Irkeshtan Pass from China to Kyrgyzstan

Arriving at the Chinese border at Irkeshtan - after being sent away at the Torugart Pass, they wanted me to go back to Kashgar, organise a guide, permit and driver - I walk past a long line of waiting trucks to the Chinese immigration point. After putting my bag through the checkpoint, one of the soldiers asks to see my laptop. I turn it on for him and watch as he fumbles around and opens up a random document. Satisfied he tells me I can put it away. Thankfully he’s not a trained cryptanalyst and doesn’t discover the cache of forbidden materials stored on the laptop.

As I’m putting away the laptop, he notices my Lonely Planet China and Central Asia guidebooks and takes them for closer inspection. Finding the map of China in the guidebook, he tells me it’s illegal, Taiwan is not a country, it’s a province. I’m thinking the guy is not a genius, but a douche, I’m leaving the country within four minutes and he should just mind his own business. He rips out the map and lets me keep the book. I in turn keep my mouth shut.

After finally clearing the Chinese border checkpoint, I’m free to enter Kyrgyzstan, however I cannot walk across the small stretch of no man’s land and I have no means of transport. Normally this would be a problem, however the Chinese soldier in charge of guarding the exit gate salutes me as I walk out, follows me out and flags down a truck.

Ordering the truck driver to take me as a passenger, we make the drive down the stretch of no man’s land, only to reach a Chinese checkpoint. Here the driver gets rid of me, and now I’m stuck in no man’s land with no valid Chinese visa and no onward transport to Kyrgyzstan.

Oh, and there’s a small drama with my passports that’s upsetting the Chinese soldier inspecting it, he decides he doesn’t want me to pass. Never mind him, I clear it all up with his commanding officer who speaks great English by telling him how beautiful the country is and how I can’t wait to visit again. In return, he lets me pass and organises another truck to take me to the Kyrgyz border post.

Landmark marking the China/Kyrgyzstan border.

Arriving at the first Kyrgyz border post I’m greeted by two soldiers sitting in a small shed. On seeing my Russian passport, the commanding officer breaks out in a huge smile, “Ivan Alexandrovich, welcome to Kyrgyzstan”, shaking my hand enthusiastically, “How is it in China?”, “Beautiful, how is it in Kyrgyzstan?”, I reply. “What kind of a question is that?”, he asks, looking at me like I’m an idiot. That ends our conversation.

The truck continues onward to the next checkpoint where we wait for over an hour while other trucks go through immigration/customs. The quick thing to do would be to get out, walk and hitch another lift, but I’m in no real rush.

When it’s our turn to clear customs, one of the soldiers points me to the checkpoint (a little wooden shed) where a solder takes my passport, asking me why it wasn’t stamped earlier. I tell him I didn’t know it had to be, and that I’m sorry. He asks me why the passport is in such poor condition and if it’s a forgery. I explain to him how I came into Laos and was drenched on the final day of Laos New Year.

After some back and forth, I’m finally allowed to pass to the final checkpoint where again, the guard is less than pleasant. However finally, after a several hour ordeal, I’m in Kyrgyzstan.