Horse Riding And Eating Horse 'four Ways' - Wales Fans Do Kazakhstan

Some person been equine riding, others person been eating equine "four ways".

Even for nan astir seasoned 'Wales Away' veterans, Kazakhstan has been a destination pinch a difference.

When nan tie was made for 2026 World Cup qualifying successful Europe, location was a corporate sigh from Welsh supporters erstwhile it dawned connected them that this run would see an 11th lucifer pinch Belgium successful 13 years.

But astatine slightest location was a first travel to Kazakhstan – caller guidance and a 7,000-mile information trip, nan furthest Wales' men would ever person travelled for a qualifier.

"We've been waiting a agelong clip to travel here," Gwilym Boore, who has been pursuing Wales for 3 decades, says successful nan Astana sunshine.

"Some group are doing different provisions of this, but our travel is connected to Almaty, which is meant to beryllium a different beast to Astana, and past we're going connected to Uzbekistan, we're going to Tashkent.

"We're hoping to spot nan last of nan Central Asian Republic tourney that's going connected astatine nan moment, and past we're going to Bukara, Kiva, and Samaran. We've sewage immoderate travelling up of us. I'm not judge if we've finalised really we're get to these places yet. It mightiness beryllium trains, it mightiness beryllium flights and it mightiness good beryllium automobiles."

Boore is 1 of much than 1,000 Wales fans who person made nan agelong travel to Astana.

Kazakhstan is simply a immense country, nan world's ninth largest by onshore area and spanning 2 continents.

Astana is an different place, a shiny – somewhat soulless – actual metropolis intent built successful 1997 arsenic nan caller superior metropolis of nan country.

This mightiness beryllium nan furthest Wales' men person ever travelled for a qualifying match, but that region only appears to person enhanced nan entreaty of this travel for nan Red Wall.

"It's conscionable been perfectly amazing," says Amanda Jones. "Coming from mid Wales, we stayed overnight successful Bristol, very early formation to Istanbul, 4 hours successful Istanbul, and past we arrived successful nan very mini hours of Monday morning.

"The group person been truthful welcoming. It's been beautiful from nan infinitesimal we arrived. With nan bucket hats, there's been a existent interest, group person stopped to chat and nan locals person welcomed america to nan city.

"This is what being portion of nan Red Wall is. It's gathering up pinch everyone, it's coming to places that you would never, ever dream astir coming to and to support nan boys arsenic well. It's great."

Getting present by level is arduous capable – effort doing it by train and bus.

That is what different supporter, John McAllister, has been doing complete nan past 5 weeks.

"I've been done astir 12 countries. I passed done Western Europe, each nan measurement crossed to nan Balkans, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and past crossed Bulgaria and into Turkey," he says.

"I thought Kazakhstan, it's arsenic acold and arsenic exotic arsenic we tin get for a qualification crippled present successful Wales. I thought that it'd beryllium a really bully excuse to do thing a small spot mental.

"And evidently Race Across nan World is specified a large show now. I'd beryllium lying if I said thing for illustration that hadn't fixed maine a small idea."

McAllister has intelligibly enjoyed his clip successful Kazakhstan, moreover if nan nutrient does not comparison favourably to nan different countries he has visited on nan way.

"The nutrient everyplace I've been has been perfectly unbelievable," he says. "Turkish nutrient is incredible. Same goes for Georgia. The breads, nan cheeses is for illustration eden if you're into food.

"And I don't want to beryllium mean but I had rather a horsey meal successful Kazakhstan. The only measurement I tin picture it is benignant of equine 4 ways.

"There was immoderate that was sliced up, immoderate successful chunks, immoderate successful bacon. And past location was what I tin only picture arsenic a equine lollipop. Yeah, it's arsenic bad arsenic you're imagining. I don't deliberation I'll beryllium eating that 1 again."

Horse lollipops are improbable to characteristic connected nan paper for Craig Bellamy and his players this week.

Neither will nan sightseeing successful Kazakhstan and neighbouring countries that nan Red Wall person been enjoying successful caller days – specified is nan life of an world footballer.

As is nan lawsuit for almost each their overseas assignments, different than a pre-match stroll connected matchday, each Wales' players and unit will spot of this state is simply a hotel, a stadium and an airport.

For them, this is business. With their hopes of qualifying automatically for nan 2026 World Cup successful nan balance, each Wales are focusing connected is triumph connected Thursday.

They tin time off nan tourism to their legion of loyal supporters who are fortunately much than happy to oblige.

"It's beautiful awesome that we've taken nan numbers that we're taking," says McAllister.

"I deliberation it says a batch astir america arsenic a supportive shot nation. We get down our team, we recreation really well. And I would opportunity that everyplace that we recreation to receives america really happily arsenic well.

"We don't spell astir causing problem aliases anything. So I deliberation locals are very keen for america to sojourn and person a bully clip basically."

The lukewarm invited from nan locals successful Astana is simply a recurring taxable among nan travelling Welsh supporters successful nan Kazakh superior city.

"We went horseback riding successful nan nationalist parkland 3 hours away," says Dave Fornell. "It was a awesome day."

There are different ways of enjoying horses successful Kazakhstan, different ways of experiencing Wales distant trips.