My Journey Through Kazakhstan
Don't quote Borat
July-August 2016 and June-2017
My day started with saying goodbye to one of my Navy friends in Yokosuka. He dropped me off at the bus station back to Narita Int’l Airport (Japan will be a future article, coming soon). After the process, I had a layover in South Korea. Standing at the gate terminal in Seoul Int’l Airport, I excitedly stare at the sign displaying “Astana”. Such a unique name for a capital city. I first got the idea to visit Kazakhstan after meeting a foreign exchange student in High School. Looking up the pictures, the skyline appears futuristic. I knew then that I had to go. The flight is extremely delayed several hours however, so we have to wait. I try to plan my flights so as to not show up in a new country alone at night, but now there’s no choice. I’ll see what happens.
Boarding the plane, it’s my first experience hearing the flight attendant speak Russian, or maybe it was Kazakh. Even the lettering was in Cyrillic. We fly off into the sunset and I try to get some sleep. We arrive just after midnight. Getting into line at customs, I have to admit the Cyrillic did feel intimidating and I had no idea what any of it means. The officers have wide brimmed hats as a part of their uniform. I’ve always loved the adrenaline rush of trying to get into a new country. I was stamped through without questions, or perhaps the officer didn’t speak English. Just a glance at me and I was in!
Walking into arrivals there’s some people to greet family, but there is also a crowd of “taxi” drivers. The airport looks closed except for us. I make eye contact with a guy, and he calls out “Taxi?” I walk with him and another into the dark parking lot. No cars were officially marked. I try asking him how much, but he doesn’t understand, and I don’t understand either. Through google translate he says $20. “Alright.”, I thought. For being midnight that sounds reasonable. The three of us get into the car and head off onto the dimly lit road.
The driver asks me questions in his language, and I try to tell him to drop me by the Bayterek Monument (which is in the center) because that was close to my hostel. Suddenly we get a flat tire, and the car quickly leans to the side. We trail off onto the shoulder and the driver asks us to get out while he assesses the situation. Time now is 1:00AM. The weather was luke warm, calm but humid. Sweat sticks to my shirt. Through translate he says he’ll call us another taxi and proceeds to start changing out his tire. I sit on my bag on the shoulder of a dark highway with no idea what is around me. A few cars fly past us.
After some minutes another guy shows up and we get in and speed off leaving the other guy to his tire change. I’m feeling pretty tired now but the cortisol festering in the current situation was forcing me to stay alert. My eyes light up though as we get into the city, and I get a look at the surrounding architecture. He drops the other guy off and we circle around some apartment buildings a block from the monument. The address to the hostel wasn’t specific and the tone of his voice sounds frustrated. I don’t recall a phone number. Anyways when he dropped me off, I gave him $20 but he started yelling for more. I try translating with him about the price. I had perhaps 5 or 6 one’s left so I gave that to him and showed my empty wallet. He looked angry and waved me to get out. ATM’s and exchanges were closed this late but like I said my flight was originally planned for arriving in the daytime.
The back area of these what could be Soviet style giant apartment blocks were terribly dark. I walk around in a loop a few times but could not find the hostel. I cross over and go out to the center and sit on a bench to rest for a while. I gaze out at the cityscape around me in awe. No English on the signs, all Cyrillic. This area was well lit and clean. A few random people were walking about but the area felt safe. I contemplate the possibility of sleeping on this bench as it was nearly 2:30AM and my body is protesting for rest. My eyelids felt heavier than my backpack. I decide to try one more time to find the hostel. Walking back, I see a guy taking a smoke break behind a restaurant. I try to ask him about the hostel, but he looks confused and just says “Nyet.” I keep walking. I see an old lady with a cane coming out of the darkness and I ask her. She excitedly seems to know and grabs my arm. We walk together past a few entryways, and I see the business card of the hostel on the door underneath a fading lightbulb. “F*ckin hell.”, I thought. Would it kill them to make an actual sign lol? Pushing the buzzer, I hear the receptionist with good English speak and say that they were waiting for me and were so excited I found them. I look at the old lady in her headscarf and say “Spasiba”. It was too dark to make out her facial expressions, but I’m sure like any of them she was beaming.
Going up several flights of stairs I find the hostel entrance and go in. Three girls at reception. I remember two of their names, Dariya and Rinata. They said they hadn’t met many Americans and had tons of questions for me. They seem unfazed that it was 3:00AM but I’m running off fumes. Finally, I tell them to save their questions for later and check into the room. Not many people at the moment, I have the dorm to myself. Perfect. I lay down with relief. “What a day…”
…………
When I wake up in the afternoon, I cannot wait for a walk through the center. It’s a long promenade of various sights. You could spend nearly all-day exploring from one end to the other. Let me show you:
First, I go to the Monument. A unique white tower with a golden ball crowned on top. Up at the top, you can get a 360-degree view plus the main strip of the city around you. However, the most peculiar thing about this sphere is that in the middle is a golden block with an imprint of the President’s hand! People were lining up to place their hand in the mold. The things we see.
I go towards the west end first. I believe it’s a fancy hotel called Shangri-La with an arch through the middle. I pass through that and then come up onto the Khan Shatyr. I would describe the building set up like a giant tippee. Probably the nicest mall in the country. On the top floor they have a themed Jurassic Park and a Hardee’s.
On the other side of Bayterek is a flower promenade leading to the Presidential Palace. Flanked by two gold towers, I walk onto a huge square and right up to the Palace front gate. The roof has a unique blue and gold, colors of their flag. I’m not sure the purpose of the gold towers, however. Nevertheless, I thought it was a surreal view.
Behind the Palace is more. I have to do a double take…is that a Pyramid?! I follow the road across the Ishim River and get a closer look. It is indeed a Pyramid with a glass/steel construction. It is called the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation. It was closed when I was there, but apparently it is a cultural center. The city planners definitely had a fun time brainstorming how to craft their capital.
There is still more to go. Behind the Pyramid you’ll see a white Mosque. There is also the Concert Hall, The National University of the Arts, the city district office called the Palace of Independence, and the National Museum. I spend a few hours in there. Great displays detailing the history and formation of Kazakhstan into the present day.
When I was here, Americans could only get a 10-day free visa to visit. After that it was a challenge to stay longer. The rules since then have changed. I believe it is now 30. Just check how long you can stay for your country to make sure. I always like going to Wikitravel as my first place of research:
https://wikitravel.org/en/Kazakhstan
So, with such a short time, I only spend a few days in Astana. My next plan is to take the train to Almaty and see the Tian Shan Mountains. The girls from reception help me buy a train ticket. There was an office down a shopping strip over in the next apartment block. All Cyrillic. I’ll have to figure it out when I board the train tomorrow. They tell me tonight has a light show along the river. We ride the bus to the area. The bridge is covered in lights and in the river the fountain is lite up. Once again, I’m the only tourist. All locals around here. Always amazing for me to be in these situations. Afterwards we go to a bar, and I try a beer with a polar bear on it.
Next day I say, “See you later.” and take the bus to the train station. It will take all night and most of tomorrow to reach Almaty. The terminal was packed with people and belongings. Many officers were around wearing their wide brimmed hats. Walking towards the train, they were kind enough to point out which car I will ride. Inside the cabins were bunk beds on one side and seats on the other. There was a family in here. They ask me to take the top bunk so their grandmother can take the bottom. All good. We leave as things get dark. The lights fade quickly, and people fall asleep. I’ll get some views in the morning.
The sunrise wakes me up. Looking out it’s flat. Flatter than the Great Plains. The steppe out here is imposing. It stretches to the horizon and far beyond into nothingness. If you remember several articles ago, I mentioned certain songs that tie into traveling through different locations. For the steppes its:
Short Change Hero by The Heavy. Just imagine the scenery and a sunrise rolling by…
Hours go by of absolute flatness. A few times we pass through small, dilapidated villages where I question if anyone lives here. Looks like the money was invested into the capital. We pass by a massive lake who’s name I do not know. I have conversations with the family in the cabin with me. One of the girls can speak some English. She said she was going to school in Ili, China. I had to look it up on the map…there are still far away corners yet to be explored. Such an interesting area.
We stop at a town. I get out and walk around the terminal for a moment. Vendors are selling along the railroad. I see a poster that looks like a political ad. No English. In just a few minutes though I hear the whistle and get back on.
The rest of the journey was spent looking out the window when finally in the distance I can see the outline of mountains appearing. There are now tons of commotion as people grab their things and jostle to the exit. Outside the terminal was hectic around the main street. I see a guy calling out taxi and go with him. I had written the address to the hostel proudly in Cyrillic. He looks at it and nods in understanding. Almaty used to be the capital and still remains as the country’s largest city. In the backdrop is the snowcapped Tian Shan Mountains, forming the border with Kyrgyzstan (a future article). After some stop and go traffic for a while we finally arrived.
Another soviet style giant apartment block. At least this time there is a sign and directions to the front door. The owner looks Russian and spoke the best English I’ve heard since being here. I remember a big red sign saying, “No ladies of the night!”. This place was new and really nice. In my room was a Russian Hiking Group. We try to talk and through their hand charades they tell me about the mountains. I’ll go up soon.
Back out for a walk. There is a gondola that goes to a tall hill above the city. Takes around 20 minutes. You can get good views around. Up here there is an amusement park. There’s also a Beatles statue. A memorial to change.
I recall the center feeling very business-like. Clean, but devoid of city fun. While at a small park, I was observing a statue when a man came up to me. First, he talked to me in Kazakh, but then switched to English excitedly. He couldn’t believe that he met an American randomly on the street. We talk and laugh for a few minutes. His name is Assem and he works as a teacher. Our meeting was short however as he had to grab the last bus back to his neighborhood. I’ve always enjoyed these spontaneous encounters and sharing a good connection right away. We managed to swap socials before he left and from time-to-time check in.
I need a break from city life. Today I go to the mountains. I take a bus towards the Ski Resort and entrance to Ile-Alatau National Park. It’s mid-morning when I arrive. Where I have my sights set on for this hike will take me into sunset. The route will crisscross its way over various ridgelines, each one higher than the next. The tallest are covered in glaciers and form the border. I aim for getting one ridge below the start of the ice.
I walk along the road leaving the resort. There are signs pointing to different hiking trails. In a few minutes I get on a path that follows a small river. There were a few people living up here, washing their colorful rugs along the riverbank. We exchange a few waves as I pass by. Now the elevation begins to climb. There are some thick forested areas the trail goes through on the way up. Higher in the alpine you can see where vegetation stops growing. The pines tree’s smell wonderful. Reminds of my time growing up in Albuquerque and hiking around the Sandia Mountains. That’s where it all began. I pass a few people along the way, some of them giving me really curious looks after I greet them. I stop at a spot that has a tall swing. Just above, the bare open rock of alpine begins.
Beyond here there were no other people. I climb higher still as the sun starts to get low. The air was crisp, and the silence wonderful. I make it to the ridge of my ambition, set up my tent, and stroll along it as sunset kicks in. The views were spectacular. It’ll be a cold night; I take a look around wondering if there will be wildlife up here. One thing I miscalculated however was I didn’t bring enough water. I had 4 liters with me after the river, but the climb did not help my thirst. I have half a liter now to go to sleep with. At least going downhill is easier. I’ll just have to endure. The night is quiet and thankfully no animals came to visit.
I wake up to an awesome sunrise. After packing up I take one last look at the glaciers forming the border and know that I will go farther south into Central Asia eventually (one year later). I drink my last water and hustle down. The trail was empty all the way back. When I finally reach the river, my lips were dry, and my body felt devoid of liquids. I chug from the river and feel a surge of energy return to me. That was a close one. When I returned to the hostel, I found out about the Astana Expo happening next year. I decided I would come back for that. My 10 days were finished, and I had to leave. I take a flight to Tbilisi, Georgia and continue my adventures (a future article)…..
But let us fast forward one year later to the Astana Expo:
Returning here felt like a breeze. This time I was able to arrive in the daytime. Nothing felt intimidating like that first night. I was quite smug with myself from feeling so comfortable now. It was great to be back. The Expo was an international event showcasing many countries and their projects related to the environment. Going back to the same hostel as before, different people were working there now so the vibe had changed and because it was the Expo the place was filled with people. I meet an old Frenchman named Philippe. He is still nonstop traveling to this very day. We keep in touch every now and then.
In the center, there were a few exhibits, however the main venue for the event was just a few miles south. They built a giant sphere, surrounded by a circular rotation of buildings with each country’s presentation.
Some presentations were impressive. Talking about green energy/recycling, etc. I have to admit, the American exhibit was disappointing. I didn’t take pictures, but they had the Hollywood sign, and a poster of the Statue of Liberty. They played us a video sponsored by Shell about combating global warming, bringing the troops home, and played a snippet of “Proud to be an American”. I thought it was crazy to see the venue packed full, people taking pictures next to the flag, and me being the only American in there. All exhibits had incredible art to gawk at. It was a fun time exploring. Stepping outside they would have multiple parades of people in various costumes go by. I only stayed a couple days before continuing on. I had other dreams to pursue now…
And that’s it everyone thanks for reading! Just want to give you an update: I’ve started a new job so things have been quite busy with that, but I will still write and make posts in my free time. When things take off, I could go more full time here if the option becomes feasible.
Stay tuned for more stories. Cheers!
-AbroadwithBrian
I’ve never really considered traveling to Kazakhstan before, just because it’s never really appeared on my radar, but I loved reading about your adventures here, and I loved your pictures! Thank you for sharing.