Exploring Zhezqazghan & Unexpected Boat Trip with new Friends

One of the lest expected city to spend more time was Zhezqazghan in Kazakhstan. Nothing really spectacular but somehow this city holds so much memory for me, not just because of the bike troubles of petrol tank leakage that I had to fix but also the hospitality of the locals that was totally unexpected.

The city was walkable and in late summer the weather was just perfect for walking around. Sightseeing was done while plotting route to the nearest auto part shop where I needed to get many types of glue and sealant to fix the bike.

Zhezqazghan Downtown

Zhezqazghan Downtown

I found many monuments around the town, a little museum with prehistoric rock carvings and mural after mural of tiny mosaic that was just beautiful. 

The hotel staff seeing me struggle nearly half a day every day in their backyard was also very curious. In between patch when waiting for the seal to set, they would ask me so many questions about my travel and the translation app was fully put to use.

Mosaics Murals around Zhezqazghan

Little Museum with Prehistoric Rock Carvings

Mosaics Murals in Zhezqazghan 

At one point one of them invited me for a boat ride by the lake. Forcefully dragging me away from working on the bike, he brought me to the lake and introduce me to a friend with a boat which at this point was all hand sign language since I was not about to risk my phone dropping in water on a boat trip.

They took me on a long loop to just enjoy the Kengirskoe lake which was beautiful. Thinking that I would need to pay something for the boat ride, when we got off and asked politely, they just laughed it off and said it was a gift and welcome to Zhezqazghan.

Travelled on: Aug 2024