50. Stage 'Almaty, Kazakhstan'

After breakfast, it was time to say goodbye to Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan truly has a lot to offer in terms of scenery, and the good roads were great for the motorbike. The route to Almaty was actually clear. The border to Kazakhstan is in very close proximity to the city limits. However, Google Maps thought that another border crossing would be better suited to avoid traffic. On the one hand, there was a small traffic jam on the new route, and on the other hand, I couldn't use this crossing. It apparently wasn't an international border crossing. So I turned back and followed the originally planned route. The border control on both sides was smooth and took less than an hour (a record!). The road conditions were consistently good. Only the drive through Almaty to the hostel was somewhat slow due to the high traffic volume. At the hostel, I met a French motorcyclist who has the same plan for his trip home to Georgia as I do. He is also waiting for his transit visa. He also explained to me that the road conditions up to the border are good, except for the construction sites. This matches my research, which would mean that I could also make good progress with a defective shock absorber. Just to be safe, I planned fifteen days for the return trip through Kazakhstan. That is very generous and gives me room for one or two activities, e.g., an excursion to China.