Sunday Story: A Short Trip Down the Ili River

Yesterday some colleagues and I took a river trip along the Ili River, north of Almaty.  The Ili flows westward into Kazakhstan from China and pauses briefly at the Kapchagay Reservoir where there is a dam.  After Kapchagay the river turns northward eventually feeding into Lake Balqash. 

We arrived at the put in point around 9:30 am on what was looking to be a chilly, overcast Autumn day.  Our watercraft (which our outfitter alternately described to us as "canoes," "Kayaks," and "boats,") were 4 meter long  canvas kayak-type boats with aluminum paddles.  After a brief safety overview from the outfitters, we loaded our provisions for the day into the boat and set off down the river.

The Ili river flows swiftly northward through a canyon cut out of the steppe.  Steep rock walls define and guide the river. The current of the river carried us northward toward bluer skies.  Finally the sun emerged and the day transformed into a glorious warm late-summer day.

Our Route took us roughly 20km (14 miles) down the river.  Along the way, we passed fishermen and campers out for the weekend, an old barge that has been moored in the same spot for more than thirty years.  We also saw plenty of non-human wildlife including Steppe Eagles, ducks, river gulls, sheep, and horses.

Around 10km into the trip we came to one of Kazakhstan's Army training camps.  This camp trains soldiers in search and rescue among the wreckage of old soviet train cars and helicopters.  They also train in rock climbing.  Feeling like a stretch, we beached our boats and had a look around.  While the soldier we encountered wouldn't let us explore the training props (he was expecting his boss), he was happy to let us take pictures, and to ask as many questions as we wished.

Back on the river, a few more kilometers brought us to the set fortress used in the film "Nomad." We got out, paid the caretaker 200tg each for entrance and set about exploring this rather convincing construction (made almost entirely of wood and facade bricks).

The final stop  of our trip was at a Petroglyph site depicting Buddha.  Buddhist philosophies were introduced in Kazakhstan in the late 7th Century.  We stopped for pictures and a stretch before paddling the final 3 kilometers to our take-out point.  We capped off our day of leisure with chips, salsa, and Shashlik cooked on an open fire.  Food always tastes so much better out doors.

Friday Photo: Almaty Sunset From My Window

One of the advantages to living on the ninth floor of a building in a city with a fair amount of dust and pollution in the air is that almost every evening I enjoy spectacular sunsets over the old Soviet style apartment buildings across the street:

Happy Friday everyone!!!

Saturday Story: X-Ray-In-A-Box

Yesterday my colleagues and I underwent the annual government-mandated health screening process which involves giving a bit of blood, a series of questions put forth by a "therapist" (physician's assistant?) and a lung Fluoroscopy (basically a lung x-ray).  Last year I found the Portable Fluoroscope Van fascinating, so I made sure to get a picture of it this year:

Happy Saturday everyone!

Sunday Salutations: Hiking near Almaty

The mountains just outside Almaty

The mountains outside the city are riddled with hiking trails and many people go hiking on the weekends.  Some of the trails are very well traveled, others are obscure and remote and require a comprehensive knowledge of the terrain to hike without getting lost.

While easily accessible from the city, the mountains outside Almaty are also a powerful force - even for those who have lived at their feet for their entire lives.  Two of my colleagues have told me stories of hikes just outside the city that turned very dangerous this summer.  For one, it was a simple wrong turn off a well used trail that led to hours of bewildered meandering through the national forest before a ranger was able to point her in the right direction.  For another, a decision that "made sense" given the terrain let her and her hiking partner to the proverbial "place between a rock and a hard place" (though in this case it was a cliff and a waterfall).  With these cautionary tales fresh on my mind, last week and this week I went hiking with several of my colleagues. 

A Well-Traveled Path

The view of Almaty from the plateau

Last week we took the very well traveled path that leads to the mountains that overlook Medeo.  This is a very well traveled path as each weekend many people hike the trail from Medeo over the mountains.  In the winter, people hike up on the Medeo side and ski down the other side.  We went the opposite direction hiking up through the gorge that leads to big Almaty lake, over the ridges toward Medeo. We followed a logging road for the first half of the hike which, while occasionally steep, was never really challenging.  At the top (well, at our top) there was a plateau where several dozen hikers were enjoying a picnic lunch high above Almaty among grazing herds of horses and the fresh air.

Turgen Falls

Statue of The Golden Man

Looking back down the trail

Yesterday several of my colleagues and I went out to Turgen Falls.  The canyon is about three hours east of Almaty.  Just inside the park entrance there is a giant statue of "The Golden Man," a warrior from the 3rd or 4th century BC who was unearthed east of Almaty.  The statue overlooks a spring that is said to be a fountain of youth.

After a quick stop at the statue and spring, we continued driving up the gorge gorge until we came to the trail-head for Turgen falls.  The Turgen Falls trail is a popular tourist destination for people from Almaty and there were several bus loads of people there while we were there. It takes about thirty minutes to hike the trail along, and from time to time through, a bubbling creek before reaching the falls.  While the falls are small, they are beautiful and the views  along the trail are well worth the climb.

Movie Monday: A Few More Musical Moments

This weekend was the annual outdoor musical celebration known as the Parade of Orchestras (some translations say 'Bands') and I spent two late nights at the feet of Abay (beneath his statue, that is) enjoying some good old-fashioned outdoor musical entertainment.
Friday night's performance featured performances by MEZZO (a vocal quartet that was on Kazakhstan's X factor last year) and by the tenor Alessandro Safina who was both courageous (singing through feedback) and gracious (thanking the audience in multiple languages and even singing a song in Kazakh).  The orchestra also played popular classics like Arutiunian's Trumpet Concerto and scenes from Khachaturian's Ballet 'Spartacus.'

So for movie Monday I would like to introduce you to two of the musical discoveries I made this weekend: the vocal quartet MEZZO,

and the Kazakh group Ulytau who weren't there but who my friend wished were (this is pretty cool - check out the dombra!)

Happy Monday everyone!

Tidbit Tuesday: The Pet Bazaar

My impression of those fortunate enough to call this fair city their home is that they love their pets.  People who keep dogs, for example, will have the paperwork stating pedigree, expensive looking leashes, and lush doggie beds.  These dog lovers haunt Gagarina park in the wee dark hours of the morning along with the odd jogger and the still-up love-birds.

More elusive, though no less numerous, are the cat owners who betray their existence only by the evidence that their numbers are large enough to make it worthwhile for our local grocery to stock kitty litter and cat food.  I find, however, that I digress.

The pet bazaar (as it is called by us English-speaking outsiders) is tucked in behind some shops across the street from the main bus station in the most elusive way.  It is possible to drive by that corner a hundred times and not know it was there unless someone were to point and say to you: "behind those little shops there is a pet Bazaar" and even then, you might not believe them.

For an Almaty bazaar, the pet bazaar is small.  A dozen or so rows of stalls under a tin roof covering carry birds, cages, kittens, aquariums, fish, squirrels, pupies in cages and play-pens, and numerous other critters whose names I never learned in Kindergarten.  Beyond the stalls are rows of cars with their trunks open to show litters of puppies or kittens (and sometimes both) inside.  Most vendors have pictures and signs stating what breed they are selling.  One can find several varieties of spaniel, German Shepherds, Pugs, Chihuahuas, Siberian Huskies, and miniature just-about-anything-you-want.

The pet bazaar is not for the faint of heart, or for any person recently exposed to Brian - "Master Sprawler Of The Bronx" who convinces all who lay eyes on his glorious sprawl that they must get a cat. It takes every ounce of will power to walk out of the labyrinth of cuddly temptation empty-handed and one cannot be distracted by previous experiences with lovable fluff.  For those of you concerned with whether I succumbed, have no fear: I employed the "I really should do some research before getting a pet" charm to ward off temptation.

Sunday Summer Wrap Up

"Horse Parking" in Lancaster County PA

I am back in Kazakhstan, but I feel like something more needs to be said about my summer travels before I can return to posting about my adventures in Kazakhstan.  After spending time in Philadelphia, New York, and Washington DC, I spent a wonderful week in the very aptly named Paradise, PA.  There I ate the freshest, most heavenly sweet corn I have ever tasted, ran into Santa Claus in the post office, and was formally introduced to Lord Peter who later joined me on my flight from Chicago to Abu Dhabi.


I ended my summer in Durango, CO where I visited Mesa Verde, found the "Butch Cassidy bridge", and walked the Animas River trail over and over again in an effort to relax while I waited for a visa to return to Kazakhstan.

Long House at Mesa Verde

At long last, I am back home in Almaty, and am ready to resume my weekly outings.  Stay tuned for a Tidbit Tuesday special about the Pet Bazaar.

To all of the wonderful friends who made my summer quite wonderful: THANKS! 

Animas river from the Butch Cassidy Bridge