Very interesting !
The interesting bit is not that somebody got in by mistake or thanks to some poorly trained official. What's interesting is that these guys got away with it TWICE. Yes, you need to get out of the country too, and not have your bike impounded or pay a huge fee.
I can imagine the local police have no idea it's illegal for foreigners to ride alone, so I'm not surprised people get through checkpoints unscathed. But what if you have an accident ? things will get hairy.
It's a bit like people slipping into Thailand from Cambodia without a guide. You can do it, but it doesn't mean it's legal or safe to do so.
Still, if I were in Kyrg I would try my luck. There's no visa in Kyrg no if it doesn't work too bad, you just go for plan B. It only costs a Chinese visa, which isn't much.
The thing is, if dozens of bikers show up at the border without guides, the Chinese may realize they need to tighten their procedure. Just like when you could get an Iranian visa in Trabzon without authorization letter. Not any more.
Laurent
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