We woke up super late, with that laid-back attitude that we’ve been picking up on this trip, and started the day in slow motion. By the time we poked our noses out of the camper, our international neighbours—the French camper and the Dutch truck—had already scarpered. We first went for a little stroll through the park next door, which, to be honest, didn’t have much to see, and then we got in the car to sort out the day's logistics.

The first mission was an absolute failure: we needed food for me and, above all, my precious treats. We tried our luck at a big supermarket, but the result was a big fat zero. Not a single measly bone to sink my teeth into.

The second mission was water. On Park4Night, there was only one spot in the whole city, and it turned out to be a plumbing company. No sooner had we parked in front of the building than a really lovely guy came out and asked us in English if we needed a refill. They let us into the yard and lent us a hose to fill the camper’s tank to the brim. If that weren't enough, the lad filled up a five-litre canister for us from a special tap, explaining that it was filtered water and safe to drink, as the regular tap water around here is pretty bad. Everyone was delighted with me, we took the customary thank-you selfie, and we were on our way.

We drove across Atyrau and, frankly, it’s not exactly a barrel of laughs. It is a purely oil-driven city; grey, industrial, and built in a rush around crude oil extraction, which gives it a rather bleak and ugly vibe. That said, it does have an imposing geographical quirk: the divide between Europe and Asia is located here, marked by the Ural River. Next to the Central Bridge is the "Europe Asia Marker," which is actually four small pavilions: two placed on the European side and two on the Asian side. We parked nearby and walked across the bridge over the river. Just like that, we officially crossed from Europe to Asia! A historic milestone for my four paws.

We gradually made our way out of the city and, as we went, we stopped at a couple more supermarkets on the road, but we still had no luck with my treats. What a drama. We headed onto the road towards the north-east and were in for a pleasant surprise: the tarmac is immaculate and brand new. In fact, it is so new that if you look at the satellite view on Google Maps, you can only see a couple of dirt tracks through the steppe; the actual road doesn't even appear.

We stopped a couple of times on the verge to stretch our legs. The landscape around here doesn't offer much in the way of entertainment: it is an infinite plain, dry, and with very little traffic.

Around eight in the evening, Daddy Edu spotted what will be our nest for tonight. We are a few hundred metres from the main road, right next to a dirt track that disappears into the steppe. And we are completely alone. We shut ourselves in the camper, had dinner, and went to sleep in the middle of the Kazakh wilderness.