Still struggling to find a wifi connection that works with my laptop so still working off my handset.
14th June the ride from Qyzylorda to Shymkent was pretty straightforward and the Russian iPhone sat nav app got me straight to the Kama Hotel. Big old Soviet job. No hot water til late evening and reception shuts at 7ish, so book early to avoid disappointment.
Total kms today 460 in 7 hours. The road is pretty good, some new tarmac, some old, some off road where the old tarmac has been dug up.
I really like Shymkent. On arrival and after a refreshing cold shower I found a great little courtyard restaurant just round the corner and had the best lamb kebab ever. Way better even than Kebab King opposite Putney station. True.
The waiter wanted to know if I was the “round face” that married his older sister. Apparently I look like him.
Went for a two hour walk around the city. It’s the most cosmo of the cities I’ve been to yet. Loads of different cultutes coming together and blending well.

And, really, if you were going to open a bar in Shymkent, would you call it Arsenal?