I think I have died and gone to heaven.
Bolashak the horse is named for our sponsor Bolashak, a company providing support services to the Kazakhstan oil and gas industry, including the Italian oil company AgipKCO. So en route we have been hosted at the Bolashak- Agip Samal site near Atyrau. Here is Assambek the general manager welcoming a travel weary, louse ridden and distinctly grubby visitor who is severely in need of a thorough clean.
I was treated to tea and a dainty plate of sandwiches in a small spotless air-conditioned suite in their accomodation block. It has a bedroom, living room, and joy of joys a proper shower which was soon put to good use while my honking laundry was whisked away. It may seem odd to include a photo of what would be a perfectly normal bathroom at home, but after 6 weeks in the sticks this was a real highlight of my trip!
In the photo below our quarters are on the left, with the horses happily tethered outside near a large patch of rushes to munch on.
After drinks at the bar with Rowena and Matt who turned up to join us, photo session with Bolashak outside the main building and a good meal in the canteen, it was back to my room for a dose of English language TV and a sound sleep between crisp white sheets.
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