julia & damian's rally blog - 2005

Without a Kazakh visa we cannot get to Russia ...

We are now in the position of not being able to get another Russian visa until next Tuesday. In the meantime time our Kazakh visa will run out tomorrow, the 4th September and Julia has to be back at work on the 8th September !!!

Our challenge. To get Moo Moo (whose sounding very, very rough at the moment) 1500km North through Kazakhstan to Semey, across the Russian border and then head due East across Russia to the Mongolian border crossing by midnight tomorrow. A minimum 7 day journey in less than 14 hours.

Ideas anyone ?

D.

Food Glorious Food

We've had some good, some great, some bad and some dreadful food on this trip. Some tastes still linger on while others have seriously challenged us, none more so thatnthe little white balls we tried on a stall by the side of the road selling apples and honey in Uzbekistan....

J.

Money Money Money ...

As the Uzbek cym is worth about 1100 to the dollar you end up being given great wads of notes, tied up with elastic bands - for once giving you a great sense of physical wealth!

J.

Outdone in Samarkand...

We thought that we were mad driving a 2CV to Mongolia, but we are truly in awe of Suzy and Daniel who are making their way back to Germany from Thailand in a tuk tuk ...

J.