The Kazakhstan border guard asks for $3000!

Thursday night, 26 April, Friday 27 April


Kazakhstan is a huge country.  After the incident yesterday (Thursday) morning when the Swiss couple had to leave the train because they didn't have the right visas, it takes us all of Thursday, right through to Friday,afternoon, to travel through  Kazakhstan.  The train churtles on, through increasingly flat, dusty desert country, interspersed with some greener village areas where cows and horses are wandering about as children walk past, going home from school, the girls in pretty dresses with large flowers in their hair.  We notice how the features of the type of people have changed as we travel across this vast country.  Many of the houses are in good repair, all with corrugated roofs. The village communities are however few and far between.

At about 3pm the carriage guard knocks on our door to let us know that the border guards for "leaving Kazakhstan" are on the train. (This is to make sure we leave Kazakhstan when we said we would).

A young guard comes into our carriage.
"You British?"
"Yes."
"You have dollars?"
"Yes, why?"
Something in Russian we don't understand.  Then the guard indicates the pen and paper I have nearby and writes on it "$3,000".  I say.
"What are you talking about?"
"It cost you $3000 for visa"
"We have our visas," says Reg.
"Uummp ....."says the young guard, and walks away, down the corridor, to check our passports, which had already been taken by his colleague.

A young woman border official comes back a few minutes later, our passports in her hand,
"This passport ok" (pointing to mine)."This one... out of date" (flourishing Reg's passport).
Reg points out that she's looking at the start date of the passport, and points to the expiry date.
The young woman border guard walks off down the corridor with our passports.  Reg stands in our cabin doorway keeping an eye on the situation from a distance.

Now the train carriage guards ( a man and a woman) have been with us all the way from Moscow.  They are absolutely excellent, and not corrupt thank goodness.  They also have a few years on the young border guards,and can see through their game - no doubt they've seen it all before.  The male train guard tells us
"Don't worry. Do nothing. Everything ok."


Finally, yet another border guard returns our passports, and the border guards for" leaving Kazakhstan", disembark from the train.  I'm a bit spooked by all that has happened.  It was obvious that the young border guard was after what he thought would be "easy  money", and I'm glad to breathe easily again.  Incidentally, the young Russian passenger had told us earlier that if Monica and her husband had quietly offered a bribe to the Kazakhstan border guards when ordered to leave the train, they would almost certainly have been allowed to stay on.

The train moves on, only to stop again shortly afterwards as we enter Uzbekistan.  It's about 4 pm.  The Uzbekistan border guards and customs officials board the train.  Our train guards are themselves from Uzbekistan (they must work "one week on, one week off", as we're sure they've travelled with this train all the way to Moscow and back to Uzbekistan, a journey of 6 days and 6 nights) and the atmosphere when the Uzbekistan border guards and customs officials come onto the train is much more cordial.  The border officials are polite and friendly, and one can speak some English and asks us why we want to tour Uzbekistan? When we explain that we're going all the way to Singapore by train, through China, Vietnam etc, he is really interested.

The female train guard fills out our immigration forms in Uzbekistan language for us, and we sign them.  We are asked how much money we are taking into the country.  We also explain we have a visa card.  I think they need to check that you can support yourself while in the country.

We've met some great people on the train - the mother and daughter from Tashkent - who gave us the profiteroles on the first day.  The daughter later came to our compartment to give me a mini lipstick.  I gave her a pen, as I felt I wanted to return her kindness.  We exchanged email addresses as she can write in English.  The young Russians who were making the film at the Aral river left the train a couple of stops ago; Reg gets talking to another Russian who lives in St Petersburg, and is travelling to Tashkent with his mother who lives in Bellarusse, where Reg's Mum was born - part of Bellarusse was in Poland before the 2nd world war.  The Russian lady gave us a magnet with Russia on it, and a lovely teatowel.

Finally we say our goodyes and leave the train, clickety-clicking along the interminable platform with our luggage, and crossing at a sort of mini level crossing at the end of the platform, to the opposite platform and way out  (over four railway lines, with no warning signs or barriers).  I keep a look out as we cross!  Taxi drivers aren't allowed onto the platforms here, so once we pass through the exit, we are quickly approached by several drivers.  Reg thought we were going to be met by our tour operator, but no sign of him, so Reg shows our hotel address to the taxi driver.  It's in English not Cyrillics, but after consultation with other taxi drivers, this driver agrees to take us.  I ask how much - he would prefer payment in local currency, but I only have dollars.  We agree $5.  I worry that we don't know this man from Adam and he could be kidnapping us, but Reg has a good feeling about him.  After having to stop to ask a couple of times, the driver locates our hotel and I breathe a sigh of relief,  I tip him well.

We check in, then have a small meal of ravioli and a cup of tea in the hotel.  This is prepared especially for us as they've finished serving meals for today - though it's only 7pm.

It's about 25 deg c here.  We put the air conditioning on for a while.  After our meal I revel in a lovely strong hot shower  and wash my hair!  This is absolute bliss after 3 days and 3 nights on the train! Reg is soon fast asleep.   I send an email to Elaine as can't contact her by mobile at the moment - no signal.  Tomorrow Reg will get credit on his phone (which has a simcard which can be used in Uzbekistan).