- Did you know that... - travelling by train is very comfortable? - you have your own bed to sleep in at night and sheets are provided? - there should be showers, but I couldn't find them? - the water in the sink of the toilet doesn't work? - I washed myself with my own water? - this was possible because I had a bottle of 5 liters water with me? - I had to pour the water into my food bowl first and then in the small water bottle? - this wasn't easy on a moving train? - the toilet ran out of toilet paper sometimes? - the lady that took care of our carriage was very nice to foreigners? - she couldn't speak any English? - Moscow only has gigantic buildings? - they had some kind of festival dedicated to icecream? - the Kremlin and Red square were beautiful? - there were a lot of Chinese tourists there? - I didn't really see a lot of tourists elsewhere in Moscow? - I had to wait in the station for 6 hours before I had my train to Almaty? - I've read 6 or 7 books during that first week on the train? - the train stops at night as well? - the train stopped for 20 minutes in stations with foodstalls? - the foodstalls even sell warm meals, in plastic bags? - I arrived in Almaty at 7h in the morning? - by the time I unpacked my bicycle and found the tourist information it was already 10h? - the tourist information center was closed because of a holiday? - It took me until 13h to find the hostel without a map? - I still can't deal with derailleurs on bicycle? - luckily someone helped me? - the hostel Loco is AMAZING? - this mainly is because they have people with dreadlocks and cool graffiti and incense? - it rained a lot when we visited the Big Almaty Lake? - we even heard thunder? - 1 euro is 370tenge? - I can buy 2 loafs of bread, 1 liter of Coca-Cola and a pot of jam for 1000tenge? - this price was mainly because of the jam, that was 620tenge? - the Grand Bazaar is very organized inside and all the same food is placed together? - outside of the Grand Bazaar there is an entire maze of tiny stalls, also organized? - I saw like 20 stalls that sell shoes? - I leave tomorrow for Bishkek? - it should take me four days to reach Bishkek? - I'm nervous about leaving, but also very excited? - it's quite hard to find a computer with internet in hostels nowadays? - this is because they have wifi everywhere? - they let me use the personal pc of someone else?
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After the fun farewell party the hardest thing to do was to say goodbye to my boyfriend. I still get tears in my eyes thinking about it, but we both agree that I should at least try this even though it hurts! Getting all the luggage on the train and off and on again was a bit of a hassle, but in the Paris metro I got help when I had to take stairs. The train from Paris to Moscow was very comfortable and I shared it first with a Russian lady that could speak French. Near the end of the trip a Polish lady with her daughter joined us, but they only spoke Polish and Russian. Our carriage was of course the one where the airco didn't work, but they got it working in the end! In Brest we stopped for 2 hours because they had to put other wheels on the train. I got off with a British couple and we waited a bit in the nice and cool waiting room. When I arrived in Moscow I decided to take a taxi and tudum.... first rip-off! The guy told me it was 1500roebles. Something about big luggage and fance car with leather seating. I knew it was way too much, but I was tired and didn't want to argue longer... So I got it. Once we were driving I realised that he asked almost 25euros and that's more than half of my budget... . I couldn't check in yet, so I walked around (without luggage, that could stay in the hostel) without a map, without any idea what I had to do. In the end I sat in a cafe drinking a coke. I hadn't eaten since the morning on the train and was getting hungry, but no idea what I could order, since everything is in Russian... . Toilet wasn't there, so no toilet either. I finally got checked in and walked around more after that. I felt quite lonely and stupid and didn't want to be there. It's not that I was homesick or wanted to go home, I just didn't want to be there... . The second day I checked out and went to the Kremlin and red square. WAUW! That was amazing... I sat there for a couple of hours enjoying the views, people (lots of Chinese tourists) and reading a book in the shade. In the afternoon I went back to the hostel and asked for a taxi. Tourist information said it couldn't be more than 350roebles for the first 20minutes. In the end I paid 300roebles and had a very funny taxidriver that could speak a bit of English. He made the day amazing. I arrived at the trainstation 6hours early and well... read books. There were so many people.... and so many people waiting for the train to Almaty as well... . I got on pretty okay, but I couldn't fit my luggage underneath my bed, because there was other stuff lying there. My bag with wheels could go above the door and the purple one stayed on my bed. For the most part of the trip I shared my space with two brothers (the youngest was 12, the older one... 16?), they could speak some English. Border control was quite okay, but frightening for a bit. The first time they announced we had to go to the toilet now, becauce you can't go when the train is stopped. Then they started opening hidden storage rooms and vacuuming everywhere. When border control (exit Russia) entered we all had to go to our bunkbeds. They constantly asked who's bag it was above the door and left it alone when I told them it was mine. scary, but I got through everything quite smoothly. For a couple of hours there were other tourists and I had a nice chat with a black guy from France, when the lady from The Netherlands went to sleep. The guy told me that he got 60 to 70 requests daily to take a picture with him, just because he was black.
How did I know that there were other tourists? The lady of my carriage was always looking after me at border control and was so sweet. When the tourists came on the train, she came to my bunk and gestured that I had to come see, with the sweetest smile ever. She kept looking after me the entire time, even though the only English she could was 'ok'. After 3 full days and 4 nights I finally arrived in Almaty. I unloaded my bicycle and fixed it. Of course the quiet corner wasn't so quiet, it was the smokers corner apparently... so lots of people looking. In the end I managed it and left for the Tourist Information Center. It was closed... National Holiday apparently... . On one map I saw the street of the hostel where I knew was a cyclist living, so I tried to find it... Took me about 2 or 3 hours, but I found it. I first took a very long long shower and then I rearranged my bags so I have space again. During cycling I noticed that my shifters aren't completely okay yet, so I hope the cyclist can help me out. Yesterday I booked a tour and went to the Almaty big lake. Afterwards I visited the Green Bazaar. I really wanted to see Kaindy lake as well, but it's two days and quite costly unless you go with at least 4 people. Tomorrow I start cycling to Bishkek! Excited! (but I'm still missing my boyfriend a lot. It's okay during the day when I'm busy, but in the evening it's quite hard... .) More pictures can be found on my photo website! See you next time! |
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July 2016
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