Ending Point: N43°13 E76°56
Distance Traveled: 5.3 miles
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Our day started when we wandered into the hostel’s kitchens to find two South Africans cooking a breakfast feast while lamenting that their Rally clothes hadn’t been enough to get them past the strict dress codes of Almaty’s clubs the night before. After a quick run to the shop to contribute ingredients, we sat back and spent the morning in the kitchen swapping stories and eating like royalty. Eventually around noon we decided it was time to hit the road, but one thing first: Chase wanted to check out the Green Bazaar, Almaty’s largest bazaar. Once we reunited with the Elephants and the Lumberyaks it was off to the Bazaar, only to discover that it was closed on Mondays. Luckily for us though there was a little market next door, where Chase was able to purchase the much-coveted traditional Kazakh hats. By the time we left the market (and we watched the Elephants and Lumberyaks get pulled over by Almaty’s finest), it was already after 3PM; rather than hitting the road at such a late hour, we decided to spend the afternoon doing personal admin and then meet with Chase’s friend Aggey in the evening. Right around sunset Aggey arrived at our hostel and offered to take us on a tour of his city. Aggey has spent his entire life living in Almaty and climbing tall peaks around the world; in June he had been in Alaska to climb Denali, and when he met Chase the two decided that they’d have to meet up during the Rally. Aggey’s pride in Almaty and in Kazakhstan in general was obvious as he told us the history of this major city at the crossroads of Central Asia. Well before we rolled into town in our Panda, the Mongols had crossed the Kazakh steppe, the traders of the Silk Road had plied their wares, the Soviet Union annexed Kazakhstan, revolution had led to the world’s longest-serving President in a “democracy,” and rapid development and modernization in a shrinking and increasingly-connected world all proved that Almaty is truly the social, cultural, historical, and financial capital of this interesting country. The highlight of the evening was when Aggey brought us to Kishlak, a traditional Kazakh restaurant in the heart of the city. Like Kazakhs, we drank green tea and fermented mare’s milk while reclining beside the low table that was surrounded by beautiful tapestries on the walls. Aggey explained that a “kishlak” is the name for a large camp when multiple families of traveling nomads all temporarily join together; the perfect symbolic parallel to our convoys all camping together in the Kazakh desert! We feasted on traditional meals ordered by Aggey, and went to bed that night with full stomachs, active imaginations, and a strong desire to make it back to this wonderful city. Starting Point: N43°13 E76°56
Ending Point: N43°13 E76°56 Distance Traveled: 5.3 miles
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Judging by the crowd, we began our day in Bishkek much like everyone else: with a trip to the main bazaar. We were happier with our room choice for the previous night when we just had to walk a couple blocks to reach the bazaar and passed a bakery on the way, where Charla found a slice of breakfast honey-chocolate cake. As we walked around, Chase found his breakfast in the bazaar itself—meat on a stick and a fresh meat and potato samosa. While the food was great, the beverage was not; sour coconut milk is not a good pairing with fresh, delicious food. The good far out-weighed the bad in the bazaar, especially once Charla found some stylish leggings that put together the Union Jack and the Icelandic flag. She’s ready for some cooler temperatures once we get to high altitude in Russia. After a good morning in the market, we left town for the famed Lake Issyk Kul. We took a route that mixed directions from our paper map and Google Maps, being sure that we didn’t accidentally re-enter Kazakhstan and use the last of our available entries, and the drive was gorgeous. We passed between Kazakh and Kyrgyz mountains, over some small rivers, and through a sunflower field before rejoining the main road that took us through the mountain pass and on to the lake. We thought the somewhat heavy traffic on the still-under-construction road was somewhat normal until we arrived in the town of Bosteri and started looking for a place to stay. We checked out a few places as we searched for the one Rashid recommended, and we soon found out it was a holiday weekend in a lake-beach town at full capacity. Luckily, we had been trying the find a place while following a man in a Toyota who seemed to know what was going on. When we got a chance to talk to Mairambek, who had spent a year living in the US, he told us about his search for a room and kindly helped us find an apartment near the town market before finding his own. We were thankful once we settled in and then went for a walk around the neighborhood and down to the beach. Our walk back took us through a small market (tiny compared with the one we had experienced in the morning) where Charla picked up some fresh vegetables to add to dinner. Today’s lesson: Fresh coconut, good. Sour coconut milk, not good. Starting Point: N42°53 E74°36
Ending Point: N42°39 E77°12 Distance Traveled: 182.6 miles The sunrise woke us up, so we got an early start to the day. Since there are frequent ramps to drive up and check under the car all along the highway, we made use of one and checked out the undersides of the Panda and the Thunderyaks’ Kangoo. After what we had driven through, they were pretty dirty but otherwise intact, so we continued down the road. To no surprise, as we rolled into Actobe, the police pulled us over again, this time slightly more interested in seeing some paperwork but not so interested as to push us for it. We left the roadside police to go to the police station to find out how and where to register our visas. They directed us to the immigration department, which was closed for lunch. Since the officials were taking a lunch break, we thought it was time for one as well. After asking around, we got directions from a nice man named Aslan to a restaurant in the basement of a hotel called Sultan. There, we spoke on the phone with someone who spoke a little English; by the end of the conversation, we still weren’t sure what we were ordering, but went for it anyways. Half an hour later, a feast arrived with chicken, potatoes, rice, salad, and a piece of salmon. Far more in need of a food-coma nap than accomplishing tasks, we went to the immigration department where we waited in line for nearly an hour until a woman opened the covered glass window and took our passports. In the meantime, the Cads and Bounders arrived, and the teams had plenty of time to catch up. Much later than we had planned, we left Actobe heading southeast while the Cads stayed in town to get their car issues sorted. Not far outside the city, we were thrilled to see a gathering of Rally cars at a roadside pull off (complete with one of the aforementioned ramps!)! As they were finishing their dinner, we shared road stories with Don Tiki, the Yard Monkeys, and From Denmark to Mongolia. The last team had been on their own for the entire Rally after having car problems in Berlin, and they had been quite isolated as they took the crazy road that we turned away from in Makat, which took them three full days to travel. So, we added them to our convoy and set off for Aralsk. After a market stop, we drove into the night until finding a camping spot about an hour north of our target city. There, we got to know the new guys as we checked out the stars. Starting Point: N50°53 E51°46
Ending Point: N47°33 E61°30 Distance Traveled: 614.5 miles We woke up early, thanks in part to the sounds of the road nearby and to Jared and Duncan for shaking our tent. Getting up early put us on the road in the soft light of the morning, and we were able to enjoy the landscape a bit more than the night before when we were trying to find a camping spot. We didn’t drive too long though, as we were nearing the border of Luxembourg and wanted authentic Belgian waffles for breakfast. (Who’s heard of Luxembourgian waffles?) We found Café Melba in the main square of Bastogne, the perfect answer to our waffle desires. Though Chase liked his double waffle with fresh cream, Charla, Duncan, and Jared clearly chose the best option of a cappuccino and a waffle with fresh cream and fresh fruit. In Bastogne, we were just a few miles from Luxembourg, so our first international border crossing of the day was an easy one. Getting out of Luxembourg, however, proved to be much more of a challenge. The route we planned was simple—cutting across northern Luxembourg and then into Germany—but part of that road was closed. And, so was every other road we attempted to take to get back on that road. Two hours later, we found the German border, got on the autobahn, and headed east. Somewhere in the process of getting on the autobahn, we lost the kiwis (they made it to the castle two hours before us…). Again, a simple route proved to be the most difficult. An accident 5-10 kilometers ahead of us shut down the entire six-lane highway. We sat, and we inched forward. As the inching slowed, another Rally car approached! That’s how we met the Phileasfog Reformers! There’s not exactly tons of entertainment sitting on a major highway on a hot day. We listened to the stories of the man trying to get home for his own birthday party with his girlfriend (she was not a happy camper/didn’t believe he was stuck in traffic). We attempted to get the van full of British lads to come hang out with us. Then, Justin busted out a deck of Uno cards. We had to move the car forward a couple times, which helped us to finally discover a use for our cassette tape deck! It’s a perfect Uno cardholder! Then, just as the birthday boy told us would happen, the highway started moving again around 4:00 PM, two hours after we stopped. Once the autobahn opened, it was a straight shot for us to the Czech border and on closer to the party. We turned off the highway for a possible shortcut, though we’re starting to learn that perhaps the long way is the faster one. We drove through the scenic villages of Stod and Merklin before finding ourselves a little lost under a canopy road. Luckily, there was a Czech couple out for their evening walk. They looked at our map and discussed something, then started giving directions, of which we caught the words “Oplot” and “Presice.” With a flourish, he ultimately declared in English “LEFT!” Now, we didn’t take a left turn at all, but we were able to navigate back to the main road and on to Klatovy using his directions. Once in Klatovy, we realized the castle wasn’t actually located in the city. A giant map board helped us out after a bit of driving around. Stoked to know where we were going, we headed back through the city and noticed four Rally cars whirling around a roundabout. We jumped in with them, and after a pow wow with our friends of Ulaanbat-Tartan, took the lead to Klenova Castle. With the last flecks of daylight illuminating our drive, we led the caravan into the castle! A feast and party were waiting. Today’s lesson: A journey of a thousand miles always starts with someone saying, “Hey, I know a shortcut.” Starting Point: N50°10 E05°22
Ending Point: N49°19 E13°13 Distance Traveled: 513.9 miles Trieste is a fascinating place. It feels like no other city in Italy but like them all at the same time. According to legend, it was founded by a friend of Jason and the Argonauts. More recently, in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, it was the main shipping port for the Austro-Hungarian Empire until World War I. Then, in 1918, it was given to Italy. Today, its maritime industry is more important to central Europe than to Italy, which explains why the population of the city remains so diverse. Thanks to the diverse population, there is a surprising amount of local craft beer in Trieste. Needless to say, Italian wine is wonderful throughout the country, though the domestic beer leaves much to be desired. We had sampled a few Slovenian Laškos in Trieste before we found Bire, a brew pub with a nice view of the sea. The Pils and Rossa (Red Ale) we ordered were much better than Peroni or Nastro Azzurro. The "panpizza"/sandwich and toast-shaped meat were good choices as well. The toast-shaped meat was a bit of a surprise order. Charla translated it as "meat in the form of toast," thinking maybe the meat was inserted into the toast, but Chase's guess turned out most accurate: two bread-shaped slices of meat and fries.
Fourth of July? Oops. We didn't exactly celebrate Independence Day this year (in fact, Charla hasn't for a while now), but we did enjoy another wonderful day in Trieste. As usual, Charla went to lectures and her seminar during the day while Chase explored the city. When Charla and Chase met back up after the afternoon seminar, it was time for dinner and we checked out the neighborhood by the Grand Canal. We found Fratelli di Bufala, which turned out to be a real treat. The food was great, and the view along the canal at sunset was not too shabby. Charla loved her margherita pizza, and Chase had a bit of a culinary adventure. The server pointed to an item on the menu that looked good, and was priced reasonably, so Chase just went for it. It turned out to be some amazing meat dish that defies explanation! A calzone filled with mozzarella and topped by strips of meat with shredded parmesan, it was a delicious meat feast! After dinner, Charla went down the street to a performance given by Irish tenor Noel O'Grady, whom we'd heard earlier in the week at our Irish sing-a-long. Following the concert, we were hopeful for another spectacular night at Barge Bar with Joyce School friends in tow. Unfortunately, the barge was closed. We moved closer to the Piazza Unità d'Italia to Bar Unità, where we shared Peroni and pelinkovac (a Croatian liquor that tastes remarkably like a bar of Ivory Spring soap) with the group.
While Charla was in her morning lectures, Chase visited the Museo Postale e Telegrafico della Mitteleuropa, or the Trieste postal museum. This museum was a pretty obvious choice, because Chase is fascinated with the world’s postal services. The museum was not geared to non-Italian speakers, but luckily one of the museum employees was very excited that Chase had traveled all the way from Alaska so she gave him a personal tour. Unfortunately, she didn’t speak English and Chase didn’t speak Italian, but they made it all the way through the museum together. This evening was one of our favorite moments with the Joyce School. We gathered at the Osteria da Marino for dinner and music led by Gerry Smyth. The osteria’s main room, which we filled beyond capacity, featured a piano and was decorated with old rugby uniforms for the team it sponsors, photographs, and sailing paraphernalia. Gerry performed several selections from Joyce’s “Chamber Music” as well as some traditional Irish ballads to get the crowd involved. We picked up one of his CD’s to listen to on our drive as well!
The Trieste Joyce School was our reason for coming to this amazing city that inspired the writer some hundred years ago as he lived and worked here as an English teacher. Organized by a group of dedicated professors, the School’s daily program featured two lectures (and a coffee break at Bar alla Motonave!) in the morning session and seminar groups on different texts in the afternoon. Most nights included some kind of evening program, which we will get to later in the blog. While Charla went to the lectures, Chase went exploring in the beautiful city of Trieste. He wandered out along the seawall to the lighthouse in the port, and then came back to meet Charla for a picnic lunch of Nutella sandwiches in the Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia. After lunch Charla went back to her seminar, and Chase explored the ruins of the Roman Theater in Trieste. The School arranged for an evening visiting the Santuario di Monrupino in the hills surrounding the city and practically in Slovenia. Reaching the church took us on a short walk further up a hill that granted us amazing views of the city and the sea, as it appeared to be one of the highest points in the area. While walking around the church area, we got to know some of the other students and lecturers at the School. From the church the entire group traveled to Milič, a local osmica that participates in the trendy agriturismo method of farm-to-table food. Osmicas are farms that are found in this local region, and they specialize in ham, salami, cheese, and red wine. While the entire group was at Milič for dinner, Mark Axelrod gave a reading from his book Borges’ Travel, Hemingway’s Garage. We really enjoyed our evening of good food and new friends.
We finally fulfilled Charla’s wish of a full English breakfast when we woke up the next morning and discovered the feast that Samantha had prepared for us. After devouring a mountain of delicious food (including black pudding), it was time to explore the city of Bristol! Bristol seemed like the Portland, Oregon, of England. There was street art everywhere, including some of Banksy’s original works from back in the day. Additionally, 70% of Bristol’s retail shops are independent and local, which creates an environment of unique and interesting shopping. (As a matter of fact, when the first Tesco opened in Bristol, they rioted and burned it down! That spirit continues with anti-Tesco graffiti still visible around town.) Our exploration took us through Saint Nicholas Market downtown, an open-air market consisting of Bristol’s largest collection of independent traders. The environment was very hectic, so instead of hanging around we decided to go from there down to the harbor. The harbor was beautiful on the sunny day, with boats galore enjoying the calm water. After a snack at the harbor, it was unfortunately time to head back to London and get ourselves to Heathrow airport and prepare for our flight to Italy.
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