Up like the wind, down like a turtle

I woke surprisingly late the next morning. Undoubtedly because of the lack of sleep the previous night. The hotel had breakfast included, which was two belgian waffles (...), a couple of partially fried eggs and a couple of sausages. I skipped the eggs. They were probably fine, but salmonella isn't something I crave, so I need my eggs well done... After breakfast, I walked to the metro station. Today, I was going to try the cable-car to Kok-Tobe. A small hill on the east side of the city. 

I just have to express my love for the subway. The stations are a work of art, and the subway itself is efficient and on time. I smiled when I boarded. And loved every minute of it. They even had stations announced in English. A bit of a surprise, I must admit. But a welcomed one.

The cable car up to Kok-Tobe was surprisingly expensive. $16. Not that it broke my budget, but seeing that most things (like the metro) was so cheap. Well. I guess I will survive. The trip was short and nice. Nice view. But it also gave a very good insight into why a lot of people might take a negative view towards them. I could look straight into peoples home, and their gardens. Invasion of privacy from above. Not something I would love.

The view from the top was magnificent. But the one thing I could not see from there. Or at least get a good view of, were the magnificent Thien-Shan mountain range to the south. With tall, snowcapped peaks they make up a magnificent backdrop to the city. Unfortunately, all spots I had found, buildings or trees blocked the view.

Not the best view of Thien-Shan here either...

I walked around Kok-Tobe and found they had a climbing park for kids. 

A lot of 3D simulation games for everyone. And... a Beatles memorial. With their music playing from speakers around it. A lot of people took selfies there, so I had to stand there for a while before I could get a "clean" picture of the statues. The likeness wasn't excactly Madame Tussaud level. But close enough, I guess.

One thing I found, was they sold the same soft serve they sold on the streets of Erbil, Northern Iraq. Where you can choose from one of two tastes, or a mix of both. I had one, and it was as delicious as the ones I had in Erbil. They also sold italian style gelato, but both places that sold these, didn't seem interested in selling it. In one place, I stood in from the the fridge for a while. Trying to get the attention of a guy behind the counter. Finally, he looked at me. But instead of coming to take my order, he just went straight back to chatting with another of the people working there. I gave up.

Of other interesting things on the hilltop were a fun fair. Not that I am particularly fond of carusels. I easlily get motion sickness from going round and round... But there was one thing that caught my eyes. A track going downhill where people would sit in small carts and let gravity pull them downwards. With only breaks to control the speed. I wanted to try it, but when I finally got around to buying tickets, I found that a large group of foreigners (seemingly here for a conference of some sort), also had the same idea. And with zero regard for any resemblence of how a queue worked, the just cut the line all the time. and any protests were just met with a blank look. But in the end, it was my turn. Right behind some of the line-cutters... I had prepared to have as much fun as I had on a similar thing in Langzou in China i 2008. Unfortunately, the line-cutters had no interest in going fast. They were more interersted in taking selfies and videos of themselves. I tried yelling at them. The people running the track were trying to yell at them. To no avail. They went ssslllooooowly. So I stopped completely to wait for them to get far ahead of me, so I could let loose. And when I did? Woooooooeeeeee! Thrilling! Loved it. But those pesky guys stopped me like 5 times. Yelling at them to move had no effect. They ignored me and continued with their selfie-taking and slow movement. But I managed to get three "free speed" runs. Just wish I had more time to take the ride one more time without them blocking me.

Me in my cart. Excited to...ride at turtle speed...

After this partial disappointment, I went back to the cable car and got in line for the ride back. The same line-cutters as before cut the line. This time, I confronted them directly and told them firmly that "There is a line here!" They looked blankly at me, puffed and walked back to the end of the line. Nothing infuriates me more than people with no regard for others.

After this, I went to the national museum. And this was indeed a gem. Packed with history and culture. Artifacts from ancient times and cultures. I love old stuff. Love imagining their life. I was not allowed to take any photos inside the museum, unfortunately. I did take some before a guard politely told me to pack away my camera.

The museum

I ended my visit in the museum cafeteria, eating a lovely noodle soup. 

The last order of the day, was to go to the central mosque of Almaty. Not so far away. It was very beautiful mosque. Just like the orhtodox church, it had domes covered with gold. 

After taking some photos, I went back to the metro and rode back to the station near my hotel. This station is adjacent to a "family park". And what a family park it was. The children's playground had a real MIG fighter jet (sans engine of course), a tank and a attack helicopter. For children to play with. I mean, the kinda eeeee thing about the "toys", I know I would have LOVED having these toys when I was a kid. And the kids did love them. Jumping on the wings of the MIG. Or riding on top of it. Oh well...

And on my way back to the hotel, I stopped by the same place as the day before, and bought a samsa. But only one this time. The two I bought the day before was a bit too much.

It had been a full day, and I fell asleep like a baby.

Ragnar

Phun lover