Looking to break up the long journey between Almaty and Astana, we found ourselves in the bleak town of Balkhash in central Kazakhstan. Getting there from Almaty was easy by overnight bus, but leaving proved a bit more complicated.
To ensure we wouldn’t get stuck, we tried to arrange our trip the day before departure. We went to the town’s bus station (located here) and asked a grumpy old lady we eventually spotted (and possibly woke up) in a hidden booth. She told us there was neither a bus nor a train leaving the next day. I wasn’t sure if that was because the next day was a Sunday or if there simply never were any.
Alternatively, we spoke to the taxi drivers lingering at the station and arranged a shared ride to Karagandy with one of them for 7,000 KZT per person, departing at 9 am the next day.
In the morning, we left our hotel and made for the station. The chap wasn’t there at the prearranged time. When I called him, he told me that another guy was supposed to come in his place, but he had overslept and would be on his way soon. A couple of hours later, he finally showed up, and we departed.
It turned out he wasn’t a taxi driver at all—just a guy from Karagandy who was in town for work and doing some carpooling on the side. He was exceptionally friendly and kind, treating us to lunch and later helping us find our way around his city.
Aside from the endless steppe, we caught a distant glimpse of the impressive rock formation of Bektauta along the way. By afternoon, we had arrived in Karagandy. After checking into our lovely apartment, we headed out to explore the city.
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Accommodation and activities in Kazakhstan
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