Autumn In Kazakhstan (2005)

Otrar, a small city and part of the Kharwizm Empire was the first conquest of the Mongols under Ghengis Khaan in Central Asia He attacked Otrar in the early 13th century after repeatedly being snubbed by the local leader

1 Tim stands next to Dannier (the short guy on his right) who was the local boss of the ministry of agriculture and himself a vet His promises to move the horses from Karagai to somewhere with good pasture never happened

The day after saving the horses from the race, celebrations were in full swing nearby at the opening of a new mosque that was originally destroyed by the communists in 1931

Just one day out of Kulsari towards the Caspian Sea Tim was struck down by a terrible fever and gastro He spent six days recovering at a camel farm These are a few photos of the herders working at the farm, and the farm itself.

Great to be back on the steppe as I head off between Kulsari and the city of Atrau on the Ural river Tigon loves it as much as me or more!

On the 1st of October Tim arrived in Atrau and with the help of the ministry of agriculture crossed over the Ural River into geographical Europe. Bottom: After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the tearing down of statues in memory of Lenin Kazakhstan needed to find some local heroes

The last 240km or so from Atrau to the border were not particularly smooth Half way there were two days of uncharacteristic downpour The silty dust and dirt turned to thick mud and made it too dangerous to ride

Some pictures of some of the last people to help and look after me in Kazakhstan after more than a year in the country. Here are also pics of 'darkie' getting to drink out of a 'fire safety' water drum, the old herder and his 'horse hair' blanket called a 'terlik,' and an example of the royal ...