The decision was to try for the small border crossing
even though I could not find any information about whether it is a
local’s only crossing or not. Just before the border control there is
a track leading 5km into a small town then a white leading back north to the
main road, theoretically we will not need to back track the 100km’s.
At
the outskirts of Rudney we stopped at a restaurant and had a pork
kebab and rice with vegies. To use some of the local money that would
not fit in the fuel tank. Very nice pork.
By
now it was drizzling and grey. The road degraded rather severely and
we were back at 60km following trucks. Our turn off came just as we
pulled up behind 6 more trucks. Filled up with fuel at the last town
before border using the last of our local money. Only one of the 3
stations on map were alive.
The
new road fell short of the border. As we were going around a new
bridge a local stopped us to tell us that the border was only for
locals. He wanted a look inside then he wanted us to go to his place
for chai on our way back from the border if we could not cross. The
road was very muddy and slippery... At a turn off he asked us to
follow him to see his house so we could return. We followed and when
at his house he said he’d called up and the border was definitely
closed to foreigners. He took us into his corner store to introduce us
to his wife and daughter. When we refused tea, saying we needed to keep
rolling, he bought us two ice-creams, two chocolate bars, a liter
bottle of iced tea and a carrot salad. We refused but he managed to
get it into our vehicle. Such friendly helpful generous people.
We
wisely decided that the track would probably be very wet,muddy and
slippery didn’t fancy 10km of that, then the 60km white road may
not be much better. So we retraced our steps. Happy we were doing so
as the bands of rain clouds dropped their loads on us.
The
question now was do we try to cross the border late evening or stop.
John could
not find an interesting camp so decided to continue to border.
At Karabalyk we then put more diesel in paying with card. Fuel is cheaper here
than Russia.
We
exited Kazakhstan within minutes, a very quick border crossing. At
the Russian border it was also very quick. Through both borders
in under an hour and the sun just setting.
45km to
a camp site about 500m off road near a paddock. Quite cold already,
although it was around 9pm.
475km Camp site 275m alt
475km Camp site 275m alt