No travel story from us since a long time and also now only a short overview over the last few travel months:

We experience Chinas pre-olympic hysteria with many passport-controls, tightened but quite funny security rules like for example the ban on sending such dangerous items like bikinis by mail. And for a last time on this trip we enjoy the great, cheap food of China for another 30 days before we cross the border to Kyrgyzstan.

There we are not only able to talk with people again (our Russian is very bad but many times sufficient) but also to read because we know Cyrillic writing which is quite easy to learn. We enjoy this so much because Vietnam was the only country on our trip so far which uses Latin writing. The mountain scenery of Kyrgyzstan is great for cycling. We are surprised about the many western tourists with Jeeps, motorcycles and also bicycles. Especially in Bishkek there are many cyclists waiting for onward visas. Its really great to meet so many “colleagues”.

Also for another reason Bishkek is quite special for me: suddenly there are so many fair-haired people because around half of the residents of Bishkek are Russian. So we look ordinary again with our blond hair and the men are not staring at me anymore but after the girls with the - for our eyes - now really short-looking skirts. Also the modern supermarkets prove to us that we are not far from Europe anymore. Unfortunately also the prices remind us that Europe is near.

Especially the next country of our tip - Kazakhstan - is sometimes really expensive. Instead of green mountain meadows with yaks and yurts like in Kyrgyzstan, flat steppe, camels, salt lakes and wind is awaiting us. The heartiness of many people reminds us to our journey through Russia in which direction we are pedalling again in a hurry because we only got a 30day visa for the huge country of Kazakhstan.

Today, after reaching 38.150 km in Atyrau, the oil-capital of Kazakhstan, we reach the Ural river again and therefore Europe. Green traffic islands, parks, modern shopping centres,… amidst the steppe - a strange feeling!