Stuck between the borders

On August 21, I wake up with a hangover, the night before with the policeman I drank half a liter vodka, the policeofficer does not look so fit this morning either. This does not prevent him to finally get all the appropriate signatures. Around noon I have a stamp in my passport that says I have to leave the country the same day. An hour later I am in a minivan with 10 others and my bicycle, on my way to the Uzbek Kazakh border. Smoothly my officer directs me past the Uzbek side and then I am on my own again, with my passport, it feels nice to have that back again after 3 days. Now I head for the Kazakh side and what I expected happened, I am not let through, I only had a single entry visa and this is the second time I want to enter. I walk back to the Uzbek side and when I try to explain the situation and ask for a telephone to call the Dutch consul in Tashkent, my passport is taken again. When I was stuck at the police office I had sent text messages to two good friends, Sander and Wilko for the telephone number of the Dutch consul in Uzbekistan. It seemed the consul worked at ABN Amro. At first no one answers, but the second time I get some one from ABN Amro on the phone, who is so kind to put me through to the consul, Hugo Minderhout. Hugo used to work for ABN Amro, but had recently quit. I manage to explain the situation and he is so kind to come from Tashkent so see what he can do for me.

After an hour I am called away from the border to a nearby office, where I meet Hugo and his fixer. I do not know how they arranged it, but I am allowed to come with Hugo in his custody for the time it takes to arrange a new (exit) visa of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The consul lets me stay in his house. In the back of the garden is a huge guesthouse, with indoor swimmingpool, where I have my stay. At night Hugo has an appointment with an English Dutch journalist for which he invites me as well. It turns out a nice evening over a few beers and a good dinner.

The next morning we visit a couple of offices to get the application of my new Uzbek visa going. At first progress is slow, but when Hugo can get hold of the fixer again he manages to set things in motion and late in the evening my passport arrives back at casa Minderhout. While waiting I have been spoiled by the consuls wife, she makes sure I definetly will not lose weight while staying with them. The consul tells me he has received an email from my little brother, that I am probably arrested around Tashkent and if he might be able to help. I do not know how Taco found out, but I am proud on him. During the time I was stuck with the police and waiting for my visa, I got messages from Eleanor, a girl I met on the Mongol Rally, who cheered me up. It feels good to have friends who take care of you or think of you.

On the morning of the 23rd I try to repair the steer of my bike because now I can move the handlebars 10 degrees in both direction without the front wheel changing direction. I consider this as quite awkward and manage to find the origin of the problem and more or less fix it, although still the steering is a bit wobbly. At 9:30 we head for the Kazakh embassy to apply for my Kazakh visa, which I can pick up at five the same day. In the mean time I relax in the consuls garden, swim a little in his outdoor swimmingpool and of course eat all the delicious things Alla, Hugo's wife offers me.

At five I pick up my passport again and Hugo brings me to the border where I this time have no problem of going through. At the other side I find a bus who is willing to take me and my bike to Almaty, where I might be able to reembark on the Mongol rally.