Day 40, 09 July 2012 Aktau- standby to cross the Caspian Sea

We were ready to cross the Caspian Sea from Aktau to Baku. Azerbaijan today.

There was no schedule available for our ferry to Baku, the only thing we were told by our shipping agent was ‘We will call you. Please wait in your hotel’.


Our team decided to include some of the useful information for those who wish to take the same ferry crossing to Baku in the future.

Contacts
English speaking shipping agent, Mr Erdaulat (+77 29 244 5469)
Working hours 0830hr till 1700hr, Monday to Friday only

Non English speaking shipping office (+87 29 244 5018)
Working hours, 24hrs

Fees (all fees payment TG equivalent only)  
Official payment to kassa with receipt
Passenger USD 100
Vehicle USD 50

Unofficial payment to misc parties
Port security guard USD 15
Ship’s crew for vessel boarding USD 20
Ship’s crew for vehicle lashing USD 10


Additional payment upon arrival to Baku port
Vehicle USD 80 per meter length of your vehicle. For example, it cost us USD400 because our Hilux is 5m long.


Document requirements;
1) Original owner passport
2) Original Vehicle Transport Ownership certificate

Our experience told us to have a copy of item no.2 above to be translated in English and Cyrillic language if original is in native language.

Once above payments were made, we then went around to get our departure papers endorsed by relevant authorities;

1) Customs
2) Border Control
3) Quarantine

All of us waited through the night in the port office until the next morning. Important piece of advice; bring enough food to last 24hours

 Morning hour in Aktau

 Time off in Gun and Roses Restaurant

Day 39, 08 July 2012 Beyneu to Aktau

Today total distance traveled 500km

The road leading from Beyneu to Aktau was one of the worst roads we had since we left rural China.

Aktau is hundreds of kilometers from anywhere else of any size, with all its water derived from desalination.

Local uranium and oil finds were the reason Aktau was created by the Soviet back in the late 50’s. As uranium mining, nuclear power and chemical operations were wound down in the 1990’s, Aktau found her new lease of life as a centre for both onshore and offshore oil thanks to recent oil and gas boom.

The first thing we did after we arrived in Aktau was to check out the ferry schedule to Baku. We have almost no information on how we are going to do it. The only thing we knew was we need to cross the Caspian in 5days time otherwise we will be behind our schedule to arrive London on 1 August 2012.

We found a run down apartment in Mikrorayon 5 area for TG6000 per night from our guide. Please contact +777 55410 380 (direct to owner) if you are interested. The place was good with clean mattresses, complete kitchen sets with fridge and running hot water.

Caspian Sea swimming!

Day 38, 07 July 2012 Aral Sea to Beyneu, Kazakhstan

Today total distance traveled 220km

We are in Beyneu, Kazakhstan today. This is the 6th country we visited since the beginning of this trip.

Sunrise over the Aral Sea

Our team left in silence watching the Aral Sea recede before our eyes was depressing.

The drive out from Aral Sea to Beyneu was a challenging one. We drove 90km of unpaved roads on was previously was Aral Sea seabed before we reached the main road leading to border checkpoint.

Old MiG aircraft wings in Aral Sea?

Our Kazakh guide, Mr Ulugbek was already waiting for us at the border gate when we arrived.

Kazakhstan, here we come! Border check point

Border crossing into Kazakhstan was relatively easier compared to entering Uzbekistan from Kyrgyzstan, probably thanks to the good relationship between the Malaysian and Uzbekistani government.

   It takes 6days for these trucks to clear the border from Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan. Talking about civil servant effeciency. No wonder everyone is walking half naked

Boring man, Happy Camel

After border clearance, it took us another 2hours drive to Beyneu Beyneu first began to expand in the 1970s from a village to a city with the discovery of oil in the area.

You heard of stray dogs, what about stray camels? 

Our accommodation in Beyneu was a simple and clean inn with shared bathroom and toilet.