Yep

We're camped 10KM outside the Kazakhstan border, between a busy rail line and the highway. The noise is OK now but will no doubt result in fairly ordinary sleep.

Barnaul was completely awesome. Super clean, no traffic hasstles, never once heard a horn. We did a heap of grocery shopping this morning, but still unable to find cordial. I don't know the cost of fuel in Kazakhstan so way we filled up in Russia at around 70 cents a litre. How can you loose if you're paying 70 cents a litre?! We figure that with fuel and food we can get a long way in case there is problems with ATM's or banks etc.
We're not stressed about the border crossings any more, they are just a process after all. It seems to take the stress our of it for us by starting the border crossing first thing of a morning. The only thing we want to avoid is crossing on a Friday. That way if anything goes wrong, we should be free by the weekend one way or another. I've heard some of Kazakhstan's borders are 24 hours, but even after ten minutes research we were unable to determine which ones were. Hopefully the further we go west through europe, the more 24/7 they should become. We are a little bit surprised at how difficult it has been to find route's to the land borders. Most times we've stumbled on them. We just drove through a hovel of a town, and only through a few fluke turns we ended up on the main way to the border. It's mindblowing how you can bump through 10KM of potholes, what felt like 40 rail line crossings then bump up onto a brilliant tar highway without consideration that one sign to either
the border, or a town beyond it could be a huge help. I was 'chatting' with the fuel station lady and indicated we were heading to Kazakhstan (30KM away). I gestured a direction expecting a nod, but it was more like she'd never heard of it. Perhaps this is indicative of a bigger problem.
So far, the land border crossings have been chanced upon. The Russian side of the Altanbulag crossing into Mongolia, had a degree of confidence, provided by an incomplete but new multi-lanned highway. I guess they are holding off on signs until it's complete?. The Mongolian side we would never have found. Same with the other Tsagaannuur border, there was a main looking road, that disappeared into a fence that looks like it's been there for 60 years. Only goat tracks lead to the actual main road... WHY ARE THEY NOT LINKED? If you're going to build a compound in the middle of a road, surely you'd have to build a road around it?!

I'm quite excited at the prospect of entering another country. No doubt people from countries that have land borders are probably underwhelmed by this prospect, but as an Australian, we never get the opportunity to nip into another country before lunch.
We've been virtually mosquito free since Chita, but tonight there are little blighters which are transparent and full of blood - ugh gross.

Our rough route through Kazakhstan should be just shy of 5000KM and as follows:
Semey
Almatay
Turkistan
Atyrau

I'm torn between telling you what things we plan to do through the trip, or keeping surprises.

Anyway, night night.

Position: 12-08-15 21:06:48 +0700 +0000
http://maps.google.com/maps?&ll=51.35262,81.13089&q=51.35262,81.13089&z=16
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