Winter
Better late than never. Winter has finally set in. It is now -19C (-3F) outside. There is snow on the ground from Almaty all the way to Karaganda, and probably almost everywhere else in the country. When we left for Almaty 2 days ago, it was in the 40sF with rain. We saw winter set in with our very eyes in a cafe in Almaty yesterday. It rained all morning. It was the kind of weather that commonly occurs in the winter in Houston, TX. And then as we were eating lunch, the temperature dropped and the rain turned to snow. It snowed all day and was still flurrying when the train left Almaty yesterday evening.
Throughout the course of our trip, I did a little blogging on my computer. What follows is a little bit about our trip.
On the Train
Thanks to modern technology and the fact that I finally got my lap top fixed, I can now blog anywhere I want!!!! And so I would like to introduce my readers to train life in the former Soviet Union.
I am now typing this message in the luxury car of a train bound for the city of Almaty. It turns out we have to get our permanent registration to live and work in Kazakhstan in Almaty because our inviting organization is located there (I could write a whole entry on the bureaucratic nightmare we had to go through just to find this out!!!). In the former USSR, train travel is much more widely used and better developed than in the U.S. It is to this day the most common form of long-distance travel for everyone in this part of the world because it is much more affordable for the average person.
Most of the cars and the engines still date back to the Soviet era. The engines even still have the red star on the front, constantly reminding the traveler of the bygone days of the Soviet Empire.
When you get on the train, you find your spot and settle in. Travelers who will be on the train awhile like myself (15 hours one way) often bring their house shoes, pajamas, food, and other things to help one feel as comfortable as possible. There are four types of cars: the sitting cars for those who want to travel very cheaply and can live without lying down; the common sleeping car which, can sleep dozens of people in one common area (I have only gone this route once and now understand what cattle must feel like when they are traveling); the cabin car, with cabins that sleep up to four people; and the luxury car, which sleeps up to two people.
The most interesting part about the ride, apart from seeing the countryside, is the railroad trader. Many people literally make their living off of the railroad selling everything from food, newspapers, shubat or kumus (fermented goat and camel milk). These people often will get on the train and ride for a couple of hours to one city, and then board a train back to their home city, selling goods to travelers going two directions. On this trip, we have not run into any of these sellers.
Then there are the traders at the various stops. If your train stops in any city or village for any length of time, there are often sellers on the platform, often selling home cooked food and beverages. I have not seen any of these sellers this evening. I am assuming it is because we are on the later train or because the weather is so fowl (it is now raining and the temperature is probably in the low forties) that no one is up for fighting the elements to sell any dumplings.
Well, my battery is running low. The luxury cars have outlets for electrical devices, but they don't work for some reason. I have a long ride ahead of me and have to catch some zees to have enough strength to avoid the corrupt cops who are said to target foreigners at the Almaty train station. Living it up in the luxury car in the wild wild east...
In Almaty
We are now in an apartment which we are renting for the night in Almaty, which is the business and trading capital of Kazakhstan. If you want to find something that can't be found anywhere else in country, Almaty is the place to go. It is also rather pleasing to the eye with its long, wide, tree-lined avenues and green landscape. The south side of the city runs into the majestic Tian Shan Mountains, which are now snow-capped, indicating that winter, though late in its coming, will be here soon enough.
The beauty of this part of the country is a bit deceiving. Most of Kazakhstan is endless step, with few trees and lots of brown grass. From what I have read and been told, the green, mountainous landscape is only prevalent along the eastern and southern borders. Despite this, there is a lot of nature type stuff to do in this part of the country and in neighboring Kyrgyzstan, which is located just a couple of hours away from here.
People seem to be a little different here than in the rest of the country. Perhaps the most pleasant difference is the fact that there is a lot less trash in the streets. We were told today that people here make more of an effort to keep the city clean. This is the complete opposite of everywhere else I have been in this country, right up to the very outskirts of Almaty itself. On the way in this morning, I think I saw more litter in the villages outside of the city than I have seen anywhere else here.
So far during our stay here, a young man by the name of Igor has been taking us to various places in order to help us to take care of our business. He has by far more character than any man whom I have met in this country (If you can call him a man. He is but 20). He is the first man whom I know here who is faithful to his girlfriend, with whom he is planning to marry some time in the future. He is also one of the most ambitious young men I have ever met. He already has his own brick making business and has a couple of other ideas that could prove to be lucrative in the works. I think people like him are the future of this country. One can only pray that the government will continue on its current path to put into place law and order and enforce it. The only thing that makes me wonder is what might happen if Naserbaev were to suddenly kick the bucket.
Better late than never. Winter has finally set in. It is now -19C (-3F) outside. There is snow on the ground from Almaty all the way to Karaganda, and probably almost everywhere else in the country. When we left for Almaty 2 days ago, it was in the 40sF with rain. We saw winter set in with our very eyes in a cafe in Almaty yesterday. It rained all morning. It was the kind of weather that commonly occurs in the winter in Houston, TX. And then as we were eating lunch, the temperature dropped and the rain turned to snow. It snowed all day and was still flurrying when the train left Almaty yesterday evening.
Throughout the course of our trip, I did a little blogging on my computer. What follows is a little bit about our trip.
On the Train
Thanks to modern technology and the fact that I finally got my lap top fixed, I can now blog anywhere I want!!!! And so I would like to introduce my readers to train life in the former Soviet Union.
I am now typing this message in the luxury car of a train bound for the city of Almaty. It turns out we have to get our permanent registration to live and work in Kazakhstan in Almaty because our inviting organization is located there (I could write a whole entry on the bureaucratic nightmare we had to go through just to find this out!!!). In the former USSR, train travel is much more widely used and better developed than in the U.S. It is to this day the most common form of long-distance travel for everyone in this part of the world because it is much more affordable for the average person.
Most of the cars and the engines still date back to the Soviet era. The engines even still have the red star on the front, constantly reminding the traveler of the bygone days of the Soviet Empire.
When you get on the train, you find your spot and settle in. Travelers who will be on the train awhile like myself (15 hours one way) often bring their house shoes, pajamas, food, and other things to help one feel as comfortable as possible. There are four types of cars: the sitting cars for those who want to travel very cheaply and can live without lying down; the common sleeping car which, can sleep dozens of people in one common area (I have only gone this route once and now understand what cattle must feel like when they are traveling); the cabin car, with cabins that sleep up to four people; and the luxury car, which sleeps up to two people.
The most interesting part about the ride, apart from seeing the countryside, is the railroad trader. Many people literally make their living off of the railroad selling everything from food, newspapers, shubat or kumus (fermented goat and camel milk). These people often will get on the train and ride for a couple of hours to one city, and then board a train back to their home city, selling goods to travelers going two directions. On this trip, we have not run into any of these sellers.
Then there are the traders at the various stops. If your train stops in any city or village for any length of time, there are often sellers on the platform, often selling home cooked food and beverages. I have not seen any of these sellers this evening. I am assuming it is because we are on the later train or because the weather is so fowl (it is now raining and the temperature is probably in the low forties) that no one is up for fighting the elements to sell any dumplings.
Well, my battery is running low. The luxury cars have outlets for electrical devices, but they don't work for some reason. I have a long ride ahead of me and have to catch some zees to have enough strength to avoid the corrupt cops who are said to target foreigners at the Almaty train station. Living it up in the luxury car in the wild wild east...
In Almaty
We are now in an apartment which we are renting for the night in Almaty, which is the business and trading capital of Kazakhstan. If you want to find something that can't be found anywhere else in country, Almaty is the place to go. It is also rather pleasing to the eye with its long, wide, tree-lined avenues and green landscape. The south side of the city runs into the majestic Tian Shan Mountains, which are now snow-capped, indicating that winter, though late in its coming, will be here soon enough.
The beauty of this part of the country is a bit deceiving. Most of Kazakhstan is endless step, with few trees and lots of brown grass. From what I have read and been told, the green, mountainous landscape is only prevalent along the eastern and southern borders. Despite this, there is a lot of nature type stuff to do in this part of the country and in neighboring Kyrgyzstan, which is located just a couple of hours away from here.
People seem to be a little different here than in the rest of the country. Perhaps the most pleasant difference is the fact that there is a lot less trash in the streets. We were told today that people here make more of an effort to keep the city clean. This is the complete opposite of everywhere else I have been in this country, right up to the very outskirts of Almaty itself. On the way in this morning, I think I saw more litter in the villages outside of the city than I have seen anywhere else here.
So far during our stay here, a young man by the name of Igor has been taking us to various places in order to help us to take care of our business. He has by far more character than any man whom I have met in this country (If you can call him a man. He is but 20). He is the first man whom I know here who is faithful to his girlfriend, with whom he is planning to marry some time in the future. He is also one of the most ambitious young men I have ever met. He already has his own brick making business and has a couple of other ideas that could prove to be lucrative in the works. I think people like him are the future of this country. One can only pray that the government will continue on its current path to put into place law and order and enforce it. The only thing that makes me wonder is what might happen if Naserbaev were to suddenly kick the bucket.
posted by moskovki inastranets at 5:49 AM
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