Finding yourself abandoned in the desert in the dark of the night doesn't come recommended, but was quite the adventure!
Picking up where I left off in the previous post about eastern Kazakhstan's stunning lakes, I found myself having to take an irritatingly awkward diversion to get from Saty to Charyn Canyon and all because silly me didn’t think to double-check how much cash I had on me. Tip: Don't rely on assuming everywhere has an ATM. 🤦🏼♀️
I was lucky enough to join a kind dutch couple who were heading in the same direction as me and let me ride along with them. However, the road to Kegen and my ATM salvation was typical of most Silk Road drives, anything but smooth and silky. It started out with a golden hour treat over the mountains and music I could sing along to in my head. We were in high spirits but our journey would have been tonnes easier if the road hadn’t crumbled like shortbread that's been dunked for too long at times. Nevertheless, after a few hours and roadside stops, some for strategy and others for photo opportunities we finally reached Kegen.
Ok, but what is Kegen?
I recommend Kegen as a place to access essentials like banks, guesthouses, and restaurants. It is by no means akin to Almaty or Bishkek but is the closest you'll get to a hub if you're exploring eastern Kazakhstan or making your way to the Kyrgyzstani border. Even if like me you just need to drop in for essentials, it is helpful to know it's there at the very least.
From here, day trips to the lakes and Charyn Canyon are possible though I don't advise trying to fit all of these into one day.
Make sure you allow plenty of time for the journeys and it may also help to have backup transport arrangements if like me you're going it alone.
Hitchhiking is definitely a viable option but I wouldn't always rely on it.
Rolling into town, the light started to exit stage right. When the ATM worked on the first attempt I fooled myself into thinking my tribulations were over. “Next stop, the Eco-Lodge in Charyn Canyon”, sounds straightforward right? Wrong. It’s just as well I hadn’t come here for a relaxing holiday. My next stop, Charyn Canyon, is slap bang in the heart of the arid desert landscape, miles from anywhere and home to scaled critters I preferred not to think about.
With my purse plumper but a rumbling stomach, I grabbed a dinner of mysterious batter bites and biscuits resembling the road I’d survived earlier. Stepping out of the store, to the relief of the shopkeeper who didn’t appreciate my backpack threatening to violently empty the shelves I felt a wave of confidence as I approached a gaggle of taxi drivers. They saw my boots and backpack and started rubbing their lunch hooks together, tenge signs replacing their pupils. They were as surprised as I was at my candid bartering and a fair deal was made just in time to set off for the canyon as the sun started to set. The views were stunning and my driver was more than happy to stop now and then for me to take some precious photos - mistake number one. The drive through the changing landscape was as long as I’d anticipated, once I could see the last signs of greenery shrivelling and the air turn to dust I knew we weren’t far off. We pulled into the national park permit office not long after night had well and truly fallen like a sack of sorry potatoes. Obtaining my entry permit was uncomplicated, to my relief, and I chose to take the look of amusement the park ranger gave me as a positive sign. I was convinced that I was a mere twenty-five hot, dry minutes from a well-deserved mojito. Mistake number two.
As we were approaching the canyon itself my driver’s personality seemed to run dry like a sand timer, dark confusion, and foreboding replacing his smug smile (I later learned I’d paid far too much for my journey). I’ll never really understand why someone who drives to this canyon from Kegen on a daily basis couldn’t offer any directions. Surely he had at least a gram of knowledge of where I should go in this desolate landscape - the only landmark being the huge imposing drop of the canyon? I thought of the photo stops and gave myself a telling off in my head for wasting those precious minutes of light. There simply wasn't the time for being cross with myself though, I needed to catch the shuttle jeep that would carry me to my cocktail that was probably already being shaken. To the left I watched the car flee the desolate scene, probably to somewhere with wifi, AC, and iced tea, and to my right, I saw the lights of some campers far in the distance. Other than that, with my backpack not unlike a Galápagos tortoiseshell I was the only remarkable thing in sight. Somewhere ahead of me lay the chasm, the one that if I so much as tripped near would swallow me whole and spit out the t-shirt I’d been wearing for three days running. By now the darkness was starting to hum with the vibrations of the night. This sounds deep but look, we’re talking about a massive canyon filled with bugs, snakes, scorpions… and a lone ranger (yours truly). I wasn’t in a lighthearted mood.
Staying at the top without shelter wasn’t an option, I was better off finding my way down and walking the four kilometres to the lodge. Attempting to find a harmonious balance between descending gracefully and crashing to my abysmal end was going to be perilous at best. Despite the Vibram soles of my Brashers, a combination of sliding rubble and good old gravity would make this a comedic treat for the predators watching from below. From the distance, a kind German family spotted the tortoise shell in the dark and were probably disappointed it turned out not to be a fascinating desert-dwelling creature. With their much-appreciated help, and their torches, I managed to clamber down the crooked “path” mostly unscathed. Picturing the chilled water on the rocks I’d be willing to pay double for I trudged along the path marked just by tyre tracks. If a violent sneeze hadn’t sent my phone, now my only source of light, crashing to the curb a few days before my battery might not have threatened to quit on me quite so soon. Becoming increasingly aware of this and my unfavourable position in the food chain I picked up my speed. The thirteen kilograms on my back and the three of my day pack on my front (I’m one of those people) were surprisingly manageable in the face of being eaten.
Unsurprisingly I got a much-needed forearm workout in the form of hopelessly wafting abominable winged demons out of my face. I made sure to stomp like a stroppy teen in my boots to keep anything with scales away. At least this was cathartic and on-brand, travelling the hard way. Amongst this whole dismal scenario, I allowed myself a moment to switch off the torch, count my blessings, and peer up at the Milky Way. The stars looked back at me and I felt time stop for a few heartbeats, it really was a beautiful moment. Truthfully, I have to admit that with the hissing and scuttling I could sense around me this moment of peace was a fleeting one and I picked up the pace again. Eventually, I saw the gate to the Eco Lodge, a few wooden shacks, and some feeble signposts. That was all. The lights were off, the bar and reception closed and my cocktail was probably long gone and melted much like my spirits. Dumping my bags in the restaurant that time forgot, I tried to find signs of human life, unsuccessfully. Is this what it’ll be like when Mars tourism is a thing?
I scoured the site but found nobody. There was nothing for it, I’d have to break in. 😬 So break-in I did after finding an unlocked door and set my shell aside at long last. I sat on the cold floor and spritzed some lukewarm rosewater on my face in the dark. Honestly, I felt like some sort of goblin. My phone’s battery was woefully caput and any hope of a signal down there was exactly that, just fruitless hope. I thought about what I was prepared to do in this oh so thirsty situation. I’d slurped the last from my water bottle at the top of the canyon, now all I could think about were those last warm dregs. I slunk back to the restaurant to check if I’d missed anyone. Nope, just an unlocked fridge glowing in the corner. No water, however, just beer. I’m not really a beer drinker but I still contemplated just taking one. I let that devious thought mellow for a short while. On the one hand, getting caught would be a chance to find out where my room was but on the other, my lack of Russian or Kazakh would be a major barrier in explaining why someone was squatting in this sorry hallway in the dark and stealing beer.
In the end, I found out the hard way that they didn’t bother keeping any bottle openers in the bar after closing time so my crime didn’t feel all that rebellious in the end. However, I did get caught leaving the bar sans beer- result!
“Why are you here?!”
The most confused caretaker in the world at that moment in time sprung from somewhere. I explained my plight and within ten minutes I was being led to my shack. I couldn’t quite believe it, I was going to get some decent sleep AND I got a free beer in the end, hey if they thought I deserved it I probably did. The bed was like a slab, I had some roommates scuttling along the ceiling and the last guests were kind enough to leave me their empty bottles of rum. None of this mattered to me, I threw my bags on the floor and crashed onto the bed. In just one day I’d become a runaway bride, hitchhiked, broken into a building, considered crime a viable option, and lived to tell the tale.
If you're planning to visit Charyn Canyon
Arrive earlier than I did! Even though I'd planned to arrive in the early evening things didn't go to plan and having a contingency would have saved me from the treacherous trek of 2019.
There is an Eco Lodge within the canyon itself and is a popular choice for visitors like myself. Facilities are a bit more basic owed to the understandable difficulty in installing wifi etc, which can be expected but there is a restaurant and a choice of small shacks and more typical bedrooms available.
Camping at the top of the canyon is permitted though I'd advise letting the rangers at the permit office to the national park know. I suspect there are some areas that aren't permitted so checking is important before you set up camp.
Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed this then take a look at these:
Kazakhstan: Charyn Canyon and Kymyss To pick up the next part of the adventure!
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