London to Mumbai by Road 2016 – Revisited
Day 24 – 20 September 2016
Bollywood Diplomacy and a Roadside Repair
After a wonderful night beside Lake Balkhash, we woke to another beautiful morning in Kazakhstan. Before departing, we treated ourselves to a hearty breakfast at the hotel consisting of eggs, baked beans, toast, and plenty of tea.
It was the perfect start to the day.
Our destination was Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city and former capital. Although we were not expecting to reach it today, we planned to make good progress towards it.
The weather was ideal for driving—sunny, warm, and clear. The roads, however, were less predictable. Some sections were smooth and modern, while others were rough, uneven, and full of surprises. Driving in Kazakhstan certainly kept us alert.
For much of the day, our route followed the shoreline of Lake Balkhash, one of the largest lakes in the world. For almost 200 miles, the vast expanse of water stretched out on our left while semi-desert landscapes rolled endlessly away on our right.
The scenery was stark but strangely beautiful.
The open spaces seemed endless, with hardly another vehicle in sight for long periods. It was easy to understand why overland travellers often describe Central Asia as one of the last great frontiers for road adventures.
One thing that certainly kept the day interesting was the local police.
We were stopped no fewer than five times during the course of the day.
Fortunately, by now Team Kontiki had developed a strategy.
Out came the documents, followed by plenty of smiles and friendly conversation. We had quickly discovered that Bollywood films and music were hugely popular throughout Kazakhstan, so before long the conversation would drift away from paperwork and towards Indian cinema.
Soon we would be discussing favourite actors such as Mithun Chakraborty and Aishwarya Rai, while Bollywood songs played through the motorhome speakers.
The transformation was remarkable.
What began as a serious inspection often ended with smiles, handshakes, and friendly waves as we were sent on our way.
We jokingly referred to it as “Bollywood diplomacy.”
The day took a more dramatic turn when Kontiki suddenly began losing speed.
At first, we feared another major mechanical problem. Memories of Berlin and the gearbox saga immediately came flooding back.
We pulled into a filling station to investigate.
As always, Ramesh approached the problem calmly and confidently. Out came the toolbox, followed by his trusted collection of spanners. After a careful inspection, he discovered that the accelerator linkage had developed a problem.
Most people would have searched for a workshop.
Not Ramesh.
Digging through the toolbox, he found a small piece of plastic and cleverly improvised it into a spacer. After a little roadside engineering and some careful adjustments, the accelerator was working again.
Just like that, Team Kontiki was back on the road.
It was another reminder that on long overland journeys, ingenuity can often be as valuable as spare parts.
By early evening, after covering around 250 miles, we arrived in the small town of Akyusek. At around 7:15 pm, we found a modest filling station with basic facilities and plenty of parking space.
It wasn’t luxurious, but it felt safe and secure, which was exactly what we needed.
A new concern had begun to emerge, however.
We were running low on Kazakh currency and finding cash machines surprisingly difficult to locate. While some fuel stations accepted debit cards, many still preferred cash. We had enough fuel to continue for now, but finding a fuel station that accepted cards would become tomorrow’s priority.
For the moment, though, there was a far more important matter to attend to.
Dinner.
The fish gifted to us by the generous fisherman at Lake Balkhash had been marinating since yesterday, and tonight was the night it would finally be cooked.
Once again, Chef Ramesh took charge.
Before long, the aroma of freshly cooked fish filled the motorhome. Served with hot rotis and accompanied by chilled beer, it became one of the finest meals of the entire trip.
The fish was tender, flavourful, and absolutely delicious.
Every mouthful reminded us of the friendly fisherman who had shared his catch with complete strangers.
As we sat together enjoying the meal, there was only one verdict.
Compliments to Chef Ramesh!
After another eventful day filled with police stops, mechanical improvisation, endless landscapes, and excellent food, Team Kontiki settled down for the night feeling grateful once again.
The motorhome was still running well, our route towards Almaty remained on track, and tomorrow promised another exciting day on the road.
Distance travelled: Approximately 250 miles (400 km)
Route: Lake Balkhash towards Almaty
Weather: Sunny, warm, and clear
Highlight of the day: Successfully repairing the accelerator at the roadside and enjoying freshly caught Lake Balkhash fish
Challenge of the day: Five police stops and difficulties finding cash and ATMs
Night halt: Filling station, Akyusek, Kazakhstan
Dinner: Fresh Lake Balkhash fish, rotis, and chilled beer
Mood of the day: Relaxed, amused, and increasingly confident in both Kontiki and Team Kontiki
Join us tomorrow as Team Kontiki continues its journey towards Almaty, navigating the vast landscapes of Kazakhstan while edging ever closer to the Chinese border and the next great chapter of our London-to-Mumbai adventure.
