leltar / inventory

-- english version below --

most, hogy vege, megprobalom osszegezni, mi is fert bele ebbe az utba:

- 60 nap

- 4 orszag

- 3 vizum

- 2 meghivolevel

- 6 nyelv (a magyaron kivul)

- 3 sim kartya (a magyaron kivul)

- 5 repulo

- 13 varos

- megtett ut:

autoval / busszal / vonattal: ~7500 km

gyalog: ~700 km

- ejszakak:

jurtaban: 6

satorban: 7

vonaton: 3

szallason: 43 (20 kulonbozo helyen)

- 22 nap gyomorproblema

- ~38 tusolas (ebbe beleertem a lavoros mosdasokat is)

- leghosszabb ido furdoszoba nelkul: 6 nap (:

ami tetszett:

- a termeszet

- rengeteg allat (lo, teve, birka, kecske stb)

- a jurtak

- a hagyomanyaik

- az emberek vegtelen kedvessege

- a jo kaja, a sutik es a kenyer

- az arak

- hogy nem beszelnek angolul

- a ruhazat

- hogy a varosokban minden utca vagy meroleges a masikra, vagy azzal parhuzamos (kiveve tashkent)

meg en sem tudtam eltevedni sehol

- a gyerekek: mindegyiket nagyon erdekli, hogy ki vagy es honnan jottel. baromira buszkek arra, hogy tudjak azt, hogy hello (ez a helyi nyelvekben nem hasznalatos), es ezt alandoan bizonyitani akarjak

- az alkudozasok (foleg amikor sikeres)

- a spontan alakulo, szervezetlen utazasok (elmeletileg szinte az egesz ilyen volt)

ami nem annyira tetszett:

- nr 1, legyozhetetlen: wc-k es furdoszobak

- nincsenek szabalyok, nincs magantulajdon, nincs privat zona

- szemet mindenhol, es mindenki eldob mindent

- nincsenek bankautomatak

- vezetesi kultura, illetve annak hianya

- hogy nem allnak meg az uton

- nem hasznalnak biztonsagi ovet (en sem tudok, mert tobbnyire nincs vagy nem mukodik)

- mindenki tudni akarja, hogy mennyit keresel, de nem igazan gondolnak bele, hogy a koltsegeim is magasabbak otthon

- kopkodes, turhazas

- mindig amerikainak neznek. na, jo, neha francianak, de az sem jobb (:

- hogy nem tudom nekik megmagyarazni, hogy miert utazom egyedul, es ennyi idosen miert nincsenek gyerekeim

- a buszokra oroszul van rairva, hogy hova megy. mire kitalalom, hogy jo-e nekem, mar el is huzott

- hogy allandoan koszos vagyok

- kezzel mosas

- nincs coke zero (((:

es a top10+:

- ulni egy jurtaban, forro teat kortyolgatva, a frissen kisult kenyeret majszolva, es nezni, ahogy kint jegeso esik, majd 16 kilo takaro alatt elaludni

- felhajtani a satorajtot, es gyonyorkodni a felkelo nap sugaraban az 5000 m-es hegycsucson

- feljutni a hegy tetejere, es onnan nezni a 3000 m-en levo tavat

- birkaszemet, fulet es agyat ebedelni

- lohaton begyujteni az allatokat

- csacsigolni

- megsimogatni egy kisbirkat

- bekopogni idegenekhez szallast vagy teat kerve

- ugy wc-re menni, hogy kozben 15 teve figyeli, mit csinalsz

- elmosogatni a jeghideg patakban

- gyonyorkodni az iszlam epiteszeti remekekeben

- hajnali 6-kor tehenet fejni

- vodkat reggelizni

- kiszallni a vonatbol 26 ora utan

- eljutni egyik pontbol a masikba ugy, hogy semmi nincs megszervezve

es hogy kb mennyibol jott ki mindez:

- repjegyek: 700 euro

- vizumok + meghivolevelek: 240 usd

- egyeb koltsegek (bar meg nem szamoltam utana igazan): kb 1100 euro

nem akarom tulmisztifikalni az utazast magat. nem hazudok, nem volt mindig jo. voltak percek (orak, napok), amikor azt kivantam, hogy barcsak ujra otthon... de ilyenkor mindig volt valaki vagy valami, ami tovabblenditett a holtponton. es megerte. mind az utolso percig. a jo es a rossz reszek egyarant. hisz mindbol tanultam, mind egy-egy tapasztalat.

remelem, nem vettem el senkinek a kedvet attol, hogy eljojjon ide, es ateljen valami hasonlot...

most hazamegyek, kimosom a ruhaimat, veszek egy sajat hatizsakot (ezt koszi zoli!!!) es egy gazfozot, hogy utana ujra utrakelhessek, a vilag egy masik vegebe... (:

конец

--------------------------------------

now, that it has come to the end, i want to summarize, what fit to this trip:

- 60 days

- 4 countries

- 3 vizas

- 2 letters of invitation

- 6 languages (plus hungarian)

- 3 sim cards (plus hungarian)

- 5 flights

- 13 cities

- distances:

by car / by bus / by train: ~7500 km

on foot: ~700 km

- nights:

in a yurt: 6

in a tent: 7

on the train: 3

in rooms: 43 (in 20 different places)

- 22 days of diarrhoea

- ~38 showers (including the ones without running water)

- longest time without taking a shower: 6 days

what i liked very much:

- nature

- lots of animals around (horses, camels etc)

- yurts

- their traditions

- the kindness of locals

- good food, cakes and amazing bread

- prices

- that they dont speak english

- traditional clothes

- that streets in the cities are either perpendicular or parallel to each other (except tashkent)

even i could not get lost...

- kids: all are very interested about you. they are very proud of knowing the world 'hello', as this is not common in local languages, and they are ready to prove it

- bargains (especially when i succeed)

- spontaneous, unorganized way of traveling (mainly the whole trip)

what i disliked:

- nr 1 (unbeatable): toilets and bathrooms

- no rules, no privacy, no own property

- trash everywhere

- no atms

- lack of driving culture

- they dont stop, when you cross the street

- they dont use safety belt (so couldn't i, because it is not there or does not work at all)

- all wanna know how much you earn, but cannot imagine your higher costs of living at home

- spitting all the time, lack of tissue usage

- they think i am american. or french, but not better either (:

- that i cannot explain them, why i travel alone, and why i have no husband and kids at this age

- the route of the buses is written on them in russian, so by the time i can read it, the bus is gone

- so that i am always dirty

- washing by hand

- no coke zero (((:

and the top10+:

- sitting in a yurt, drinking hot tea, eating fresh bread while ice is raining outside, then falling asleep under 16 kg of blankets

- open the tent door, and having a view of the rising sun on the top of a summit, that is above 5000 m

- getting up the top of the hill, and watching the sun going down over the lake at 3000 m

- having sheep eyes, ear and brain for lunch

- gathering the animals on the back of a horse

- riding a donkey

- fondling a little sheep

- knocking to strangers asking for accomodation or a tea

- taking a toilet outside while 15 camels are staring at you

- making the dishes in the ice-cold spring

- delectating in the masterpieces of islamic architecture

- having vodka for breakfast

- milking a cow at 6 am

- getting off the train after 26 hours

- getting from one location to the other without organizing anything in advance

and approximately how much it cost me:

- airplane tickets: 700 euro

- visas and lois: 240 usd

- other costs (anyway, i have not checked it so thoroughly): ~1100 euro

i dont want to overdraw the beauty of traveling. not at all. there were really bad moments, not only one, when i wished being rather at home... but in these moments there was always someone or something, that helped me going on and on and on. and it was worth it. until the last minute. both the bad and the good parts. because i learned from all. each of them is an experience.

hope i could not decrease your enthusiasm about visiting these places and experiencing something similar. believe me, its just cool!

ok, gotta go home, have my clothes washed, buy an own backpack (zoli, thanks for this one!) and a gas stove, and start planning the next trip... (:

конец

zaroakkordkent / final stage

almaty-ban eltoltott 1 napom utan ujra nekivagtam a hegyekenk, bar nem minden porcikam vagyott mar faradtsagos maszas es hideg utan, de ugye a varosban logni otthon is lehet... szoval nekiindultam.
egy jol megpakolt hatizsakkal szokas szerint felszalltam a helyi jaratra, es elmentem vele, ameddig csak lehetett. ott egy taxist elharitva elkezdtem stoppolni. egesz hamar felvettek, viszont 1-2 km utan utlezaras volt, igy gyalog folytattam. nagyon faraszto volt, valoszinu az egyoldalu etkezes es a megszokottnal kicsit tobb gyaloglas es joves-menes az elmult honapokban megtette a hatasat... azert felkuzdottem magam 2500-ra. az ut egy csatorna mellett vezetett, ami furcsa hangulatot adott a helynek. ami vicces volt a vegere, hogy a varos felol felkuszott egy alacsony felho, es a latotavolsag igy lecsokkent 20 m-re. szoval fogalmam sem volt, hol vagyok, es mennyi van meg hatra. es felerni a tohoz sem volt akkora elmeny, ha ennyit lat az ember:

szokas szerint kicsit faztam...es mivel semmit nem lattam a kornyekbol, megkerdeztem a helyieket, hogy hol tudok inni egy teat - mi mast ugye?!? mondtak, hogy fenn a hegyen van egy csillagvizsgalo, ott van hotel is (a hotelt ne tessek szo szerint erteni!). utkozben az ido kegyes volt hozzam, es egesz sokat latni engedett a tobol. es esni is csak kicsit esett. tokre orultem...a hotel egy igazi orosz gyongyszem volt...megittam a teamat, ettem a sajat kajambol (ez itt sehol nem problema: volt olyan, hogy egy szorakozohelyre beultunk ugy, hogy egy masik helyrol rendeltunk oda pizzat, es a boltbol vittunk bort...), majd ugy dontottem, hogy az ejszakat a to mellett toltom a satramban. mire odaertem, megint esett, de gyorsan felhuztam a satrat (eddigi legjobban sikerult!), es fel 7-kor lefekudtem aludni... ami nem ment olyan konnyen, mert ez volt az elso satrazasom egyedul, es nem tudtam hirtelen, hogy feljek-e vagy sem. vegulis nem feltem...
ejjel tobbszor felebredtem arra, hogy esik. meg hogy hideg van. meg hogy esik. meg hogy hideg van. reggel 8-ra viszont megjott a napsutes, igy gyors reggeli meg a halozsakban, es pakolas. ez volt a szallasom:itt:
mire elindultam, ujra esett, igy teazot kerestem. a helyi lavinafigyeloktol kerdeztem, hogy hova tudnek menni, mire termeszetesen behivtak (utolag bevallom, erre apellaltam...), es lelkesen meseltek a mindenfele maszasaikrol. meghivtak teara, es ebedre (friss hal a tobol!!!), sot, eso esetere ingyen szallast is ajanlottak. mondtam, hogy hamarosan repulok haza, es meg ezer dolgom van, igy amint lehet, megyek tovabb.

egyebkent hihetetlen, hogy mar akar ket oran keresztul is tudok oroszul tarsalogni, es mar nem is olyan unalmas temakrol. a jelek szerint meg is ertjuk egymast, es a szotar is egyre kevesebbszer kell :P

esett egy adag jegeso es ho:aztan a valtozatossag kedveert kisutott a nap. azert a hegyek teteje mar friss hoval boritott:

ugy tunt, hogy az idojaras nem nekem kedvez, mert fel ora utan ujra osszeallt egy ujabb zivatarfelho. gyorsan bekeredzkedtem egy ott parkolo minibuszba, ami vegulis lehozott a varosba. kozben fel ora jegeso volt.., (:

azert megerte, meg ha nem is tudtam felmenni magasabbra az idojaras miatt, igy is sokat tanultam a hegyekbol. es majd legkozelebb tovabbmegyek (:

-----------------------------------

after spending a day in almaty i decided to go back to the mountains. i was a bit reluctant, because i was tired - maybe because of the same food all the time, or unusually lot of walking - and i did not long for cold weather either. but hey, these are my last days here, so i just cannot sit in the sofa watching tv...

so i started with a backpack full of food and warm clothes, took the local bus to as far as possible  to the mountains. there i refused a taxi and started hitchhiking. pretty soon someone took me, but the road was closed after a while, so i walked further on.

despite the fatique i climbed up to 2500 m. the road went next to a tube, which looked pretty weird, and not really nice...

by the time i reached the lake, the weather changed and got sooo foggy, that i could hardly see anything. got a bit disappointed by trekking a few hours and not seeing anything from the lake... i had no idea where i was and what was around.

as usual, i was cold...

because i could not see anything from around, i asked some locals, where i could have a cup of tea (what else?!? of course...) i was sent to an observatory nearby, and a hotel as well (not a real hotel, just to avoid misunderstandings). the weather was really nice with me and let me see a bit of the lake:

the hotel was a russian miracle...

i drank my tea, ate my own food (which is very normal here: once we went to a pub, where we ordered pizza from another place and took wine from the shop!!!). i decided to spend the night next to the lake, just to have a beautiful view in the morning. by the time i got there, it was raining, so i had to be quick - still one of the best with this tent, and went to bed at 6:30 pm... it was weird as this was the first time i camped on my own, so i was not sure if i should be affraid or not... so i decided not. (:

at night i got up several times hearing the rain on the top of my tent. and it was cold. and was raining. and cold. but! by 8 am sunshine and warm!!! so, a quick breakfast and packing. this was the place for camping:

here:

by the time i was on the road, it was raining again... shit... i tried to find a place to hide. i asked people in the first house, where i was - of course - invited in. they were the local lavina detectors (have no idea how they are called...), and told me everything about their climbings. i was invited for lunch (fresh fish from the lake!!!), and was offered a free couch for night in case of very bad weather. i really wanted to go as there is still much to do before i leave.

unbelievable, that i can already have a conversation of two hours in russian, and it's not that boring at all, we kind of understand each other, and my dictionary is not that often used... :P

it was ice and fresh snow on the top of the mountains, but in half an hour the sun was shining again. so i took my boots and on the road again...

this was not my day, as in half an hour it was storm again. i hardly had time to flee to a minibus, that finally took me to the city. we had another half an hour of heavy rain and ice on the way... ((:

anyway, i was worth it, even though i could not go as far as i wanted - due to the weather mainly -, but still i learned a lot and had a wonderful time there. more next time... (:

UZ to KZ

hat ez nem volt konnyu. pedig csak az egyik fovarosbol - tashkent - akartam eljutni a masikba - almaty.
mondtak, hogy a tashkent melletti hataratkelo le van zarva, mert 2 eve felujitjak, es igy csak helyiek mehetnek ott at. ezek szerint en meg nem szamitok annak...
persze, 80 euro elleneben minden maskepp festene. de nekem nincs erre ennyi penzem :P
gondoltam, hogy vonattal megyek, az megiscsak egyszeru. persze, csak 2 nap mulva megy vonat. hurra. akkor nezzunk taxit! taxi kismillio dollarert vinne at. vagy akar ugyanennyi euroert. vegul nagynehezen megalkudtunk, hogy 50 euroert elvisznek (vonat 40, tehat ez nem olyan rossz...). csakhogy nekem 100-asom van, es mivel itt a dollar az ur, senki nem tudta felvaltani. kozben kiderult, hogy az egyik auto vinne a hatarig, ott kifizetnem, es o rendezne a masik soforrel. viszont azt nemt tudtuk megbeszelni, hogy mi arra a biztositek, hogy a masik oldalon tenyleg tovabbvisznek.
gondoltam, hogy akkor csak a hataratkeloig kerek taxit (50 km). erre el akartak kerni 30 eurot, mondvan, hogy vissza is kell jonnie. nem gyozte meg azon ervem, hogy visszafele majd elhoz egy masik turistat. mikor ez a vita jo 2 oraja ment, az egyik sofor kiakadt ram, es mondta, hogy menjek csak vonattal. es gondoltam, igaza van...
megvettem a jegyet. utana sorban jottek, hogy megiscsak elvinnenek, de persze keso banat. nagyon elegem volt mar a lehuzos uzbegekbol... ):
masnap vonatra fel. anno, mikor a kazahoknal fulkesben utaztam, ki akartam probalni a nyitott vagonosat. most akaratlanul, de sikerult. kb 80 ember egy legterben. kezdtuk egy 4-oras varakozassal a hataron, amiben az a legszebb, hogy nem mozdul a levego, szellozes nulla, azaz a mi ablakunkat le sem lehetett nyitni stb. az en helyem felul volt, ami azt jelentette, hogy nem is tudtam felulni, mert folottem mar csomagok voltak. mindegy, 26 ora hamar elropul... erdekes, ahogy a helyiek utaznak. senki nem megy sehova porcelan bogre nelkul. mindenki hoz valtoruhat es papucsot, a teljes konyhat, valamint instant leveseket, amiket ott helyben megfoznek. mindenkinel van legalabb 5 kilo gyumolcs. az alattam utazo holgy egy evre ment dolgozni oroszorszagba, es epp csk egy hajszal valasztotta el attol, hogy tullepje a 10 darabos dinnye-korlatozast. ugyanis ennel tobbet senki nem vihet fel a vonatra. elkepzelem, ha mindenki felvinne a maximumot... (((:

kaptunk kis uticsomagot, amiben minden volt, amire csak szuksegem lehet az uton: fesu, cipokanal, varroskeszlet etc... persze wc-papir nem volt a wc-ben (:

a vonaton minden van, penzvalto, uditoarus, cigi, sor, sot, neha meg ruhaarusok is megjelennek. sajnos ezt nem tudtam lefotozni rendesen...
lenyeg, hogy almaty: kivalo fagyi, kinai etterem, es az ut soran eloszor: furdo (ezen azt ertsetek, hogy eddig csak tusolni tudtam...)
-------------------------------------------------
this was definitely not easy. all i wanted is to get from one capital - tashkent - to another - almaty.
i was told, that the border next to tashkent is closed for two years for renovation, so only locals can cross it. it seems, that i am still not a local...
of course, if i pay them 80 euro, everything looked different. but no way... :P
i thought that i may take a train, that is simple. except if the next one comes in two days. great. so lets check the taxis. taxis are a fortune. ok, after negotiating a lot, i agreed on a price of 50 euro (train is 40, so this is ok). but i have a note of 100, and here usd is the king, noone could change it. wow!
soon it come up, that the driver would take me to the border only, i should pay there, and another driver would drive me to almaty. but how can i assure, that i really get there, if i already paid?!?
ok, so lets take a taxi to the border here (50 km), and find another there. for some reason noone really wanted to take me. or maybe for 30 euro, for 1/12 of the road!!! we had a debate of about 2 hours, when a driver shouted on me why i did not get the tarin. so i said ok, he might be right- and went to the cashier.
in a few minutes they came to me and offered me normal prices, but i was just fed up with them... ):
ok, train on the next day. when previously i travelled with train, i wanted to try the one without vagonsю тщеб unintentoinally, i managed. ~80 people in a car. we started with 4 hours of waiting on the border. the best was, that the train standed in a place, so the air did not move at all, no ventillation, windows cannot be opened at all etc. i had an upper bed, that meant, that i could not sit on the bed as there were baggages above. cool... anyway, 26 hours are not that much :P it's so interesting how locals travel: eg noone goes anywhere without a porcelain mug. everyone has at least 5 kilos of fruit. the lady laying under me went to russia to work for a year, and had 10 melons with her (each at least 6 kilos)!!! i dont understand... is it the most important they take for a year?!?
anyway, good to know, that there is a limit of 10 melons on the train, you are not allowed to take more (:
i imagine what if everyone takes the maximum...
we got a pack of all the neccecities that one wants on the way including a comb, shoe-horn , sewing kit etc... except toilet papers in the restroom... (:

there is everything on the train: exchange officers, drinks and sausages to buy, beer, cigarette, and sometimes people to sell clothes!!! unfortunately i could not get a good picture of it.
anyway, here i am again in almaty: great ice cream, chinese restaurant, and first time during my trip: a bath (meaning nothing else, but that i could only take showers until now...)

eating plov somehow compensated part of the above:

khiva phase II

muszaj feltoltenem nehany csodas ejszakai felvetelt khiva-rol. azt hiszem, megeri... / some night photos, because i think they look funny with these weird colours... ((:

es nehanyat meg nappalrol, csak mert szepek / and some from the morning, just because they are nice:

itt laktam / i stayed here:

helyben keszult hutomagnesek / magnets made on the spot:

az uj hajam (nehanyan latni akartak) / my new haircut (some wanted to see):

es a kedvenc mualkotasom (a kiallitott ketfeju csecsemo utan) / and my favourite piece of art (after the baby body with two heads - auch!):

penzvalto / how they change money:

az ut soran eloszor talalkoztam magyarokkal - ezuton is koszonom, hogy becsatlakozhattam a csoporthoz egy rovid idore. legalabb most mar tudom, hogy miket neztem meg elozo 2 nap :P
this was the first time i met hungarians. again many thanks for the opportunity to join the group for a few hours. at least now i know the places i visited in the previous two days :P