Kazakhstan …….. I like it!

So we were meant to have Kazakhstan as a transit county into Kyrgystan and be there one or two nights, but the Chinese  have stuffed us around and wont let us enter until 5 days after the original entry date of our visas and also have closed the border we wanted to enter. So we have to go through another border which means we may not be able to get to Everest base camp but we are hoping we can sort something out and still get to go.

Anyway our Kazakhstan stay was increased to 6 days. Its is a much more modern country than expected. Good roads which equals a less bumpy truck ride, nice cafes and restaurants and people are friendly. We have bush camped in some very picturesque settings here. Fields of rolling hills with an occasional sheep herder, Arid landscapes with horses wandering nearby and mountainous terrain in the National parks.

We visited Turkstan, Shimkent, Aksu Zhubagly Nature Reserve and Almaty.

We went for a hike in the Nature reserve and I had a 1 litre water bottle in a bag over my shoulder and when we stopped for lunch I went to take it off. The top of the bottle smacked me in the face right under my left eye. I now have a black eye! In Almaty we were in a shopping centre so my sunglasses were off and people would look at me and my eye and then straight to Glen where  he would get a very obvious filthy look. I have to try and cover it up with make up  if we go out now so Glen doesn't look bad haha

Unfortunately we have not seen any mankinis while being here…….very disappointing.