April 29, 2025
29April2025
A hard first day. My legs were still in road bike mode from all that London riding! I headed out fully loaded, carrying 48kg including bike, out of Aktau and headed East. The wind was moderate but enough to sap energy in that cruel way that it does. The road surface was excellent. The desert soon appeared, and so did my first sighting of wild horses! I was thrilled, and they were cute! I rode into a depression in the landscape that took me down to 132m below sea level and stayed that was for about 20km. Two kind motorists offered me bottles water along the way. I declined as I had enough, but their gestures boosted me. Reaching Zhetybay, I struggled to find a place to stay. It was a small oil drilling town with not much else going on. The one restaurant in town was good enough, and chatting to locals resulted in one of them telling me to stay at the mosque. I went over, and sure enough the Imam welcomed me in! Islam is particularly empathetic to travellers.. so nice, and proper. I made a donation to the mosque to show my gratitude. I bought some petrol to fire up my stove and made a brew in the evening. Whilst watching the sunset and chatting to some locals, one of them bought me an embroidered Kazakhstani hat! More kindness.. I loved it, and wore it till I went to bed in the prayer hall in the mosque in Zhetybay.
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Today's ride: 92 km (57 miles)
Total: 92 km (57 miles)
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