John & Mick's BIG Adventure

China!

Day 31 – 38kms (9836 kms total)

After another sleepless night at the Atlantic Hotel, whilst another wedding party drifted loudly through until 4am, we were up at 6am and were back on the road for 7.

We reached the first Kazakhstan border gate at about 7:30 and it was chaotic, with hundreds of people milling around. With no indication of what to do, we asked a guard on the gate and he said to wait where we were. Ten minutes later we asked another chap who looked more important. He glanced at our passports and sent us through. A couple of km later we reached another gate, equally chaotic. We rode to the front of the queue and were told the gate opens at 8:30 – it was 7:50.

Ten minutes later we were approached by a Big Cheese and he sent us through the gate anyway, along with a group of local minibuses. We then arrived at a big gate, that looked much more official and imposing.
Another 10 minutes later, we were led through the gate to a covered inspection area, where the minibus drivers were loitering. More document checking and then to passport control, where we were stuck at the front of a long queue and processed immediately. Top Marks Kazakhstan Immigration.

With our obligatory piece of paper stamped, we were sent through to the last gate where a man took away our bit of stamped paper.

A kilometer later we were at the CHINESE BORDER.
The guards were really friendly and posed for photos with us, along with some Chinese tourist’s that had come to see the border and were generally helpful.

An English speaking guard asked for our Chinese documents, we explained we were meeting someone, and gave him the relevant phone numbers.

He returned about 40 minutes later, saying numbers did not work, and led us into the main building. We too, were unable to call these numbers, but suspect some blocking of international calls, experienced since Russia. Thanks to the wonders of GPRS and the PDA, we managed to email the agent and finally got a response that we WERE being met.

Meanwhile, another bike arrives. A Norwegian chap, we had seen the previous day – named Helge, who had been let through thus far, but had no appropriate documentation and had arranged none.
It wasn’t until 4:30pm that we were finally united with our guide, “May”.
She tried to assist Helge, but the officials were quite adamant that he had to go back, and wasn’t even allowed to leave his bike and cross into China by foot to arrange his documents.

We donated the Russian phrasebook to him for his necessary return to Kazakhstan and waved him farewell.

At 5:30pm we discover there is a fault with our paperwork & customs won’t let the bikes through. The border closes at 6pm, so we leave the bikes at the border, (which they told Helge wasn’t allowed), and we take refuge in a cheap hotel in Korgos -(140rmb/night) – we may be here for 2-3 days !!

The next installment is here

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