Bishkek (capital of Kyrgzstan) after only a 5 hour journey by bus. What we expected to be a 4 hour travail at the border crossing turned out to be only a 1/2 hour and we were the ones holding the bus up with our foreign passports! We were also well taken care of when we got to town by this really nice Kyrgz girl we met on the bus called Elmira who turned out to be an English teacher at Central Asia'sonly American university in Bishkek.
We have noticed certainly that the Kyrgz people (apart from the Caucasian Russian immigrants) look more like Mongols. We don't really stand out that much here, although there were these little kids on the bus who were very amused when they thought we were Korean.
Steph is comfortably asleep now 11:15pm Bishkek time, so I think I'll do the same before a day of exploration tomorow! So far the Central Asian people we have met, despite their embassies, have been so friendly!
Kazakhstan
[Written on 15 July 2009]
We've finally entered Central Asia starting with Kazakhstan. It is such a fascinating blend of European and Asian cultures mixed in together. The Soviet influence is very strong and so the language of commerce and business is Russian. Some young people speak very good English and they have been extremely warm and helpfulaside from being quite sophisticated and fashionable. Tourists are atill rare in Kazakhstan so people are really nice when you are a tourist!
We took the plunge and caught a tour bus at midnight to a collection of 3 alpine lakes known as Kolsay Lakes about 6 hours east of Almaty. The hikes we did out there amongst fields upon fields of buttercups and other wildflowers and alpine forests were amazing! We also made friends with a Kazakh girl called Gaukhara and her 1/2 Kazakh and 1/2 Estonian boyfriend, Erik on our first day. We ended up sharing a yurt with them. Plenty of photos of our time at Kolsay Lakes are up on our Picasa web album. Some of the older folk we met during the tour had no idea what 'Australia' is so we have settled for their understanding that we are from 'Austria'! *lol* I must clarify that they could't speak English so communication was limited.
After our tour, we met up again later in the week for dinner and drinks with Gaukhara and Erik as well as with a French friend of theirs in Almaty for a week on business. We also met up with 2 uni students and part-time models, Polina and Aiman whom we also met during our tour to Kolsay Lakes. They showed us a bit of the emerging Almaty bar scene and we ended up at a place which played fantastic Turkish live music!
I really enjoyed Kazakhstan which is nothing like in 'Borat'. Mst of all, I enjoyed sipping on my chai lattes after having not had one since leaving Melbourne. Unfortunately, soy milk has not yet arrived in Central Asia but beggars can't be choosers!
We've finally entered Central Asia starting with Kazakhstan. It is such a fascinating blend of European and Asian cultures mixed in together. The Soviet influence is very strong and so the language of commerce and business is Russian. Some young people speak very good English and they have been extremely warm and helpfulaside from being quite sophisticated and fashionable. Tourists are atill rare in Kazakhstan so people are really nice when you are a tourist!
We took the plunge and caught a tour bus at midnight to a collection of 3 alpine lakes known as Kolsay Lakes about 6 hours east of Almaty. The hikes we did out there amongst fields upon fields of buttercups and other wildflowers and alpine forests were amazing! We also made friends with a Kazakh girl called Gaukhara and her 1/2 Kazakh and 1/2 Estonian boyfriend, Erik on our first day. We ended up sharing a yurt with them. Plenty of photos of our time at Kolsay Lakes are up on our Picasa web album. Some of the older folk we met during the tour had no idea what 'Australia' is so we have settled for their understanding that we are from 'Austria'! *lol* I must clarify that they could't speak English so communication was limited.
After our tour, we met up again later in the week for dinner and drinks with Gaukhara and Erik as well as with a French friend of theirs in Almaty for a week on business. We also met up with 2 uni students and part-time models, Polina and Aiman whom we also met during our tour to Kolsay Lakes. They showed us a bit of the emerging Almaty bar scene and we ended up at a place which played fantastic Turkish live music!
I really enjoyed Kazakhstan which is nothing like in 'Borat'. Mst of all, I enjoyed sipping on my chai lattes after having not had one since leaving Melbourne. Unfortunately, soy milk has not yet arrived in Central Asia but beggars can't be choosers!
What a Riot!
[Written by Kenneth on 10 July 2009]
It is amazing, we are currently relaxing in an airconditioned Marrone Rosso cafe sipping cupaccino and eating apple strudel along a tree lined street in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Just 24+ hours before we were wondering and desperately crying out to God to help us get our passports back and organise accomodation then somehow get out of Urumqi.
The riots started on Sunday, 5th July in the evening with the Uyghur mainly disenfranchised men (but women were also involved) struck in mob style many points of the city, overturning cars (including police), breaking shops, setting fire to shops/vehicles and basically messing people. The news reports say 156 people were kiled and 800 injured in the aftermath. There has been strong undercurrents of resentment with these people for 60 years since China took over, so there was a recent flashpoint event involving an Uyghur girl raped in Guangzhou and 2 Uyghur men who were murdered when they came to her aid...apparently. They say justice was not served by the governemnt. By and large, the Muslim leaders are condemning the riots and the "ordinary" folk decrying it as well because they now have life made so much harder for them.
What was NOT reported in the news which keeps repeating and repeating is that on Tuesday, 7th July, following the riots, the Han Chinese retaliated in full view of the army and police! This was the day I was stuck out in the north of the city at the Kazakh embassy and everything just clamped down with no taxis or cars on the road. I've never feared for my safety so much as I was that day when all around me were Han Chinese (normal looking people dressed like you and I) carrying metal bars, axe handles, shovels etc all milling about the streets and some moving in large groups northward. At the same time 20+ truck loads of riot soldiers and police at a time were being deployed some with automatic rifles with bayonets fixed. The weirdest thing was to see all these armed people moving past the authorities who were meant to be there to hold the peace!
Anyway, not knowing whether to stay or go, I decided to start moving because it was simply unknown at that stage what would happen. If things flared up the whole city could be in lock down indefinitely and I would be separated from Stephanie whom I had no idea how to get in contact with (phones are are a bit funny in Urumqui and I forgot to get hotel number). So I started walking in a general direction. More than once, in the heightened atmosphere I thought I saw or heard mobs of people coming in my direction, but it turned out to simply just be groups of people walking. It was unreal seeing so many people mostly armed with weapons walking on the streets while the streets were almost devoid of vehicles and miliatary personnel blocking every street corner. By His grace, I got back to Steph after 3 hours. That night the curfew started and the helicopters started circling the city.
We stayed in on Wednesday not daring to venture out except a few meters down the road to get some food supplies, but even the Uyghur staff in the hotel were nervous. The doors of the hotel were chained and all night there were sirens and blaring horns going off. The view from our window was disturbing as everything is quiet. We wondered how to get our passports from the Kazakh embassy which was meant to be ready on Monday. Do we venture out Thursday? We had gotten a few sms messages out to our parents who contacted the Aust Embassy who called us. They gave us the number for the Kazakh embassy to call but to no avail, no answer.
On Thursday, we prayed for what to do and decided to pack up and venture to the Kazakh embassy together and if they wern't open we'd try to book into a hotel nearer that area which is more Han. As Steph and I look more Han, this was probably a "better" area but we were well treated even in the Uyghur area in the South though the stares and talking behind our backs wondering whether we were Koreans would be there. We left early, still not knowing what the situation was like on the streets. Thankfully, traffic seemed normal and we were able to catch a taxi almost immediately. The taxis are interesting. They are SO overt, the Han drivers will not pick up Uyghurs and vice versa.
We got to the Kazakh embassy and as usual there was nothing indicating what time they would open or if they would even be open. Anyway, managed to get from a guard there that they'd be open at 12pm. At 12:30 they opened and by 1pm I had gotten our passports! Originally, we were going to catch a train, but the next train to Kazakh was only on Satruday. We found out there was a ticketing office "up the road" and after walking for about an hour we eventually found it, bought our overpriced tickets, got to the airport and by 10pm Beijing time, we were in a totally different country!
Tonight we are heading out of Almaty to some mountain lakes for the weekend. It will be good to get some fresh air and beauty. I am REALLY enjoying just living in an atmosphere that is not heavy with fear and the unknown. My heart and thoughts are with the people in Urumqi who have to go through the fear every moment of everyday.
The media does not give a good picture of what is happening around and as you know there is a total internet shutdown and international phone blackout too. So there is alot of unknown these people have to deal with. Before we left, the government were threatening to shut off the gas and water if the trouble continued. Is that tomorrow, the next day? Is there a mob up the street? Are there going to be veges tomorrow? Oil? Rice? All these unknowns all breed so much fear even for believers. I am SO RELIEVED to be out of it even when were were in it for 3 days.
Steph is really enjoying Almaty which reminds her of Melbourne becaue of its tree lined streets and multicultural mix of people. She's especially looking forward to seeing the ballet apparently very good at bucket prices!
Thank you for keeping in touch and for your prayers as we journey.
It is amazing, we are currently relaxing in an airconditioned Marrone Rosso cafe sipping cupaccino and eating apple strudel along a tree lined street in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Just 24+ hours before we were wondering and desperately crying out to God to help us get our passports back and organise accomodation then somehow get out of Urumqi.
The riots started on Sunday, 5th July in the evening with the Uyghur mainly disenfranchised men (but women were also involved) struck in mob style many points of the city, overturning cars (including police), breaking shops, setting fire to shops/vehicles and basically messing people. The news reports say 156 people were kiled and 800 injured in the aftermath. There has been strong undercurrents of resentment with these people for 60 years since China took over, so there was a recent flashpoint event involving an Uyghur girl raped in Guangzhou and 2 Uyghur men who were murdered when they came to her aid...apparently. They say justice was not served by the governemnt. By and large, the Muslim leaders are condemning the riots and the "ordinary" folk decrying it as well because they now have life made so much harder for them.
What was NOT reported in the news which keeps repeating and repeating is that on Tuesday, 7th July, following the riots, the Han Chinese retaliated in full view of the army and police! This was the day I was stuck out in the north of the city at the Kazakh embassy and everything just clamped down with no taxis or cars on the road. I've never feared for my safety so much as I was that day when all around me were Han Chinese (normal looking people dressed like you and I) carrying metal bars, axe handles, shovels etc all milling about the streets and some moving in large groups northward. At the same time 20+ truck loads of riot soldiers and police at a time were being deployed some with automatic rifles with bayonets fixed. The weirdest thing was to see all these armed people moving past the authorities who were meant to be there to hold the peace!
Anyway, not knowing whether to stay or go, I decided to start moving because it was simply unknown at that stage what would happen. If things flared up the whole city could be in lock down indefinitely and I would be separated from Stephanie whom I had no idea how to get in contact with (phones are are a bit funny in Urumqui and I forgot to get hotel number). So I started walking in a general direction. More than once, in the heightened atmosphere I thought I saw or heard mobs of people coming in my direction, but it turned out to simply just be groups of people walking. It was unreal seeing so many people mostly armed with weapons walking on the streets while the streets were almost devoid of vehicles and miliatary personnel blocking every street corner. By His grace, I got back to Steph after 3 hours. That night the curfew started and the helicopters started circling the city.
We stayed in on Wednesday not daring to venture out except a few meters down the road to get some food supplies, but even the Uyghur staff in the hotel were nervous. The doors of the hotel were chained and all night there were sirens and blaring horns going off. The view from our window was disturbing as everything is quiet. We wondered how to get our passports from the Kazakh embassy which was meant to be ready on Monday. Do we venture out Thursday? We had gotten a few sms messages out to our parents who contacted the Aust Embassy who called us. They gave us the number for the Kazakh embassy to call but to no avail, no answer.
On Thursday, we prayed for what to do and decided to pack up and venture to the Kazakh embassy together and if they wern't open we'd try to book into a hotel nearer that area which is more Han. As Steph and I look more Han, this was probably a "better" area but we were well treated even in the Uyghur area in the South though the stares and talking behind our backs wondering whether we were Koreans would be there. We left early, still not knowing what the situation was like on the streets. Thankfully, traffic seemed normal and we were able to catch a taxi almost immediately. The taxis are interesting. They are SO overt, the Han drivers will not pick up Uyghurs and vice versa.
We got to the Kazakh embassy and as usual there was nothing indicating what time they would open or if they would even be open. Anyway, managed to get from a guard there that they'd be open at 12pm. At 12:30 they opened and by 1pm I had gotten our passports! Originally, we were going to catch a train, but the next train to Kazakh was only on Satruday. We found out there was a ticketing office "up the road" and after walking for about an hour we eventually found it, bought our overpriced tickets, got to the airport and by 10pm Beijing time, we were in a totally different country!
Tonight we are heading out of Almaty to some mountain lakes for the weekend. It will be good to get some fresh air and beauty. I am REALLY enjoying just living in an atmosphere that is not heavy with fear and the unknown. My heart and thoughts are with the people in Urumqi who have to go through the fear every moment of everyday.
The media does not give a good picture of what is happening around and as you know there is a total internet shutdown and international phone blackout too. So there is alot of unknown these people have to deal with. Before we left, the government were threatening to shut off the gas and water if the trouble continued. Is that tomorrow, the next day? Is there a mob up the street? Are there going to be veges tomorrow? Oil? Rice? All these unknowns all breed so much fear even for believers. I am SO RELIEVED to be out of it even when were were in it for 3 days.
Steph is really enjoying Almaty which reminds her of Melbourne becaue of its tree lined streets and multicultural mix of people. She's especially looking forward to seeing the ballet apparently very good at bucket prices!
Thank you for keeping in touch and for your prayers as we journey.
36 Hours in Cattle Class
[written on 1 july 2009]
we're alive and kicking though in need of rest after hectic travel over the past few days.
on sunday night, we left xian which is in the shaanxi province (where the famous terracotta warriors are) for the westernmost and largest province in china, namely xinjiang. we are now in the capital city of xinjiang which is urumqi (incidentally this is a mongolian word and i will have to save the historical background for another time!).
we made the mistake of booking train tix only the day before our departure, not knowing that trains from xian to urumqi contain 20 large carriages and carry up to 3000 people... train tix also book out very early. consequently, all the soft sleeper and hard sleeper train carriages were sold out! even the soft seater carriages were sold out. the queues at the train station to purchase tix are ridiculously long and packed out plus pickpockets and black market ticket vendors are rife so once we got to the counter, we had to make the quick decision go with the only option available - the HARD SEATER tickets. they were absurdly cheap at 135 yuan which is $AUD25 but the moment the tix were purchased, fear gripped my hard. i'd already been on the hard sleepers in india and in china from haikou to guangzhou and already i got so tense with watching my stuff, having to chain our bags to the beds and sleeping while strangers are sleeping above, below and across from me. sometimes people talk to you, sometimes you get rough people and you try to speak in the same language back but there is always mistrust. it's pretty hard work. so being in a HARD SEATER for the longest train journey of my life so far - 36 WHOPPING HOURS - really scared me. i couldn't even really enjoy my visit to the Xian terracotta warriors later that same day because i kept thinking of what would be ahead of me the following night!
the next morning i was still thinking about it. i was trying very hard not to whinge to poor Kenneth anymore because he already said "Sorry" to me when he saw how my face fell when he agreed to purchase the tix from the woman behind the counter. i had to muster Godly strength to shop for food for the journey at the supermarket and continue preparing spiritually, emotionally, mentally.
so the time drew near. we arrived at Xian train station to catch our 9:30pm train. true enough, the station was disgustingly packed, masses upon masses of people waiting for various trains.
at boarding time, we had to walk past all the sleeper carriages and the restaurant carriage (which us 'lower class' hard seaters don't have access to). i refused to look on with envy at those carriages and kept walking and walking.... our carriage was the second last carriage. i got on... the seats actually had backs which was better than i'd expected. i'd expected a plastic bench so it is great when you have low expectations and they are pleasantly surpassed! i was a bit grouchy that first night on the train... it is squashed, it was so hot - there is no air conditioning and sometimes the little fans get switched off (i never managed to find out why...), you are not allowed to open windows (again we could not get an answer as to why), people smoke (arrrgh!), one really annoying guy kept pushing his bum into me because he wanted me to move over so he can sit as he only had a standing ticket (yes, some people have to STAND for 36 hours .... !!!), people were rough and the whole night, you cannot sleep because people constantly keep getting on and off at the village/provincial train stations and the luggage keeps getting shoved up above you or taken down. you are constantly on edge that a piece of luggage will fall on your head. the officials working on the train bellow in loud voices if they find luggage blocking the aisle, people argue, people are rough, one time when i managed to doze off i was startled when i felt rough hands sliding up and down both my arms! i opened my eyes to find a man leaning over me mumbling something... i really wanted to scream but my voice got frozen in my throat. he the shoved a piece of paper under my nose and i kept telling him i can't read chinese. i desperately looked at the guy next ti me who could speak some english and he told that guy to go away. i was quite shaken for some time. kenneth and i couldn't even get seats next to each other - we were separated by an aisle. later, after checking with the guy next to me.... i found out that that guy was asking for money and the paper said that a curse would come upon me if money is not handed over. another really annoying thing is that the officials come around and sweep and mop under your seat, making you lift up your legs every couple of hours. even if you have your eyes closed they bellow at you to wake up.... i really felt like a head of cattle.
now... here is the good bit as it wasn't all bad. the other 8 people sitting in our row and across from Kenneth and myself respectively were nice people and in the end, won our trust. they were not rough like the others on the train and they kept telling me to watch my stuff. when an officer would yell something at me, the guy i sat next to would speak on my behalf and tell him to stop yelling am me b/c i am a foreigner. these people were so kind to kenneth and myself. the guy i sat next to was only 20 years old and he is from a small village near xian. out of the little he had, he was quick to offer me a bottle of lemon tea within an hour of departure. throughout the entire train journey, he and his friend shared all their food with me and he even popped out to buy a fruit i have never seen or tasted (which is his favourite fruit in xinjiang) so i can try it. our whole row ended up "partying" and sharing food with each other, chatting and singing songs which really helped kill the time.
after the first night of terror (i was sooooooooo happy when daylight arrived at 5:30am), i was in more cheerful spirits and the second day and second night were not so scary. i think i became more accustomed to lack of personal space and there were also less standers in the carriage. i got used to passive smoking too. it was a miracle but both kenneth and i survived and i now appreciate what the poor people have to go through in order to travel. it is a world away from the soft sleeper carriage that even i found luxurious (we took this type of ticket from beijing to xian and that was only 9 hours). there were even toddlers in our carriage...and they were happily playing away the whole time. some others carrying babies had to stand the whole 36 hours... naturally there were times when they sank to a sitting position on the carriage floor until they were yelled at to get up. some people were sitting in front of the toilet and up on the sink area. it was nuts.
we FINALLY arrived in Urumqi... dazed after not sleeping for 2 days and swollen (i have now learnt that the body retains water when you are not moving for 36 hours... the numbness turns to pain after a while but the good thing is that you go to the toilet less and thus save yourself numerous messy visits to the train loo) but safe nevertheless.
i realise now that the jeep ride we hitched in Mongolia which spanned 10 hours over pot holed road was worse as it was bone jarring and my head kept hitting the roof. it was quite hellish having to sit with one bun propped up and having to prop my other bun up with a water bottle to make it kinda even. it felt safer because there weren't tonnes of people around like the train but it was more uncomfortable.
would i ever ride a hard seater again? um ... unlikely ...!
now that we're in urumqi, it is a bizarre but fascinating city. there is growing tension here between the han chinese and the muslim ugyhurs which comprise 40% of the population of xinjiang province. another strange thing about this city is that it runs on 2 time zones. families simply pick which one they prefer, namely 'beijing time' which follows the rest of china like the government has decreed or 'urumqi time' which is 2 hours behind! to balance out these 2 time zones, shops tend to open at 10am beijing time (which is 8am urumqi time), take a 2-3 hour lunch break and then close in the evening at 6pm beijing time. so if you are ever in urumqi and need to make an appoitment to meet someone, make sure you specify if you're speaking in terms of beijing time or urumqi time! the locals all do this.
we're alive and kicking though in need of rest after hectic travel over the past few days.
on sunday night, we left xian which is in the shaanxi province (where the famous terracotta warriors are) for the westernmost and largest province in china, namely xinjiang. we are now in the capital city of xinjiang which is urumqi (incidentally this is a mongolian word and i will have to save the historical background for another time!).
we made the mistake of booking train tix only the day before our departure, not knowing that trains from xian to urumqi contain 20 large carriages and carry up to 3000 people... train tix also book out very early. consequently, all the soft sleeper and hard sleeper train carriages were sold out! even the soft seater carriages were sold out. the queues at the train station to purchase tix are ridiculously long and packed out plus pickpockets and black market ticket vendors are rife so once we got to the counter, we had to make the quick decision go with the only option available - the HARD SEATER tickets. they were absurdly cheap at 135 yuan which is $AUD25 but the moment the tix were purchased, fear gripped my hard. i'd already been on the hard sleepers in india and in china from haikou to guangzhou and already i got so tense with watching my stuff, having to chain our bags to the beds and sleeping while strangers are sleeping above, below and across from me. sometimes people talk to you, sometimes you get rough people and you try to speak in the same language back but there is always mistrust. it's pretty hard work. so being in a HARD SEATER for the longest train journey of my life so far - 36 WHOPPING HOURS - really scared me. i couldn't even really enjoy my visit to the Xian terracotta warriors later that same day because i kept thinking of what would be ahead of me the following night!
the next morning i was still thinking about it. i was trying very hard not to whinge to poor Kenneth anymore because he already said "Sorry" to me when he saw how my face fell when he agreed to purchase the tix from the woman behind the counter. i had to muster Godly strength to shop for food for the journey at the supermarket and continue preparing spiritually, emotionally, mentally.
so the time drew near. we arrived at Xian train station to catch our 9:30pm train. true enough, the station was disgustingly packed, masses upon masses of people waiting for various trains.
at boarding time, we had to walk past all the sleeper carriages and the restaurant carriage (which us 'lower class' hard seaters don't have access to). i refused to look on with envy at those carriages and kept walking and walking.... our carriage was the second last carriage. i got on... the seats actually had backs which was better than i'd expected. i'd expected a plastic bench so it is great when you have low expectations and they are pleasantly surpassed! i was a bit grouchy that first night on the train... it is squashed, it was so hot - there is no air conditioning and sometimes the little fans get switched off (i never managed to find out why...), you are not allowed to open windows (again we could not get an answer as to why), people smoke (arrrgh!), one really annoying guy kept pushing his bum into me because he wanted me to move over so he can sit as he only had a standing ticket (yes, some people have to STAND for 36 hours .... !!!), people were rough and the whole night, you cannot sleep because people constantly keep getting on and off at the village/provincial train stations and the luggage keeps getting shoved up above you or taken down. you are constantly on edge that a piece of luggage will fall on your head. the officials working on the train bellow in loud voices if they find luggage blocking the aisle, people argue, people are rough, one time when i managed to doze off i was startled when i felt rough hands sliding up and down both my arms! i opened my eyes to find a man leaning over me mumbling something... i really wanted to scream but my voice got frozen in my throat. he the shoved a piece of paper under my nose and i kept telling him i can't read chinese. i desperately looked at the guy next ti me who could speak some english and he told that guy to go away. i was quite shaken for some time. kenneth and i couldn't even get seats next to each other - we were separated by an aisle. later, after checking with the guy next to me.... i found out that that guy was asking for money and the paper said that a curse would come upon me if money is not handed over. another really annoying thing is that the officials come around and sweep and mop under your seat, making you lift up your legs every couple of hours. even if you have your eyes closed they bellow at you to wake up.... i really felt like a head of cattle.
now... here is the good bit as it wasn't all bad. the other 8 people sitting in our row and across from Kenneth and myself respectively were nice people and in the end, won our trust. they were not rough like the others on the train and they kept telling me to watch my stuff. when an officer would yell something at me, the guy i sat next to would speak on my behalf and tell him to stop yelling am me b/c i am a foreigner. these people were so kind to kenneth and myself. the guy i sat next to was only 20 years old and he is from a small village near xian. out of the little he had, he was quick to offer me a bottle of lemon tea within an hour of departure. throughout the entire train journey, he and his friend shared all their food with me and he even popped out to buy a fruit i have never seen or tasted (which is his favourite fruit in xinjiang) so i can try it. our whole row ended up "partying" and sharing food with each other, chatting and singing songs which really helped kill the time.
after the first night of terror (i was sooooooooo happy when daylight arrived at 5:30am), i was in more cheerful spirits and the second day and second night were not so scary. i think i became more accustomed to lack of personal space and there were also less standers in the carriage. i got used to passive smoking too. it was a miracle but both kenneth and i survived and i now appreciate what the poor people have to go through in order to travel. it is a world away from the soft sleeper carriage that even i found luxurious (we took this type of ticket from beijing to xian and that was only 9 hours). there were even toddlers in our carriage...and they were happily playing away the whole time. some others carrying babies had to stand the whole 36 hours... naturally there were times when they sank to a sitting position on the carriage floor until they were yelled at to get up. some people were sitting in front of the toilet and up on the sink area. it was nuts.
we FINALLY arrived in Urumqi... dazed after not sleeping for 2 days and swollen (i have now learnt that the body retains water when you are not moving for 36 hours... the numbness turns to pain after a while but the good thing is that you go to the toilet less and thus save yourself numerous messy visits to the train loo) but safe nevertheless.
i realise now that the jeep ride we hitched in Mongolia which spanned 10 hours over pot holed road was worse as it was bone jarring and my head kept hitting the roof. it was quite hellish having to sit with one bun propped up and having to prop my other bun up with a water bottle to make it kinda even. it felt safer because there weren't tonnes of people around like the train but it was more uncomfortable.
would i ever ride a hard seater again? um ... unlikely ...!
now that we're in urumqi, it is a bizarre but fascinating city. there is growing tension here between the han chinese and the muslim ugyhurs which comprise 40% of the population of xinjiang province. another strange thing about this city is that it runs on 2 time zones. families simply pick which one they prefer, namely 'beijing time' which follows the rest of china like the government has decreed or 'urumqi time' which is 2 hours behind! to balance out these 2 time zones, shops tend to open at 10am beijing time (which is 8am urumqi time), take a 2-3 hour lunch break and then close in the evening at 6pm beijing time. so if you are ever in urumqi and need to make an appoitment to meet someone, make sure you specify if you're speaking in terms of beijing time or urumqi time! the locals all do this.
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