Russia / Kazakhstan Update

First stop was the 'supermarket' to pick up some supplies before crossing the border into Kazakhstan. We then drove the 100+ miles to the border and joined the queue, not really knowing what was going to happen, it was Sunday and late afternoon.

After what seemed like hours we moved to the Russian border, and just before going over a lady grabed the drivers (Neil and Ian) to take out car insurance for Kazakhstan (a scam i'm sure). Anyway we sat in a little hut and did the deal. Meantime however, both our cars moved up to the front of the queue, and Jo and Ruby got waved through, without the chaps. Next thing we see is Jo reversing the WombatsKhan car back over the border line, she didnt have a passport, Neil had them both. Jo was told to join the back of the queue, this now being at least 50 cars long.

After some classic driving and blocking Jo and Neil manage to get car across the car and truck lanes, ensuring we would be called forward first, and not have to go to the back of the queue again. It paid off as the nice Russian guard felt sorry for the Wombat team, and let us through, now some 10 cars behind team Kangakhann.

After a great deal of smiling and nodding we get past the Russian border formalites and join the next queue to cross into Kazakhstan.

Another 2 hours and we get called forward. The Kazakhstan border staff are very nice compared to the Russian side, however they speak little english, we get by with sign language.

Customs search the car, and we wave the big Wombat in their direction and behave like idiots, they get bored and wave us through.

After our first 10kms in Kazakhstan we both get pulled over by the police, more from an interest side of thing we think. They asked us what we were doing and where we were going, 'tourist' and going to 'Mongolia' seemd to work and they waved their AK-47's at us in a 'nice' way......