Charyn canyon towards Almaty
Days 96, 97 and 98, 15570 km
Day 96 - Being here feels somewhat like being on the moon; it’s incredibly open and expansive. We’ve spent the last few months riding through Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, mainly navigating valleys and crossing high-altitude mountain passes. Now, in Kazakhstan, we find ourselves in flat desert and canyons.Also, today marks one of our last days of riding, as tomorrow we’ll be heading to Almaty. So, we decide to take the bikes out one final time on the gravel. Our destination is Charyn Canyon National Park, but instead of following the usual tourist paths, we explore the less-frequented canyons like Moon Canyon and enjoying one last ride over the steppe and into the hills. Gion and I nearly lost sight of each other, both of us riding for kilometers across the rocky, sandy plains. There is just something of st ding up on your bike and just send it over the flat steppe. But despite the seemingly flat landscape, we had to remain very cautious while riding. There were large stones, sandy areas, dry riverbeds, bushes, and sizable groundhog holes scattered everywhere that could easily end our ride prematurely.
Day 97 - I'm starting to feel quite sentimental now. It's our last night camping. The trip is nearly at its end. I'm not sure how I'll adjust to sleeping in a regular bed again. How will I resist the temptation to eat instant Ramen every single day? For THAT, I think I might have an idea. Seriously, after traveling for so long, it's tough to picture returning to normal life. It's hard to think about not seeing my eldest son every day. We haven't spent this much time together in ages. This trip has been a dream come true and a privilege for me to share all these moments and adventures with him. I need to come to terms with it. For our final camping night, Gion picked a stunning location that required us to ride for half an hour over rocky paths down to the Charyn river. It's one of those places we adore, far from the usual tourist spots. Every action, from setting up the tent to lighting the fire to preparing the gas cooker and water for dinner, has become second nature after all these months. We decided to cool the cans of beer in the cold river and enjoyed a chill last evening at this gorgeous spot.
Day 98 - We made it to Almaty and checked into another hostel. The good part is that the top bunk beds come with curtains, the bad is that there are ten blokes sharing the room and the air conditioning is broken. For a second, I think we should have treated ourselves to one of Almatys luxe hotels this time, but then I remember that the money is better spent .. on Aperol Spritz for example. But first on the agenda is to clean the bikes and get them ready for the next adventure - more to that later - and then we’ll head to one of Almaty’s super trendy coffee spots to enjoy the comforts of civilization again. So, the jam-packed plan for today: bike cleaning and flat whites. And as attentive reader you already know, we haven’t showered in a few days, so that goes without saying. Still, I feel a bit nostalgic here knowing that the endless circle of dust and dirt comes to an end, as much for my motorcycle as much for us. When I took my sweat soaked, dirt drenched and stain covered motorcycle gear off for the last time, a tear of sadness rolled down…, well, almost.
