Blogs from Kazakhstan, Asia - page 11

SURPRISING STEPPE DISCOVERING THE ROOTS OF KAZAKH CULTURE Petroglyphs of Terekty-Aulie Leaving the asphalt behind, our driver has to win the fight against the jolty tracks of the steppe – and he succeeds brilliantly. The first stop of the journey: Terekty-Aulie – a collection of rock carvings (petroglyphs) in the heart of the Kazakh lowlands. With its origins in the Middle to Late Bronze Age (about 1500-100 BC), the carvings bear a central meaning for Muslim-Kazakh faith. In Terekty-Aulie we are faced with the remains of past nomadic cultures carved into granite. The word “Aulie” relates to the Arabian name for a saint (“wali”) and alludes to the significant meaning this place embodies for Muslim pilgrims. Islamic Mysticism contains the belief that the prophet’s cousin and son-in-law blessed this place with his godly gift (“barakah”) on ... read more

Clara looked after us on the Moscow to Tashkent train. She sold food up and down the train; very forcefully. We resisted the first night but next morning after a somewhat abrupt and loud awakening, at 6am we breakfasted off savory crispy doughnuts with a tasty minced lamb and onions filling (we agreed to buy three so we could go back to sleep, but somehow ended up with six; only 100 roubles though, so not exactly enough to break the bank). Back to sleep until 9am. For lunch we had steamed dumplings with a similar filling, again very tasty - we managed to keep the numbers down to three this time. Best of all were the shashliks, served with sliced onions which we enjoyed for afternoon tea (again, for some peace from “My Name Is Clara, ... read more

Railway to Asia 3 The train stopped at a small station. I stepped down to the platform for a rest. I walked backward for Wouter and Chloe. I saw a crowd of venders surrounding them with hubbub. They flocked to them not only for trade but also for fun and curiosity. A Slavic-like man was translating for them and it’s the cause of this hubbub. They both got a window to communicate. He was their new friend in their carriage, a Slavic with Kazakhstan nationality. (Only little bit more than 50% of the population of Kazakhstan is Kazakh people.) He invited us to have beers that night. Near midnight, I walked through the aisle, cross the gaps between carriages to their compartment. The train stopped in a small station, they went to buy some beers ... read more

The Aksu-Zhabagly national park is the oldest in the country, I stayed with the nicest couple, Elmira and Lammert, at their home turned hotel, called Wild Natures, with the wife, Elmira's elderly parents, and their two adorable 3 and 5 year old daughters. They had a lovely big garden complete with a big dog & various cats. It was right at the end of the tourist season, so the only other guy there was Panos from California (originally Greek), who'd worked in the Peace Corps in Kazakhstan twenty years before, and spoke fluent Russian. Lammert, who was from Holland, spoke a whopping seven languages, and was a lovely guy with puppy dog eyes and this great chuckle that sounded almost exactly like Doctor Hibbert from the Simpsons. "We arrive at our hut at about 5 o'clock ... read more

17th September 2010: Riga Airport, Latvia, where I have a brief layover on my way to Kazakhstan. I am twenty two years old, at the start of a journey travelling from there to Malaysia, almost entirely overland. I don't know how long I'll be away for. This was my first journal entry for that trip. The sun's setting on Riga Airport. I've just finished my second cheese croissant (the cheapest thing to eat in the one cafe in this tiny airport). There's a quiet noise, perfect lounge music- "Girls watch the boys and the boys watch the girls who watch the world go by." Chatter of a local language, constant dings, dongs and other airport announcements, in English and Latvian. The sun shines in dimly to my seat at the window, tiny drips of rain fall ... read more