1 August: Shymkent – Almaty
That day was essentially dedicated to riding. Eventually, the riders of the Route of the Olive Tree have settled their camping site few kilometres away from Almata, which is the second most important city in Kazakhstan as well as the ancient capital city of the country. We’ve been warmly welcomed by the city council and the Greek community in Almata, and hosted in the Polianov stadium.
Despite the Foundation’s numerous and regular efforts, its frequent phone calls towards the chinese authorities as well as the support of international organisations, the impossibility for us to get the chinese visas has obliged us to change our route. Eventually, we decided to continue our trip towards Kazakhstan, in order to enter Russia from the North of Kazakhstan.
