I'll be honest, the novelty of exotic border crossings has long since worn off. You have to allow a day really to get from the place you are, to the border, cross and get to the place you want to be. Another reason for cutting the corner a bit. And sure enough, a large part of the day has been spent just getting to the town where I know I can catch a train to Almaty, Shimkent. I'll describe some of the key points;
(By the way, I'd rather not get comments about how much I've been overcharged along the way. I've been happy to pay for the privilege of not spending ten minutes haggling over the odd Dollar).
Get a taxi from Tashkent to Chernayevka which cost 30,000 Som and about half an hour.
Walk through the gauntlet of hawkers, beggars and assorted characters of dubious employment to the Uzbek customs hall some way up the road.
Enter customs hall and join the circus that is 'Uzbekistan Customs Declaration Form' filling in - if you can get to the counters provided. Which I couldn't until I forced passage.
Discover that the forms are in Uzbek and go and ask for and English version.
Surprisingly, they had one and duly filled in and joined the customs declaration scrum. After waiting patiently for ages a while people slink, worm and barge past, decide I'm going to have to be completely un-British, abandon queuing and eventually reach the front, apologising for my behaviour as I progress.
Get the usual sigh and dagger eyes from the customs guy as I put my UK passport on the desk and after lots of huffing and puffing get let through (no check on accommodation stamps or currency - too busy and can't be bothered).
Join the next queue for passport control. Same scrum, same delays, same sigh and daggers.
Go through to Kazakhstan border control and repeat the exact same process. Same sighs, same daggers.
Enter into Kazakhstan and get mobbed by taxi drivers, money changers, beggars, etc. etc. I'm pretty much the only show worth watching in town it seems, although this is a vey busy crossing with plenty of local traffic passing through.
Get ripped off by a sweet old lady for my Uzbek Som (..I really did actually)
Choose a shared taxi for 2000 Tengi - about $11 I think but that might be a bit off, bound for Shimkent.
The death ride should have taken 75mins but the taxi breaks down about 15mins in. Bonnet raised, fiddle, blow, curse, close bonnet, coughs into life. Slow kangaroo hops until the reluctant beast of burden decides to clear it's throat and then a 130kmph hack along sleaty roads to Shimkent.
Extra fare required for drop off at station - of course - buy ticket for overnight train to Almaty. 4000 Tengi.
So you see, there are a lot of elements to get right, or wrong perhaps and it's takes a dogs age for the whole thing to come together. I'm glad this is the last land border I'll have to do (I think?).
There's not an awful lot to say about Shimkent. It's not on the tourist map really and I was only there for the train station.
I did forget to mention my comedy slip yesterday. The ice caught me out and I went down on my arse into a muddy puddle. I only mention it now because, a) I only have one pair of trousers and it's a bit embarrassing to wander around in brown trousers b) I obviously clattered my left shoulder on the way down and it's agony carrying the pack today. Hey ho. All part of the process.
Shimkent donning its winter coat. Told you it isn't much to write home about...
Nice that you get to spend a few days in one place although Almaty has a record November low of -34 and a history of Earthquakes so you could be info a chilly or shaky time! They've also bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics so your figure skating practice may have them thinking you're the next Robin Cousins. Hope you're shoulder isn't too bad and you can manage to raise a pint glass.
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