Staying Still

Do you ever feel that moment sometimes when you sit down and do nothing, a glass of water on the table, mind empty and relax thinking of how to reorganize thoughts for things to be done next. 

That blank state for a brief moment where you dont know where to start and yet there is nothing in the thought process pipeline.

My mind was drifting everywhere after that brief moment, plans and route to budget and gadgets to banking apps to managing bills and any other infrastructure while on the road. 

I realized after awhile that all the required items that needed me to be physically here at home (Malaysia) was done and now it was just a matter of waiting for the right time to set off.

Push off too early and I would have to deal with timing the Visa carefully hopping through Thailand and Cambodia before entering Laos. Push off too late and it would be a rush to the border. 

Ideally I had to stay still for at least two more week before push off but staying still doing nothing is harder than one could imagine.

Most times people assume that during my travels, I am in a relax state doing nothing just enjoying the world. Reality is that while I am enjoying the world, doing nothing is rarely the case. 

Constant planning and revising the plan base on new information obtained from hostels, or locals or even passing travelers will constantly disturb and force me to re-evaluate the plans.

So staying still at home alone thinking of when would be the ideal time to set off took me a good long day. A whole day in fact while I go around cooking, packing and just plain scrolling Instagram. 

It hit me somewhere at 2am in the morning while I was watching some TV series. If there was nothing else to do, staying still at home and staying still on the road makes no difference.

Next morning I packed my bags at a leisurely pace, see the blue skies and decided it was a good day to start this journey.

Pushing off - Starting the Journey. 

Traveled on: Mar 2024

My General Info on Motorcycle Travel in Central Asia

If one read all my post on this blog, you will find most of the information but I guess most people would not read everything on this blog anyway. 

It is in a way a personal blog and not tailored for information mongering like other travel blog. Still sometimes I would be oblige to write some specific post such as this one for I feel the information should be shared just because .... just because

Malaysia Customs Country Code = 458

I as a traveler would have love to read something like this before going to Central Asia hence I feel obliged to write one.

OK so some general info. I traveled the following countries in Central Asia and this information is base on my own first hand experience

Country Traveled - Summer 2024
1. Kyrgyzstan
2. Tajikistan
3. Uzbekistan
4. Kazakhstan

Money Matters

1. Kyrgyzstan

- Most Banks ATM only accepts 4 digit pin
- Some Optima Bank ATM accepts 6 Digit pin (the newer ones) however they have a limit of 2000som per withdrawal. I tried and that small withdrawal of SGD 33 cost me a bank transaction fee of SGD 5 per withdrawal. A whooping 15% fee on top of bad exchange rate.
- Demir Bank ATM dispense USD currency but only at ATM that are attached to the bank itself and possibly only during office hours of the bank. Successful USD withdrawal at the following ATM location below
- https://maps.app.goo.gl/nG4dqnD6dKQEziLH7 – Naryn
- https://maps.app.goo.gl/ASSBbSap5uEmoUfT8 – Osh
- Credit Card works at larger establishment but its a 50% hit and miss

2. Tajikistan

- Most Bank ATM only accepts 4 digit pin
- For those going from East to West, entering from Kyzyl-Art Pass, there is no ATM from Murghab to Eskashem. We had to change USD to Tajik Som for the duration of the journey.
- Credit Card is almost useless unless in Dushanbe.

3. Uzbekistan

- Credit Card usage is widely accepted but they will add a surcharge to the bill.
- ATM withdrawal will incur ATM fee of 15,000 som for 1,000,000som. If withdrawing 2,000,000 will incur 20,000som etc.

4. Kazakhstan

- Credit Card is accepted everywhere almost to a point where cash is not required. There is also no surchage for using credit card so you pay what is shown on the bill.
- ATM accepts 4 digit & 6 digit pin

Tourist Visa
1. Kyrgyzstan
- Malaysian Visa Free :)

2. Tajikistan
- Malaysian Visa Free :)
- However if staying beyond 10 days in Tajikistan, one will need to further register at OVIR for a fee of USD 25

3. Uzbekistan
- Malaysian Visa Free :)

4. Kazakhstan
- Malaysian Visa Free :)

Miscellaneous Permits
1. Kyrgyzstan
- Kyzyl-Art Border Exit / Entry Permit is required in advance for crossing this particular border. I obtained it through a travel agency called Destination Pamir which is based in Osh. Cost of Permit USD 20
- Border Zone Permit. Only required if one is visiting special area near border zone. I did not use.

2. Tajikistan
- GBAO Permit. Required for travelling the Pamir Region. I obtained it through a travel agency called Destination Pamir which is based in Osh.

3. Uzbekistan
- Hotel Registration Slip. Every day a registration slip is printed and given from the hotels in Uzbekistan. This may or may not be checked upon exit. Possibility of fine if not comply. I had everything in order and immigration never even asked for it.

4. Kazakhstan
-NIL

Temporary Vehicle Import Permit for Motorcycle
1. Kyrgyzstan
- Validity of Temporary Vehicle Import Permit is one year. Free
- Temporary Vehicle Import Permit issued at Torugart Border (Entry)
- Temporary Vehicle Import Permit not issued nor retrived at Bishkek Border . Only keyed into system (Entry & Exit)
- Temporary Vehicle Import Permit was retrieved at Kyzyl-Art Border (Exit)

2. Tajikistan
- Validity of Temporary Vehicle Import Permit is 30 days (Need to request else they will issue a 15 days permit)
- Temporary Vehicle Import Permit issued at Kyzyl-Art Border (Entry) – Cost USD 10
- Temporary Vehicle Import Permit not retrieved at Panjakant Border (Exit). Only key into system for exit.

3. Uzbekistan
- No papers for Temporary Vehicle Import Permit. Only keyed into system for entry and exit.

4. Kazakhstan
- Temporary Vehicle Import Permit not issued nor retrieved at Korday Border. Only keyed into system (Entry & Exit)
- Temporary Vehicle Import Permit issued at Shymkent Border (Entry)

Vehicle Insurance
1. Kyrgyzstan
- Mandatory but not enforced.
- Purchase at Bishkek under Jubilee Insurance

2. Tajikistan
- Did not purchase.

3. Uzbekistan
- Did not purchase.

4. Kazakhstan
- Mandatory, partially enforced.
- Purchased at Almaty from Nomad Insurance

Petrol

1. Kyrgyzstan
- 95 Octane at bigger cities otherwise 92 Octane in small towns

2. Tajikistan
- Forget about 95 Octane petrol. 92 Octane is unavoidable.

3. Uzbekistan
- 95 Octane in main cities only and bigger stations. 92 Octane in small towns. Be wary of 91 Octane and 80 Octane.

4. Kazakhstan
- 95 Octane, 98 Octane ... No Fear in Kazakhstan for petrol other than long distance between points with desolated landscape.

Well that's the short summary. Check out the border crossing post if you want to know how it went. Or message me if you need some specific questions and I’ll try my best to answer them.

Traveled on: Summer 2024