Charyn Canyon

Tuesday (29.10.2019) welcomes us with beautiful weather. The sun is shining and the strong gusts of wind from the previous evening have died down. So I take the opportunity to wash myself in the river after breakfast. The Dicke can't be persuaded to take a bath and just watches. Wimp. Then it's time to dismantle the tents, load up the cart and drive towards the border crossing. We go uphill for a while in the Tjup Valley and then along a high plateau where there is already snow. Winter is approaching and the border crossing is only open until October 31st. So it's time... We arrive at the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border around two o'clock and can pass through fairly easily. I am already on the Kazakh side when one of the friendly border guards calls me back. Rango is still sitting with Marcus in the Moskvich and seems to be hindering the sniffer dog in his work. So I go and get the Dicke and shortly afterwards Marcus arrives in Kazakhstan with Schrotti. We drive down to Kegen and stop for a coffee in a small tea house. Then we stock up on food for the next few days and continue further inland. We still have to cross a pass. In Aksay, we buy 20 liters of petrol at a small convenience store just to be on the safe side. We had forgotten to refuel in Kegen. Then we drive to the Sharyn River and look for a campsite in the gorge. Meanwhile, Schrotti parks above on a parking lot. It's already dark and finding a campsite is quite complicated, but we find an acceptable spot. Then we have freshly acquired kimchi salad and bread for dinner. We enjoy a moment under the magnificent starry sky and then escape from the cold of the approaching night into our sleeping bags.

On Wednesday morning, the gorge on the banks of the Charyn welcomes us in a colorful attire. The trees have autumn-colored leaves, the rock formations around us glow in the morning sun, and the clear water of the river completes the picture with various shades of blue and green. The only downer is the amount of trash surrounding our tents. So after breakfast, we decide to do a little cleanup. We fill bags with plastic bottles, which we then dispose of in trash containers at the nearby parking lot just a few meters away. Then we take a walk upstream in the gorge and even consider staying at this beautiful spot for another day. In the end, we drive to the Charyn Canyon National Park, which is about 15 km upstream. At the entrance of the national park, we have to pay a small fee and park Schrotti in a parking lot. We pack our backpacks and hike towards the river, which has cut deep into flat desert-like terrain here. The rock formations increasingly resemble the famous Grand Canyon. There is a small camp right by the river. You can rent bungalows and yurts, and food is also provided. We have everything we need and find an official campsite right by the riverbank. At higher temperatures, the water here is surely inviting for a swim. But by the time we reach the spot, the sun is already retreating behind the horizon. So we gather some wood, make a coffee, and let the evening fade away by the fire.

Thursday morning (October 31, 2019) starts off very relaxed. The surroundings simply invite us to stay. Nevertheless, at early noon we pack our stuff and start the journey back. After taking a wrong turn the day before and having to climb through the canyons off-roading, we find the official way back a bit easier and after about three-quarters of an hour, we are back at Schrotti. While we arrange our things, Rango enjoys his chicken legs, and then we head northwest. The next destination and the main reason for our return to Kazakhstan is Almaty. On the way there, we refuel a bit before Schelek with liquefied gas, (surprisingly) switch to gas mode without any problems, and treat ourselves to a 3in1 coffee in a kind of tea house. Then we continue the remaining 140 kilometers to the biggest city in Kazakhstan. After a bathroom break, we are once again stopped by a few traffic police officers, but after a short conversation and inspection of our German passports, we are kindly bid farewell with a friendly 'Good bye America'. Whatever that may mean!? We reach Almaty in the evening and have to struggle through the rush hour traffic. We are currently on a two-lane road in the left lane on a mountain when Schrotti spontaneously stops again and doesn't start on gas either. Hazard lights on, hood up, and calmly check where the problem lies right in the middle of the road. The behavior of the locals has rubbed off on us a bit. Even the honking of the other motorists doesn't disturb us anymore. After I have taken in some fuel, the car runs on petrol again as if nothing had happened. Looking for our booked hostel, we end up at the wrong address and after continuing our journey, we have to switch back to gas mode again. Finally, we arrive at the KZ-Hostel. This name doesn't seem appropriate for a communal accommodation, but we are not intimidated by it and check in. After dinner, we enjoy a warm shower, I take a walk around the block with Rango, and then we settle down on the mattresses.