Posts From Kazakstan

As you can see from the first photo we arrived in Yining early in the morning. Even this little insignificant town has a grand railway station. The town was noticeably different to the other Chinese towns we have visited. More signs of Islam, different food, and a general air of "more broken down". In any case from here we started the 1-2 hour drive to the border and the town Khorgas. Along the way we travelled mostly on a very modern dual carriage way road, saw lots of agriculture include sun-flowers, and as we approached Khorgas, many many massive warehouse buildings, yards full of new trucks and new cars.

Today was a long day of driving. The first stop of the day after 2-3 hours driving was a National Park called Charyn Canyon, which as you might expect is a large and picturesque canyon carved by the Charyn/Sharyn River. Nina and I visited this site in 2013 and since that date it has acquired a boom gate to ensure visitors pay the entry fee, a number of accommodation buildings, and a "main" facility that includes a cafe. None of this improves the natural experience of the place. But Kazaks like Australians cannot go anywhere without a cup of latte.