The overnight train trip to Shymkent, Kazakhstan’s third-largest city, was fairly uneventful and almost comfortable if it wasn’t for the fact the Air-Con only worked when the train was moving rapidly and that wasn’t all that often. So whilst the beds were comfy and our traveling companions pleasant enough – a dad with two cute little girls – we had a hard time sleeping while bathed in our own sweat. (Note: From memory we got the guys at the Hotel Turkestan to get our tickets for us. But if your hotel can’t do it, it’s best to visit the train station and buy them directly. Here’s the link to the Kazakh Railways site so you can check timetables and prices. It has an English option but it wouldn’t work for me, so I used Google translate to get the Kazakh spelling to plug into the search bar.) On arrival in Shymkent, the taxi drivers immediately tried pissing in our ears with exorbitant prices for the one and a half kms to our hotel. Armed with the knowledge it was walkable, we couldn’t even be bothered negotiating. Instead, to their collective dismay, we threw on our packs and walked off down … Continue reading Shymkent – Kazakhstan’s Third-Largest City.