Bit of a landmark today...

Bit of a landmark to my journey today as I have reached Asia for the first time this trip. I remember once before on the Trans-Siberian train route crossing the Asia / Europe border by land in the Ural mountains running through Russia. Then, it was an exciting moment as we all looked out the window trying to spot the obelisk that marks the boundary between the two continents. The Euro/Asia border follows the Ural mountains from Northern Russia Southwards and then continues through along the Ural river through Kazakhstan to the Caspian Sea.
This time I am in Atyrau, Western Kazakhstan, through which the Ural river flows. This morning I was woken up around 4am as the train pulled into Atyrau and Asia for the first time, after some sleep I took a marshrutnoe into town and ended up back in Europe as it crossed the bridge over the Ural river. After a wander around the western side of the river, I walked back over the bridge back into Asia, quite simple really, I might go back to Europe again later if I fancy it ;)



Left: The border into Asia
Right: The Ural river at Atyrau, to the left: Europe, to the right: Asia.

So much easier than 6 or more hours or it took crossing from Russia into Kazakhstan. Around 90 minutes at the Russian post, about 2-3 hours journey through no-mans land steppe, though I am confused how we stopped at one station where girls came running out selling beer and water as usual, what nationality were they I wonder? And then 2-3 hours or so at the Kazakh post where after the formalities were eventually completed, we got off the train and waited almost another hour.

Anyway, have some train tickets to sort out so byee for now