Overnight to Almaty – 2nd class

Wednesday 9 May/Thursday 10 May

When the train arrives in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, it's just after 10.00 am, and we have 6 hours to kill until our overnight train to Almaty (Kazakhstan). And from now on, it'll be 2^nd class.

We find a shaded area and Reg sits on a bench, surrounded by all our luggage, while I go across the wide main road to a “mini-market” (small supermarket) to buy food for our journey, which will last from 4pm this afternoon until about 7pm tomorrow (Thursday). We'll have our lunch today in Tashkent.

In the mini-market there are cold counters, with butter, cheeses and cooked meats, dry provisions like packets and tins, and a bread counter. All the food is behind counters with shop assistants serving, Just as I'm wondering how to make myself understood, one of the assistants who speaks really good English comes across from the other side of the shop to ask if I need any help. He's tells me he studied English at a college in Reading, and has also visited Newbury, Swindon and Bournemouth. He says he was in England for a year and made many friends there. He comes around the shop with me and helps me with my purchases.

I have a letter to post to England, to a friend who isn't on email. I ask this kind, friendly man if he'll post it for me – he agrees, and I give him enough to cover the postage.

I ask the man if he'd like to meet my husband – so he comes back across the road with me to say hello to Reg. We have a chat, and I give him our home address, and my email address – Reg invites him to come and see us if he ever comes back to England. He's tried to revisit since finishing his studies, but can't get a visa.

I never fail to be surprised at the blessings that are thrown our way. Before coming to Uzbekistan we were extremely apprehensive about the reception we would receive from the Uzbek people. Of course you shouldn't be naïve, and there's good and bad in every population; but once again I have to say, the majority of the Uzbek people we've met have been among the friendliest, most helpful, most welcoming people we have ever come across.

Just to mention our lunch in Tashkent before we board the train. Reg goes looking and finds what resembles a transport cafe; a small, packed -with- local- people- no-frills cafe; we get taken to the kitchen to choose what we want to eat as they speak virtually no English. We have one of our best meals ever in Uzbekistan, and definitely the cheapest.

On the train

On the train, in our 2^nd class cabin, we are sharing with a Uzbek man and woman and her 4 year old daughter. (We don't think he's her husband, possibly a friend). They look peacefully settled in their cabin, before we intrude with all our luggage, especially the huge, heavy suitcase. Finally we all sort ourselves out as best we can, Reg gallantly offering to sleep in a top bunk, even though we've been allocated bottom bunks, so that the woman and her daughter can sleep in the lower bunk. The woman is really grateful. I do hope my snoring won't keep them awake!

Half an hour after leaving Tashkent, we approach the border of Uzbekistan with Kazakhstan. There will be 2 border stops, one just before we leave Uzbekistan, so that the Uzbek border guards can “check us out”, and one a few minutes after we finish the “check-out” - the “check-in” just inside the Kazakhstan border. The Uzbekistan border check involves immigration forms; we were advised beforehand to make a note of exactly how many US dollars we have left, as they may check; if we have more than we say, they may confiscate the extra amount. It's to make sure we don't leave Uzbekistan with more US dollars than we brought into the country. The two borders checks, outward and inward, take about 3 hours.

It's about 5 pm when the whole process starts. It's still very hot outside, but starts to become searingly hot and uncomfortable inside the train – the train is still, the air-conditioning stops, and you can't open any windows. People gradually migrate to the train corridors where it's slightly cooler – the cabins are unbearably stuffy.

The check-out with the Usbek border guards passes without problem. Sniffer dogs (looking for drugs) board the train. The officials are polite, but efficient.

Reg and I feel apprehensive about the Kazakhstan border check, bearing in mind our experience the first time we entered Kazakhstan, and the demand from one of the guards for $3000 (which of course was a ruse to try to exhort money from us).

As before, one of the Kazakhstan border guards is aggressive and rude. He orders Reg, who is reading a novel on his laptop, to switch off his computer immediately – perhaps he thinks Reg is recording what he's saying, or is taking photos. He tries to grab the computer from Reg to switch it off, but Reg tells him to wait a minute while he closes it down properly. The guard stands fuming as Reg closes down the computer, which takes a couple of minutes. It's very hard to intimidate my husband, as it just gets his back up. I'm quaking in my barefeet.

There is as before great interest amongst the border guards (and passengers – several people come to our cabin to have a look afterwards) in our British passports – I don't think they've seen many UK passports before. Our passports are taken away, and finally (sighs of relief) returned to us. Sniffer dogs are again brought in, but once again, our luggage isn't opened up.

By the time all the border checks are over everyone is roasting – I lie down on my bed. Reg talks for some time with a young Kazak man who speaks a little English and is very interested in hearing about the UK.

Slowly the train cranks and lurches into life again, and starts to pick up a gently rocking rhythm. The atmosphere quietens as passengers settle down for the night. I deliberately haven't drunk too much tea for obvious reasons. I make my final visit to the stinky, urine-saturated toilet before changing into my nightclothes and trying to get comfortable on the bed. I'm really hot – but I wake up cold in the night.