Old timer and old times

Taraz was originally just a place I found on the map. I wasn't very keen on travelling almost 20 hours by train to Turkestan, so I opted to break it into two trips. And Taraz was about midway between Almaty and Turkestan. But after some reading, I realized it had an old archeological site. Of an old walled city. 

After breakfast, I walked in the direction of the site, but since I had no idea how to get there, I just wandered in the general direction. 

At one point, a very drunk guy came over to "talk". I don't understand Russian. And definitely not slurry "Russian". He almost fell over when he pointed at a road behind me. A woman yelled at him, and he kept in stumbling along while slurring some Russian. She smiled as I passed her. I did find the wall of the city, but not how to get in. 

I walked past something that looked like gates to the walled city, So I figured I must be near the entrance. 

In the end, I ended up in something that looked like a car repair shop. A guard dog woke up and trotted over too me. But he looked more interested in getting petted than to bite my hand off. I turned around. Another look at the map, and checking the internet, I realized that the drunk guy had assumed that as a tourist, I wanted to see the archeologic dig. And the road he had pointed at, was the correct way to the site... Oh well.

After a lot of walking, I found that the way to get to the site, was to look for signs to a huge shopping centre. Of course. 

When I arrived at the site, there was a ticket booth present. I walked over. Only to find a young lady, busy putting her makeup on. She looked at me and continued looking in the mirror and putting on the last touch, before attending to me. Got the impression she was more keen on becoming a model than selling tickets. But finally she found the time in her busy schedule to sell me a ticket.

As per usual many places, no change was available. So in the end, I just gave her the smaller notes I had until she was happy. Less than I should have paid. But, when you don't have any change? Not my problem. And she couldn't care less. She went straight back to her makeup.

The site was interesting. A lot of old ruins. The story has it that they were building some homes here when they realized they had come across old ruins. So they stopped the construction, moved the houses already built, and escavated the whole site. There were like "tents" convering the whole site, and bridges where tourists could walk. 

There was a museum with some artifacts extracted from the site. I managed to take a few photos before a guard gave me a very clear "No-no!" sign. So I packed away my camera and just enjoyed the rest of the display.

This book was maybe 2 cm wide. Talk about saving paper...

In the same area, I found an open door, and it proved to be an art gallery. Free entrance. The gallery itself was quite nice, and the paintings were interesting. In many styles. Again, a lady stopped me from taking photos...

After this, I walked back towards my hotel and found a place that sold delicious doner kebabs. Then I returned to my hotel. Tired of walking, and sweaty, I spent the rest of the evening in my room.

Ragnar

Old timer enjoying old times

Don't panic!

 I didn't sleep long this night. For some reason, I woke at 3am. And couldn't sleep afterwards. I just lay in bed waiting for the time I was getting up. I had an early train to catch. I got up long before breakfast, had a shower and went down to the reception. The lady booked me a car through their equivalent of Uber, called Yandex... She showed me the receipt. A Lexus no less! Oooo. I waited for a couple of minutes, and the Lexus arrived.

Well. First of all, the driver looked like he hadn't even reached puberty. And his Lexus looked like he found it abandoned in a ditch somewhere. But hey, at least it was running...

I got in, and the driver found the quickest route to the train station on his phone. Which he looked at more or less constantly. While answering messages and checking the map once in a while. But traffic wasn't too bad at this time in the morning. So at least we didn't crash. That would have been a drag...

We arrived at the train station, which was under renovation. One of the first things I saw when entering, was a guy with a t-shirt that had the words "Don't panic" written in large friendly letters on the back. That was a test to see if you know the refernce... And why it is relevant to my blog...

One of the things I loved, was a VERY informative display that showed all trains arriving and leaving. And how long they would be staying. And the platform. And the trains not only arrived on time, but they left on time too! And they usually stayed for 10-20 minutes before proceeding. Giving passengers ample time to get to the correct track, and get on board. 

The thing I didn't love, was the fact that the renovation meant no shops were open. So my plan to buy some snacks for the trip, was a dud. I had nothing. And I hadn't bothered to buy stuff from the shop down the street from my hotel. And I was starting to get hungry.

When the train arrived, I found my coupe and found that my bunk was the lower on one side. After a while, an elderly lady arrived, with someone I presume was her grandchild. They sat on the other bunk. After the train started moving, she started making her bed. All bunks had sheets and a towel. So I did the same. It would be a long journey, and I was tired from lack of sleep. So why not spend some of the time trying to catch up? I actually slept for a few hours. The slow motion of the train probably did that.

Steppe as far as the eyes could see

Pretty nice railcar

2nd class coupe, with aircon, My bunk on the left

The temperature outside increased. A lot. At the peak, it reached 43 degrees. Centigrade... I could read this on a display at the end of the car. The highest temperature was at a small place called Shu. And when we stopped, I watched rail-workers at the station walking around in full work wear. How they managed, I have no idea. I loved my aircon coupe. And preferred to stay there for the entire trip.

Now for the food situation. I was told there was a restaurant on board. I asked around, and was told it was in car 10. So I walked through the train to car 10, and...nothing. But when I turned around to go back, I saw that the "restaurant" was just a small shop where I could buy stuff. Hidden behind a wall. Behind the counter sat an old "babushka" checking her phone. I stood there for a while. Clearing my throat a couple of times. After the third, very loud clearing, she was startled and looked up. "Sorry! No see!" And she laughed. I found a pack of bisquits and some water. Not excactly healthy diet. But it had to suffice for now.

Some hours later, we arrived in Taraz. And I was met by a number of taxi drivers. I told them I was going to Hotel Pride. Nobody knew it. I showed them on the map. They had no clue where it was. In the end, one guy said ok. 3000 Tenge. Fair enough. He took me to his taxi, which was surprisingly nice. After we started driving, he rang somebody. And even though I didn't understand a word, it was obvious he had "rung a friend" to guide him. But still he managed to get lost in some back-alley. On terrible roads. But we finally arrived at the hotel.

It was nice, with huge rooms. Nice lady in the reception. And the price was right.

After dropping off my bags at the hotel, I was hungry for some real food. But all the restaurants in the area were closed for some reason. So all I could find was a shopping mall with a grocery store. So I just bought some youghurt and aome water. And some snacks for the evening. 

Ragnar

Never panicking

War and trade

 I found out yesterday, while checking sights to see, that not far from the church I visited, there was a war monument. Complete with lots of old artillery. They said it was worth a look. So I went back there. And indeed. It was a type of monument I had anticipated. Big, bold and so very Soviet style. With the big, strong soldier pushing forward with death and bravery in his look. And an "eternal flame" in front of it.

And then, after passing through some kind of portal, I came to a place filled with tanks, cannons and other artillery.

After this, I walked to one of my favorite places anywhere I go. The local market. Now, I know that I am probably not the typical shopping guy. But these markets are special. It gets you close to the daily life of people here. Looking for bargains. Maybe shopping for lower prices. All the merchants with their food on display. In an attempt to allure a hungry customer into stopping at their particular stall and buy todays meat, veggies or, my favorite, spices. 

"The green market" was no exception. It was big, noisy, and smelly. Both good and bad. And it hasd something I have never seen before. A balcony for onlookers. And it looked like they were all used to this. So I walked up the stairs and got a grand view of it all. There was even a restaurant in the middle of the market. One floor up. Where patrons could sit and enjoy a meal cooked, quite possibly, from the ingredients bought from the market.

The spice stalls were as always my favorite. The smell is wonderful. I can say it a million times. It is still true. If you ever get a chance, go to a spice market just to take in the colors and the smell.

I spent a lot of time there before leaving to walk through some "green lungs". And in one of these, I found the very definition of a "public library". It was a kind of mobile shelves with books. The shelves looked like an open book. No librarians, no checkout routine. Just take a book, sit down and read. And lots of people did. What a wonderful idea. 

It did remind me of a story I once read. I cannot remember where it was. But it was a traveller who saw this guy with a "bookshop" on the street of the city. He didn't have a cart. He didn't have a shop. His books were just piled on the side of the street. "Aren't you afraid someone might steal your books?" he asked. "No. Because readers don't steal, and thieves don't read". Nobody had ever stolen a book from him. So I guess he was right.

The rest of the day was spent just walking through the city, taking in people, noises, smells and the beautiful small parks dotted around. 

I finished my walk with a monument I wanted to see. One typical of the communist era (even thought I'm not sure it is). A couple "in the wind". Looking towards the horizon. A horizon blocked by a monumental building so typical of that era.

I loved my walk. And riding the metro...

I enjoyed it so much, I nearly forgot to eat. So I had some dinner at a small restaurant before I walked back to the hotel.

Tomorrow, I am leaving. Going to the city of Taraz. By train. 

Ragnar

Lover of peace and books.

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

On the redeye to Almaty

Slept very little on the flight from Istanbul. So when the sun rose above the horizon en route to Almaty, my eyes was as read as the sunrise. We landed on time and taxied to the terminal. First up was the passport control. And what a control it was. The lady behind the counter took my passport. Stared at it for a while. Then she pulled out a magnifying glass. Uh-oh... 

She looked at all the details of the main page. The stiching in the back, the image of me. Then she flipped to one of the visa pages and continued to study it. I rarely get nervous, but now I was thinking what would happen if she wasn't satisfied. All those episodes of "Border Security" on TV had me thinking of me in a small room with a border officer interrogating me about my passport and my trip. In the end, she put away the magnifier and stamped my passport. I was ready for my Kazakhstan adventure.

First things first, I got myself a local sim-card. 40GB for around 8 dollars. They might as well have given me infinite bandwidth. I wouldn't be using 1/10 of that amount anyways. But the price was right, and I would be able to use my phone for maps and translations.

I now wanted to change my Kyrgyz money. I have had them since I was in Kyrgyztan last year. You couldn't exchange them in Uzbekhistan, since the two countries aren't om speaking terms. I felt rich, stuffing 60 000 tenge in my wallet.

Next, taxi to my hotel. Now, as avid readers of my blog knows, taxi drivers are my least favorite peep. They usually overcharge, sometimes insanly, and most of them have no idea were I, and indeed they, are going. But in this case, in the airport, a price list was placed on the exit, and it gave visitors a chance to know -ish how much a ride to the city centre (where my hotel was located) would cost. Maximum 20 dollars. So I expected everyone not to try to extort innocent tourists like me. Boy, was I wrong.

A guy asked me if I wanted taxi. I aksed "price?". "No worry. Meter!" Well...ok then. I was certain they knew that I knew the prices. Given they were displayed inside the terminal building. So I sat in. The driver asked for my hotel. He tried to find it on the GPS. Nothing. I gave him the address. Nothing. In the end, I had to search for him... Then, the driver showed me his phone where a number was running from 1000 tenge. I didn't think much of it. 

He didn't speak much English, but he tried some convo.

Him : "You know Jennifer Lopez?"

Me  : "Well, yeah?"

Him : "She is coming to Kazakhstan!"

Me  : "Oh!"

Him : "Kazakhstan!"

Me  : "That's...nice"

Him : "Here in Almaty, and then Astana! Two times in Kazakhstan!"

Me  : "Impressive!"

Him : "Jennifer Lopez! Two concerts in Kazakhstan!"

Me  : "Mmmm...cool!"

He was smiling with his whole body.

After about half an hour, we finally arrived at my hotel. I got my stuff out of the trunk, and he showed me his app. 4400 shoed on the display. Ok. Not bad! I took out a 5000 note and gave him. He looked puzzled. "No sir. 44 000!" ($90) I burst into laughing. "Are you kidding me? That's nowhere near the correct price!". He pointed to his random app. Which was probably just som counter app of some kind. "I am NOT paying you 44000 for this trip!". "I will call my boss!" He got his boss on the phone and gave it to me. "How much did he charge you?" he asked "44000!" I replied. Silence. "Give the phone back!". I could hear him screaming at the driver. "Ok, give me 20!" he finally said. "I'll give you 10!". "Ok.." He hung up with his boss and took the money. 10000 tenge is about $20. The max price. So... Another proof taxidrivers are the worst.

Since I arrived so early, my room wasn't ready. So the receptionist, not exactly fluent in English, asked me if I could take a walk and come back around noon. I agree and leave my backpack in the hotel storage room.

I walked out and wanted to check out the metro. I had already found that Almaty had a one line metro. Connecting some of the highlights of the city. I checked my map, and found "metro". I walked towards it and only when arriving, did I realize it was actually a large store named "Metro"... In the likes of a WalMart or something.

But at least it had aircon. And with the temperature quickly rising, it was nice after the walk. I also got myself an icecream in the store.

On my way back, I found that the actual metro was in the opposite direction from my hotel...

After half an hour and lots of sweating later, I arrive at one of the metro stations. After going through security, I walk over to the ticket booth. I try ot ask for a card. She give me one ticket. I say "No. A CARD". She puuls out her phone and types into a translator. "Do you want to pay by card?" I shake my head. I found that my phone didn't not have reception down there, so I needed to use sign language. But then she points at something I missed. A metro card displayed prominently in the window... I smiled and nod. I hand over 1000 tenge, and manage to explain, through English, some signlanguage, nodding and smiling, that I would like to use those money to both pay for the card and add some trips to the card. 1000 tenge (about $2) is enough to buy the card and 6 trips on the metro. Like I said in Azerbaijan : Public transport : What isn't there to like?

Beautiful murials between the platforms

Long way down

The whole track, showing where the train is going,
and where you are

It was now about time to check in to my hotel, so I walked back and got that sorted. I unpacked my bags. At this time, the lack of sleep hit me, and I dropped onto the bed. I woke up two hours later. Had s quick shower before I headed out for my first ride on the metro. I had set my eyes on a church I wanted to see. Ascencion Cathedral. Situated in a lovely park. This is an old Russian Orhtodox church. Beautiful. Unfortunately, they didn't want people to take pictures inside. Mostly to not disturb the worshippers present. I try to respect such things. But the outside of the church was magnificent. As one can see from the photos. I also found that the timing was perfect. The sun had just the right angle to bounce off one of the crosses on the roof. It made for the "perfect" photo-op.

As the sun was setting, I took the metro back to the station closest to my hotel. I was now ready for a snack. I found a local "snackbar". I didn't know what to get, but some locals made the decision for me. I watched what they ordered and I ordered the same. Something called samsa. A kinda wrap with meat sauce inside. It was delicious. And cost next to nothing. In a small shop close to my hotel, I bought some water and headed back to my hotel for the night. Slept like a baby.

Murial on the wall of a vocational school

Ragnar

Snoring like a pig