September 27st.
Artem left in the morning, and my day was dedicated to planning how I would get to Zhitikara. There were no bus tickets available, and the train wasn't suitable either because it goes through Russian territory, where border guards inspect documents. In the Telegram chats, there were already reports of cases where people were removed from the train. I didn't want to take any risks, so the only option left was to find a car through Telegram channels heading in the direction I needed.
The whole day was spent searching for a car because everyone was traveling to Almaty and didn't want to take passengers halfway. The price for such a service was astronomical, of course. However, I managed to find a car for tomorrow to the city of Aktobe, which was 470 km away from Uralsk, for one and a half thousand rubles. It was the best price available at that time and in the direction I needed, from where I could try to find a bus to Zhitikara. So, I didn't waste any time and started packing my things in the evening, making sure not to forget anything.
September 28st.
Morning came, and I was ready for the next stage of my journey. By 10 o'clock in the morning, the car arrived, I said goodbye to Dasha, and set off on my way to a new city called Aktobe. While I was in the car, I had time to search for accommodation. I didn't know where I would stay or if I would find anything for the night because even a week after the announcement of partial mobilization, there was utter chaos in the chats, and housing prices remained astronomical. After a few hours of unsuccessful searching for accommodation, I finally received a long-awaited message from some guy.
Hello, can I help you?
Hello, is it about accommodation?
Yes.
Is it in Aktobe? What's the price?
Are you a girl or a young man?
I'm a guy, alone.
How should I address you?
My name is Alex, and what's your name?
I'm Timas. You can call me Tim for short. We have a two-bedroom apartment. We're students. There are three of us, and we can arrange ourselves in the living room while you'll have the bedroom. There's a double sofa in the room. If you want, there's a bathroom you can use. We'll also provide food and drinks, don't worry. As for the price, I don't know. Let's talk about it in terms of what you're willing to give, whatever you can afford. I just want to help people.
I agree to any accommodation conditions, even if it's on the floor. It doesn't matter to me. I'll arrive in Aktobe at 6 o'clock in the evening from Uralsk. And in the morning, I'll be looking for a way to continue my journey. I just need to know how much money to offer you Around 5-6 thousand tenge?
Well, if you're willing, we'll be waiting for you.
I'm willing.
Regarding the price, as I said, whatever you can spare.
Alright, thank you so much. I can be driven to the address. But I'll be there around 5-6 in the evening.
Address: Toleu Aldiyarov 6, Sazdi District.
Thanks again.
Alexey, sorry for the silly question. But could you tell us a little bit about yourself so we know who we'll be spending the night with? How old are you, where are you from, and so on?
I'm 29 years old, divorced. I'm from Moscow, lived there for 10 years, worked in the restaurant industry as a waiter, bartender, and manager. Originally from Crimea.
That's all good, we'll be waiting.
While we were driving, I spotted a couple of sports stores and a bus stop in the city of Aktobe, where I definitely needed to stop by.
As promised, I arrived at six in the evening. Timas, a tall Kazakh guy of average build, greeted me and helped with my belongings by taking one of my backpacks.
When I entered the apartment, I was greeted by two more guys, Arthur and Baubek. Arthur is not tall and slender, while Baubek is of the same height as Timas but more athletic. It's evident from all of them that they are native Kazakhs.
They fed me and served tea, just as they promised. I shared my little story and what is happening at the borders. I talked about my future plans, my thoughts of traveling to India, but for now, I haven't resolved the issue related to visa payment. The guys said they study at a medical university, and I immediately understood that there must be Indians studying there who could potentially help me with visa payment through their card. I asked the guys if they could introduce me to the Indian students, and Timas said that tomorrow they would take me to the building where the Indians study and introduce me to someone who can assist me.
By 10 o'clock in the evening, we were still sitting, chatting, and getting hungry again. Arthur and I went to the nearest shawarma place. When we entered, it was packed. With that many people at this hour, it was evident that the food was really good. We ordered four shawarmas and two two-liter bottles of Coca-Cola. I paid for the order, thanking the guys for providing me accommodation. With our order in hand, we returned home to the guys.
After finishing the shawarmas, we continued our conversation. The guys told me that they are being evicted from this apartment due to an increase in the number of tenants and rising rent, which they cannot afford. Arthur said he would move back to the dormitory, while Timas and Baubek would rent a one-bedroom apartment for the two of them. I was surprised by the behavior of the apartment owners, but the guys were still willing to help people like me. Before going to sleep, I took a shower and went to bed in the bedroom they gave me, while the three of them slept in the living room.
September 29st.
The next day, Arthur helped me to get to the building where the Indian students study. First, we went to the guys who had a class. Arthur went into the classroom and asked the professor when there would be a break so that I could talk to the guys about my visa payment question. He granted permission but said we would have to wait for about half an hour, and to avoid waiting in the corridor, we could sit in his office.
We entered a small office opposite the classroom, with a model of the human body in each cabinet and posters detailing the organs of the human body. Overall, it was quite an intriguing read.
As soon as the class ended and the guys were free, we approached them, and I began stating my request.
Guys, I need help with paying for my visa to India. I was told you could assist me.
We are not from India, but from Pakistan.
Oh, I apologize. Have a good day.
Same to you.
Pakistan and India have had a long-standing armed conflict between them, but it is mostly on the political arena. Outside their countries, Pakistanis and Indians interact with each other normally. Even in India, I have heard from Indians that Pakistanis are good people, and these wars mostly benefit politicians.
After that, Arthur and I headed towards the Indian hostel, but before we reached the hallway, we bumped into a guy who was already in his final year, and Arthur was certain he was from India. So we approached him and introduced ourselves. His name is Jim. He was slender, of average height, wearing a suit and shoes. You couldn't immediately tell he was a student; he looked more like a young professor.
I'm planning to go to India, and I need help to pay for the visa.
Yes, of course, I can help.
Arthur hurried off to his classes when he realized we had found the right person. Jim and I tried a couple of times to pay for the visa using his card, but unfortunately, it didn't work. After that, he told me not to worry and invited me to go with him. Leaving the building, we headed to the hostel where his compatriots lived. The slight drizzle outside didn't seem to want to stop.
At the entrance of the Indian hostel, we were greeted not only by a 55-year-old Slavic-looking female guard but also by a multitude of mixed scents and aromas of spices. The guard was so surprised to see a white person in the hostel accompanied by an Indian that she bombarded us with numerous questions: who, where, why, and what for? While answering her barrage of questions, I also faced a flurry of inquiries from passing Indians who stopped to ask my name, where I was from, and what I was doing there. I was fortunate to have Jim with me. He did his best to help me fend off these questioning people while simultaneously calling up all the guys and asking if they or their relatives had an AXEL bank card.