Made a big mistake in Kaz need help
 

Hi All,

I crossed into Kaz today without getting insurance at the border. Forgot all about checking on it with everything else going on.

I got pulled over on the way into Uralsk and copper said (I think) that it was available in town. He let me go after while (I think he wanted a bribe).

So question is where to get it? What sign am I specifically looking for? The girl at the hotel reception said to go to the police station is that correct? Or am I better off going back to the border to get it.

Things are only going to get worse I think if I continue without it.

Sorry for posting up such an ametuer mistake. I feel like a right royal idiot.

Ok well yesterday's post was clearly made as I was freaking out a little.

I wasn't too sure what the cop who pulled me over was trying to say. Either he was telling me it was a $200 fine and I would have my license and registration papers taken away or he was telling me if I didn't pay him $200 that what he was going to do. Either way after about five minutes he let me go.

So insurance was easy in the end. Much easier than Russia. I got at it Alatau Insurance (Click here) in Cyrillic that is Алатау fairly easy to find at 43/1 Dosmukhamedov str, Uralsk which is on the cnr with Dostyk Avenue not where Google shows it.

Girl who did the work was very helpful and spoke enough English to get through it and it only cost about $12.

So after all that the border crossing was easy and and so was gettting insurance.

Oh and Insuance Company is СТРАХОВАЯ КОМПАНИУ.

After feeling like a complete tool yesterday I am some what happier today. Still a stupid mistake to make though. Google was my friend.

Good that you solved it, but I'm sure the cop only wanted a bribe.

I'm very respectful in general terms, so don't feel proud of it and had never considered it anywhere else, but in Kazakhstan I systematically skipped all police controls. Just slowed down a little when arriving to them and waved while passing, accelerating away :stupid:. Or did hid behind the previous vehicle, so they did not really had time to stop me. They never came behind to chase me, since all they wanted was a bribe.

Don't recommend it, but it may be a temptation when you are already quite fed up. I'm one of those in a crusade of not paying a bribe -although in some remote places I might accept it as their salary-, so it was such a pain!

Thanks for that! Everyday brings a new experience! I suppose am I a bit of an ametuer. It is the first time I have been asked for bribe and all my big talk about refusing still left me shaking in my boots. I guess next time I will just play even stupider. Especially now I have the proper paperwork.

All That said. I enjoyed my ride yesterday. I know Kazakstan's big open plains and the wind that goes with aren't everyone's cup of tea. But after six weeks of people and cars and traffic from London to Samara. I was very happy with the nothingness. Made me think about riding from Birdsville to Windorah or the bottom of the Strezlecki track.

In 2007 we had to pay $90 each for not having stamped the white paper you get at the border within 3 days at it says on the back. So watch out for that too.

good lick, Ad

No, you aren't, I've never been that far on a bike, so happy to learn myself from your experience.


A funny stupid way to react to bribes is when asked "Ruski" (if you speak Russian), insist in "no, no ruski, SPANSKI" (no, I'm not Russian, I'm Spanish). You can repeat the game 10 times, so you look definitely retarded (I actually could understand a bit, so it's even more fun!).

Once, for a speeding fine (totally untrue) my last resort was this sequence: the Spanski retarded finally shows astonishment when he understands the speeding problem (the cop had showed me the radar pistol like 10 times in his hand), then shouts, blames, looks at the sky (hand together, amen, praying, asking God why this crap car???), mimics showing it's a s*it of slow car, sitting in front of the wheel, looking at the watch and yawning, "speeding this???? now way, it's so slow" and then finally kicks one side of the car among swearing shouts. Russian cop reaction: this guy is a lost case definitely idiot, "ok, davai, davai, davai!":stupid::stupid:

Happy trips and keep us posted if any progress on bribe avoiding techniques!:stupid:

Esteban

Last we were invited to stay at someones house for a couple of nights. Whatever you can stay about the problems with governance in Kazakhstan. It is more than made up for by the generosity of the people who live here. We lobbed up at a supermarket in Aktobe last night for some supplies and ended up with a bed for two nights.

One of the suggestion I now have is to have a running video camera. It scares the cops and they leave you alone.

Ummm... videocamera, interesting, but may be tricky in some cases, so big smile. Add this: not looking angry, but puzzled, you get your mobile and say "call Embassy/Consulate?" meaning that they could help as translators. Magic words.

I don't know if there is a thread like "Means to avoid a (totally unjustified) bribe". I mean unjustified since many say in some remote borders, officials unpaid for several months actually have to live on that, so it's already customary to accept a small fee.

Hello
I will be in the area this summer, and i think you have done partf of the route I want to ride, from Uralsk to Aqtobe. The question is about the road conditions of this part of the M32. Is it good? How many days riding from Uralsk to Aqtobe?
Then I will drive north through A22, do you know how the road is?
Thanks for the info and have a good ride
See you

Days? You need 7-8 hours to do it. Tarmac, loto of holes. Thats all.

Sambor, do you have information of road which was build in 2010 between Aktobe to Aral (it was then under construction) and i was wondering how it is now.

I supossed it...but I didn´t know how the road was...it could be as bad as the Atyrau-Aqtobe...

Most of it is great. It is only the last 120-150s into Aktobe that is ordinary. New bits are being built at the moment, so it will steadily improve.

The whole of the Kazakhstan bit of the Western-China to Western-Europe hwy is due to be completed by the end of next year. That will make the Uralsk-Aktobe-Aral etc to Alamty an easy (but dull) run. Some bikers I met outside Aktobe 2 weeks ago had done Aral sea route and it said it was still crap and not much fuel. They had been to the Pamir before that.

I just spent two weeks crossing kazakhstan, uralsk to aktobe is good, and then aktobe to about 50 miles north of aral is newish, then the roadworks/detours start north of aral on and off Passed baikonur to symkhent, various sections of gravel light compacted sand, not too bad on an xt, courrugations worsen near baikonur, then improve the closer to almaty you get, almaty north to astana is all good.

All the signs say completion date march 2013.

Incidentally i never did buy insuranc in kaz, was stopped oncE for an illegal turn, he was happy enough with my visa and the dumb tourist routine. Even though the kazakhs searched me at the pavlodar-novosibirsk border it was again never mentioned, and they were polite enough about it, the russian side was even more efficient, even had my migration card filled out for me, oh the luxury :)

Thanks for this update!

So what paperwork do you actually have to get done at the border (entering Kazakhstan from China this Friday, hopefully)? Stamp on migration card (white paper). Anything else? Is insurance mandatory?

Cheers,
Kevin

I have heard different things on this. One is no, not if have Russian insurance (they are in a customs union with Russia), one is no is it not required.

In the end it was really easy to get and only cost $12. Every cop that stopped us looked at it so it was worthwhile IHMO.

One thing I never received was a tempory import permit, not sure what the go is there. Was never asked for it not even when I exited the country.

All i had was my visa and the migration card you fill out and get stamped, they take you photo at passport control also

As craig there says if you can buy cheap insurance its worth it as another bit of paper to flash at police, it was never asked for or mentioned at the astrakhan-atryau crossing / nor at the pavlodar - novosibirsk one.

The only policeman that looked like he would have been courrupt tried to flag me down was on the detour north avoiting krz/biskek on the road to Almaty, he flagged me in but i just waved/thumbs up and kept riding. Nothing good would have come from stopping in that 1 horse town. I was worried he would radio ahead but the next towns sheriff asked where i was from and the moment i said london waved me on without pausing for a breath. The police are nice in the west and get worse the further east you go in my experience

Great update!!!
Thanks to everybody!!

Yes, thanks for the update.

I entered Kazakhstan last Saturday via Korgas. Everyone at the Kazakh border was very friendly and helpful. I didn't have to queue and they even didn't check my luggage.
I got a temporary import permit (a white piece of paper with the data of my motorbike on it) which I have to hand in when I exit Russia (!) as they told me. I haven't got an insurance in Kazakhstan, but my German insurance covers Russia. Well, haven't been stopped by the police yet.

Technically yes, insurance is compulsory when on the road in Kazakhstan.

That will be because of the customs union. The Russians didnt take my temporary import when I left Russia, but neither did the Kazakh's when I left Kazakhstan hence I still have a Russian temporary import document! All the times I have been stopped in Kazakhstan (lots) they have never asked for the temporary import.

They have always asked for the insurance. I have seen Nomad offices everywhere simple matter to stop and get. My Russian insurance covers Russia, not good enough I was told.

Yet, it will happen. 1000 - 1500 is going price for a bribe.

Which brings me to this I was caught speeding yesterday, through a GAI (ГАИ) post, as he was writing out the ticket he said it would be 1000t so I paid it. Then as he gave my licence and stopped writing I realized I had just paid a bribe not a ticket. Oh well the best intentions...

Recent experience in Kazakhstan
 

Here comes my update… I drove about 3500km (Korgas-Alamaty-Turkestan-Astana).

Re Police:
I was stopped by the police three times in total; only once due to a speed control in a village on the way to Turkestan. Till I dug my passport out of the backpack they already lost interest. Within 3 mins I was back on the road without paying a fine or bribe. The other two times (Astana, Kostanay) they stopped me out of curiosity and to take pictures with me.

Re coverage with petrol stations and road conditions:
There’s no petrol station along the 430 km stretch from Kyzylorda to Zhezkazgan and about ¼ to 1/3 of it is unpaved. Everywhere else the range of about 250 km with the original tank of my BMW Xchallenge was enough and the road conditions are OK if you are traveling on an Enduro; the many constructions sites are tedious though.

Re Registration:
There is an office at the hotel I stayed at in Almaty (Hotel Saulet, mentioned in the Lonely Planet) that can do the registration for you. It costs 5000 Tenge and you’ll get your passport back in the evening of the following day (or same day if you give it to them early in the morning).

Cheers,
Kevin