Richard And Jo Demeester's photos

After wandering around the cemetery for an hour or so, we came across some fenced off areas where some of the oldest graves are. How old, we don't know, but certainly to be measured in hundreds of years. This one particularly prominent grave marker we thought to be outstanding.

Not far from Aktau, Koshkar Ata cemetery feels like a small city. When you wander deep within, and then seek a vantage point, there is almost nothing that can be seen in any direction other than tombs.

At the Caspian Riviera Grand Palace Hotel, the basement room has two huge aquariums - a million or so litres. One aquarium is under the glass floor in the middle of the room, with dining tables. The other takes up an entire wall. The tanks are full of sturgeon. Associated with the hotel are pools where they breed and raise these huge fish, which are released in to the Caspian Sea not more than 100 metres away.

Shopan Ata is the Sufi attributed with bringing Islam to the Mangistau region of Kazakhstan. Probably around the 10th century, he was teaching from this series of caves. The land near the cave mosque has centuries of burials. The closest spots are the oldest graves, with some of his students being amongst those burials. Further away, more recent cemeteries have sprung up, and burials still do occur out here, miles from everything.

Jo taking in Kyzylkup, in the Kazakh region of Mangistau. For fairly obvious reasons, it is also called Tiramisù.

As depicted on Kazakhstan's 1000 tenge note.

When we first saw a figure weaving through the rocks and sand and vegetation, I thought it was an animal. Despite a strong confidence in the knowledge that none would be here, I even thought it might be an ostrich. Nur said with confidence that anyone cycling here must be a foreigner, or crazy, likely both. It turned out to be a Kazakh guy, who had been riding four days, with four or five more ahead. He didn't really have a plan, or much of a map for that matter. Just wending and winding through the landscape in search of views. He appreciated greatly our gifts of water and food, and he joined us for dinner and breakfast. He cycled Jordan end to end, and once bought a bike in Amsterdam and rode to Barcelona, frequently being the first Kazakh that many Europeans had met. A toast to our crazy Kazakh Russian friend, Dima.

Morning in Bozzhira, and while Ruston cooked breakfast we just spent some time appreciating the soft light striking the formations that surrounded us.

Chop vegetables; add some chicken; season and spice; screw the lid on tight; heat with the nearest flame throwing device. The driver, Ruston, got this fantastic pressure cooker from Afghanistan.

We spent the night on the floor of Bozzhira. A recess in the rockface was deemed an ideal spot for our tents, protected from the blustery gusts that seemed to build the whole afternoon.

A few kilometres from our first stop at Bozzhira. We crossed a narrow join from the surrounding plateau to an outcrop where we could absorb the splendour of this formation.

Bozzhira, Kazakhstan

Bozzhira in Mangistau, Kazakhstan. A multitude of gorgeous view points.

In the cave mosque of Beket Ata. Three small "rooms" where the Sufi, Beket Ata lived and taught. Pilgrims visit the cave where he is buried, and then come to this area to walk around the holy stick.

A place out of the wind was the number one criterion when choosing where to stop for lunch.

The land is dotted with depressions, many are quite a bit lower than sea level. Tuzbair is the biggest salt lake here.

Man Ata. Little seems to be known about the inhabitant of this grave, now a shrine, attributed with being a protector of travellers. He was a Zoroastrian teacher or priest, from before the 10th century, when Islam came to Mangistau. We have no idea what all the scripts are. But the last one had me most intrigued. The majority of vehicles seemed to stop on the way past, with the occupants spending a few minutes in prayer and meditation at Man Ata's grave.