Time to go. After a wonderful (but wet) two and a half months back in the USA with family and friends it’s now time for us to continue year nine of the Grand Adventure. We have enjoyed our time back “home” but we are looking forward to warmer climates, returning to some favorite places as well as some brand new adventures. So for all of you who have been asking, let me tell you – Here We go – The Grand Adventure.
Circumnavigate the Globe
Around the world we go
I don’t think this has ever happened before, but this itinerary has us traveling westbound the entire time. Starting in Seattle January 16 and circling the earth returning to Seattle May 4th. Our westward journey has us visiting seven countries (three brand new to us) over the next four months. Our itinerary is below…I hope you will follow along. Here we Go – The Grand Adventure.
Maui
First stop the island of Maui
Returning to Maui, one of our favorite places in the world, we will spend three weeks relaxing and soaking up the sun in Kihei, Maui, Hawaii USA. We have visited Maui many times, so this time we will focus on golf and hiking. We don’t plan to do much of anything as far as touristy sites. We just love the beauty of Maui, despite how expensive it can be.
Rarotonga, Cook Islands
A new to us country!
A new to us destination, we are looking forward to a week at a resort on the island of Rarotonga. We loved our visit a few years ago to French Polynesia and we thought this time we would try another South Pacific location. It’s very easy to get from Hawaii to the Cook Island, and also easy to continue on from there to our next destination of Australia.
Melbourne, Australia
We fell in love with Melbourne last year
This will be our third visit to Australia, one of our favorite countries in the world. It is a huge and diverse place and our previous experiences have been very positive. This time, we will spend an entire month in the city of Melbourne with a couple road a trips planned from there. It will be summer in Australia – and likely hot – but we are ready to enjoy a longer stay in this beautiful city, the largest city in Australia.
Singapore
A brief visit
Singapore is a international hub, and we have passed through this beautiful city/state twice before. This time we only have two quick nights, but it’s enough to see a couple of sites and eat some of the amazing food before our flight to…
Bhutan
Thrilled to be on my way to Bhutan
Long on my dreaming of places, I am absolutely thrilled to finally be visiting the unique and beautiful country of Bhutan. It’s taken us a while to get to this destination…partly due to it’s remote location and also due to how expensive it can be. But we are ready to tick this long awaited destination off of our wish-list with a private nine day tour.
Bordeaux, France
Lots of wine in my future
We love France but the region of Bordeaux has eluded us on all our previous visits. This time we have rented an Airbnb for an entire month and look forward to getting to know this region well…and of course drink some wine along the way. When we leave Bordeaux we plan to take a train to Paris, with several days along the way in Lyon, Dijon and then finally…
Luxembourg
Somehow I have skipped over Luxembourg in the past
When I look at a map of Western Europe and where I have been there is a little tiny hole…that hole is Luxembourg. Time to tick that one off too. Luxembourg City looks so beautiful, my kind of fairy tale European destination and we have the time so lets see it. Compact and easy to maneuver, it will be a great way to end our trip. But first a stop in the City of Lights.
Paris
Beautiful Paris
Of course we can’t leave France without a couple of days in the beautiful city of Paris. Spring in Paris…what’s not to love? We look forward to visiting the newly reopened Notre Dame, visiting our friends, and of course…eating!! Then we catch a flight from CDG back to Seattle, completing circumnavigating the globe. Westward!
Thanks for reading my post Here We Go – The Grand Adventure. And thanks for all your continued interest in our travel adventures. I am looking forward to this itinerary which offers a lot of relaxation and adventure too. Longer stays than last year’s travel and I like that. Perfect. But, it’s likely I will not have a travel post every Friday…but I will post as often as I can. Meanwhile DO NOT MISS our annual Travel Awards blog post for 2024. You can read it on Friday January 24th. It’s an annual favorite and a must read.
Here we go – The Grand Adventure continues. Buckle up!
We love it when you comment, pin and share our blog posts. Thank you so much! See last week’s post Top Travel Blog Posts of 2024 here.
The Publicist for this book Books Forward, reached out to me and asked me to read this novel and consider writing a book review. This is something I do on occasion, and have done so with Books Forward twice before. I did receive a free paperback, but was not compensated in any other way for this review. This is my honest opinion and book review A Wolff in the Family by Francine Falk-Allen.
Life as Fiction
This is a novel based on a true story. Author Francine Falk-Allen learned only as an adult, that her aunts and uncles had been given to an orphanage by Francine’s grandfather. This unexpected information stopped Francine in her tracks. Why had her own mother, Frances, never spoke about this dark time in her family history. This remarkable tale has bones that are true, but the author created a great deal to keep the plot moving forward. I found the book similar to “Sold on a Monday” and a few other similar stories in the early 20th century where orphanages processed children for many reasons including poverty, infidelity and neglect.
A Wolff in the Family
The thing I take away from this book more than any other, is how difficult life was for women in the early 1900’s. The author’s grandmother, Naomi, gave birth to 14 children – there was no birth control. She cared exclusively for these children, while her husband Frank spent most of his time traveling for his job with railroads. Frank provided financially for the family, but did not help raise the children or help around the house. Not unusual for the time, but how many babies did they really need? Naomi, though steadfast and hardworking could not possibly give the attention and love needed to all of these children. She was over her head with physical and emotional strain. Much of the child rearing and housework fell to the two oldest daughters, Frances and Anita.
A Wolff in Sheep’s Clothing
Not surprising or unusual, Frank had women in many of the cities he traveled to. One particular women, Minnie he fell in love with and even fathered at least one child with her. Though Naomi suspected Frank’s infidelities, she had no recourse. But when Frank suspects Naomi too is having an affair he does something very dramatic. He has her legally declared an unfit mother. She is forced to leave her children and go live with her mother.
Frank has clearly not thought through the consequences of this, and is left scrambling to find care for the children still living at home. When Minnie refuses to have all of them live in her home, Frank takes two of the oldest boys to his mother. One boy who is only 13 at the time becomes a drifter. And then Frank does the unthinkable. He takes the five smallest children to an orphanage and turns his back on them.
Family-Ties
It’s no wonder Naomi turns to another man after living under the thumb of Frank and his physical and emotional abuse. But she misses her children terribly as they are scattered to the wind. How will this family find each other again? Can they heal and forgive? Each one finds a different path forward, including both Frank and Naomi but at what cost mentally to all?
This story is not all that unusual for the era…but so often these skeletons in the closet are buried forever in shame. Families often find it hard to process the brutal truth, the difficult gender roles of the time, the racism, infidelity and human failing of our own ancestors. Falk-Allen, though a bit long-winded (my only criticism) makes us all wonder more deeply about our own families and the unspeakable truths hidden in the past.
Thank you for reading my book review A Wolff in the Family by Francine Falk- Allen. We love it when you comment, share and pin our book reviews. Thank you.
I always like to look back and see which of my blog posts were most popular at the end of each year. There are several different ways I can see what my followers are loving the most. I admit I am not very good at following my blog analytics religiously like most bloggers…so it’s always like a little gift when I go and see what you all loved and were most interested in. Today let me share with you what my Top Travel Blog Posts of 2024 were.
My readers also enjoyed the three posts I wrote about the Caucasus region; Yerevan Armenia, Tbilisi Georgia and your most favorite of these Baku Azerbaijan . This is a fascinating area in eastern Europe and I hope my experiences opened your eyes to a wonderful collection of destinations.
Click on any of the links to read them again or for the very first time.
Bologna Italy
Australia
We love Australia and are heading back for our third visit soon, and one of our favorite places was the sweet town of Hobart on the Tasmania island. You all enjoyed reading about that too, Hobart Tasmania The Most Surprising Town in Australia. I would go back to Hobart for an another visit, and would stay even longer.
Hobart Tasmania
Pacific Northwest
Our summer in the Pacific Northwest usually provides me wonderful material for blog posts, and this year you really loved Tracking Trolls in the Pacific Northwest – this post was so popular! If you haven’t seen the trolls yet…check out the link.
The Bird King, by Thomas Dambo, Vashon Island Washington State
My Fab Fifties Life
There you have it, the Top Travel Blog Posts of 2024. My blog has taken on a life of its own over the years, thanks to all the loyal readers. I’m glad our travel life (and book reviews too) give you entertainment, inspiration and educate you about this big beautiful world. I hope you will continue to follow us. Coming up next week our itinerary for our next adventures and don’t miss our Annual Travel Awards blog that will drop January 24th.
See last week’s post about Wild & Wonderful Kyrgyzstan and come back next week for our upcoming travel itinerary 2025.
This beautiful short novel was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2022. Despite the fact my husband and I follow the Booker Prize winners and read most of the novels, this book slipped through the cracks for me. But the short story (114 pages) has had a resurgence with the release of a recent movie (released early 2024) by the same title. As of this writing I have yet to see the movie, but here is my book review Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan.
What Would You Do?
There are times in our lives when we are forced to reconcile with our own conscience. These times can try our personal faith, our security and even our lives. But in this novel, based in a small Irish town in 1985, one man will do what is right.
Lyrical and Lovely
Keegan gives us a beautifully written short novel with a narrative that enraptures the reader from the very beginning. We meet Bill Furlong, a family man working in the coal trade to provide for his family. No one in the small town of New Ross is rolling in money, except the Catholic Church. Some folks are barely getting by. But Furlong is a kind man, a hard worker and well respected in the community. He is a faithful husband, a father of three girls and goes to church each week.
Despite being a good man, Bill has been ashamed most of his life, having never known who his father is and being outcast as a bastard. His mother died as a young woman, and Bill has had to work doubly hard to overcome the many circumstances he was dealt as a child.
Something Wrong
Bill plugs along day after day, wondering what else there may be in life. But one day, just before Christmas he arrives early at the convent and encounters something he knows is not right. He battles his conscience and walks away from the scene, but for days he is conflicted, sleepless and burdened. Those in the know warn him to not meddle. Warn him to forget what he saw – stay focused on his business, his family, his future.
But he is too good a man to not interfere. In the last paragraph of the book Keegan writes;
“The worst was yet to come, he knew. Already he could feel a world of trouble waiting for him behind the next door, but the worst that could have happened was also already behind him; the thing not done, which could have been – which he would have had to live with for the rest of his life.”
Book Review Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
I loved this book and read it in a couple of hours. I can’t wait to find the movie. You should read it. Thanks for reading my book review Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. See last week’s book review The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier.
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Welcome to the eighth and final installment of a series of eight weekly posts covering the eight countries I visited this fall. My journey was epic and I chose not to write posts while traveling, in an effort to be engaged and present on this amazing odyssey. This is my honest opinion of my personal experience. I hope you will enjoy reading my posts covering all that happened over the two months of travel – The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful. Today I share about Wild & Wonderful Kyrgyzstan.
Adjectives
I can’t come up with enough adjectives to describe the beauty of Kyrgyzstan; resplendent, alluring, breathtaking, glorious, exquisite. Go ahead. Pick one. They all work to describe this tiny country and the scenery and culture.
Sunset in IssyKul
The Good
Kyrgyzstan’s history, like all the countries we have visited on this tour, has spanned many cultures and empires due to its place on the Silk Road. However, its nearly impenetrable mountains often protected Kyrgyzstan from invasion and kept it isolated. Kyrgyzstan declared independence from the USSR and a democratic government was established. Kyrgyzstan attained sovereignty as a nation state. The Kyrgyzstan gradually developed an executive president and was governed as a semi-presidential republic before reverting to a presidential system in 2021.
Quiet, hardworking and welcoming people
Everyone we met was kind and seemed pleased to meet visitors to their country. We were very lucky to enjoy cold but clear days giving us outstanding views of the Central Tian Shin mountains – Wild & Wonderful Kyrgyzstan.
The average monthly salary in Kyrgyzstan is about $250 USD. Gas is about $2.00 USD per gallon. Much of the country is rural and rugged and the capital city of Bishkek is home to more than 1 million of the countries 7 million people.
Eagle Hunting in Kyrgyzstan
The Bad
Despite Kyrgyzstan being rich in metals, minerals and petroleum the people are still generally poor. Kyrgyzstan’s major exports include gold, cotton, wool, garments, meat, mercury, uranium, electricity, machinery, and shoes. There is corruption and ethnic racism issues. Lack of healthcare and terrorism threats are major problems for Kyrgyzstan’s population.
Where Are We?
After four weeks traveling together with Intrepid Travel and our group, arriving in our final country of Kyrgyzstan gave us mixed emotions. It was now late October and fall was definitely turning to winter; snow was visible on the mountains throughout our visit.
Brrr that wind!
As mentioned in last week’s post (see it here), the border crossing between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan was a freezing cold scramble. But I tried to remind myself – as I stood in the bitter wind waiting to be processed by the custom agent – I would never be here again. Walking across a remote border, pummeled by wind, pulling my suitcase through gravel…not something everyone gets to do. Memorable for sure.
Low snow and wind on the plateau
Kyrgyzstan is a small uniquely shaped country surrounded by mountains. To the north is Kazakhstan. To the east and south, China. Also to the south Tajikistan, and to the west Uzbekistan. We spent our visit along the northern border between Karakol and Bishkek. The topography keeps Wild & Wonderful Kyrgyzstan rural.
Kyrgyzstan
Karakol
After crossing the border we arrived in the small former Soviet Military Post town of Karakol. Today Karakol is known for its proximity to ski areas, and receives visitors from many countries in the ski season. We even found a sticker from the Pacific Northwest in a small coffee shop.
Pacific Northwest skiers have been here
On arrival in Karakol we had lunch and then had some time to wander around the small town. We enjoyed some beautiful and strange architecture, picked up some treats at the grocery store, and bought some lovely souvenirs at a small shop featuring local hand-made goods. Felting is a popular local handicraft and a perfect gift to take home.
Interesting architecture
Kinda weird. No idea what this was for.
We checked into our family run hotel which was really lovely, and after a long day Arne and I chose to skip dinner and have an early night. Next morning a delicious breakfast was served before we loaded up the van again and were off.
Before leaving the Karakol area we made a brief stop to visit the historic Dungan Mosque built in 1910. It has a unique Chinese style and was built without any nails – using a special cut and groove technique.
Dungan Mosque Karakol
We then made another quick stop to visit the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, a beautiful Russian Orthodox Church made from wood and still in operation today.
Holy Trinity Orthodox Church
On our way out of town we stopped at a small park overlooking Issy Kul Lake that honors Nickolay Przhevalskiy who died in Karakol. Przhevalskiy was an explorer who traveled widely in Central Asia and Mongolia and documented and mapped the region.
Prezhevalskiy Memorial
Jeti Orghus Canyon
Now we settled in for a long drive into the gorgeous mountainous region surrounding the Issyk Kul Lake area. First we stopped to admire the picturesque geological feature roadside called the Seven Bulls. As amazing as that was, we soon learned there was much more in store.
Seven Bulls valley
Seven Bulls and two humans
Driving a short while further we arrived at a hiking location in the Jeti Orghus Canyon. It was a beautiful sunny and cool day, and we hiked up into the hills passing summer cabins and yurts. The views were amazing. Some went even further to a waterfall. Such a great hike and we worked up an appetite.
Jeti Orghus valley
Hiking up the hill for a view
Surrounded by beautiful mountains
Feeling so blessed!
Oopsy!
We headed back to the van to have a picnic lunch but we discovered our van had gotten into a soft spot and was really stuck. Our wonderful driver was trying so hard to solve the issue before we returned. It took about an hour but with the strong backs of some of our fellow travelers (as well as some of the engineer types putting their heads together) we were freed from the mud and eventually on our way. Luckily the weather was good and we all enjoyed another unexpected adventure.
Many helping hands
Opps, that is deep.
Problem solvers
Onward
As much as I enjoyed this beautiful location and hike, our next stop was mind blowing. Skazka, in English Fairy Tale Canyon, was so unexpected. Literally appearing like a red mirage out in the middle of the mountains, this geological formation was very reminiscent of Arches or Bryce Canyon National Park in the USA. We had some time to walk around in the maze of trails here, both with our guide Svetlana and on our own. I loved it so much and once again we were lucky with the cold dry weather. Such a treat.
So unexpected
Climbing up and down and all around
Me and our fabulous guide Svetlana
Isn’t nature amazing
Almaluu Yurt Camp
After this wonderful day we continued along the somewhat desolate road that runs along Issyk Kul Lake. This lake is one of the largest in the world at 178km long and 60 km wide. It definitely feels more like an ocean. We arrived at the wonderful Almaluu Yurt Camp just a short walk from the lake. Although in October the camp had only our group and one other, it has dozens of yurts for groups and individuals. The yurts were huge, with coal burning stoves, shared toilet and shower facilities, and a spectacular giant yurt for meals. We would spend two cozy nights here and we really enjoyed it, including the gorgeous views.
Our Cozy Yurt at Almaluu
The giant dining yurt
Welcome to Amaluu
Adventure and Education
The view from Amaluu
We woke up to chilly temperatures and after a delicious hot breakfast we headed out for an unexpectedly amazing day. When reading the days itinerary before hand, I would never have expected this day to turn out to be one of my favorites from the entire trip.
Eagles
Our driver took us off road out to a large open space, where we met a local man and his Golden Eagle. We learned the importance of eagle hunting in Kyrgyzstan, and still today there is a small group of 50 expert Master Eagle Trainers and hunters. Most have learned the art from their fathers. In addition to hunting and showing the tourists, an annual gathering called the Nomad Games takes place with competition for traditional cultural skills including eagle hunting, yurt building and more.
Such an interesting lesson in local culture – Master Eagle Hunters
We learned that the ancient art of eagle hunting is a UNESCO recognized cultural heritage activity and goes back thousands of years. Eagles that are used are always female. They begin their training about three months old. They are not pets. When they are twenty years old they are released back into the wild and assimilate well and will reproduce until they die – usually around 45 years old. This eagle we had the opportunity to get to know is three years old. She was beautiful and smart.
Arne seemed like a natural
I had some trouble – this bird was heavier than I expected!
The eagle is protecting it’s “kill”
They make a great team
Make Your Own Yurt
Well I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, but what a fun we had learning how to make a yurt. Honestly it wasn’t all that hard…like putting up a tent with a few more details to take care of. We visited the home of a family of yurt-making professionals. Our hosts make yurts for people all over the world, and man now I want one. Each yurt is made in several parts that can easily be taken up and down and moved from location to location…just as the nomads used to do. The yurts are sturdy and warm. We learned the process from cutting the wood to weaving the decorative elements and then how it all goes together in a matter of about 30 minutes.
Our host family and teachers
Learning the skill
Arne gives it a go
Such a great design
Look at the carpet and walls – functional and beautiful
Yurts were a important part of nomad life in Kyrgyzstan and surrounding regions. They are still used today for lodging and guest houses but rarely as a full home in Wild & Wonderful Kyrgyzstan. It was a full and fabulous day. Back to our own Yurt Camp for a special relaxing dinner, including some local alcoholic specialties Svetlana acquired for us. We slept very well.
End to an amazing day
Final Day
It was our final full day in Krygyzstan and our final day on this amazing four week tour. When we signed up for this tour I was worried four weeks would be too much. It wasn’t. We were continually stimulated, inspired and entertained. It had been a marvelous experience.
We had a very early morning departure for the long drive to the capital city of Bishkek. After checking into our older but comfortable hotel we headed out for a walking tour of the city. Bishkek is a fairly modern city in the Chu River Valley. It is the capital of Krygyzstan. Our walking tour took us to several monuments and important buildings as well as parks. The best part was the changing of the guard which takes place every hour.
Changing of the Guard
Bishkek
Bishkek
Farewell
Kyrgyzstan was authentic, beautiful and so worth it
Our final night on the tour, we all gathered together for a farewell dinner. I have not shared images of the entire group in any of my blog posts, because I forgot to ask permission from my fellow travelers. And I know one person in particular wasn’t keen on photos. I take that seriously. But I will say we felt very blessed to have such an amiable group, and especially to have such an outstanding guide. Intrepid Travel has my loyalty and I am sure we will travel with them again in the future.
The Five Stans; Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan were better than I imagined. As I’ve said in the past, it’s always our goal to travel with low expectations and then be pleasantly enchanted. I’ve been asked which of the five were my favorites? It’s a very difficult question; Uzbekistan had amazing architecture. Kazakhstan had amazing food and mountains. And Kyrgyzstan had spectacular scenery. My gratitude cup runneth over. Yes I am one lucky girl.
I hope you have enjoyed this 8 part series. I have enjoyed writing it. Thank you for your continued support, all your comments and questions. You are a great audience to My Fab Fifties Life adventures.
Thank you for reading Wild & Wonderful Kyrgyzstan. Please see last week’s post about Incredible Kazakhstan here. Stay tuned for more! Our next departure day is January 16th! I wish you all the happiest of New Years. I hope 2025 brings you good health and many travel adventures.
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Another wonderful novel by the talented historical fiction author Tracy Chevalier. She has so many beautiful novels, each about strong women in historical times. And this one is just the same. Here is my book review The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier.
Murano
I’ve been to Venice a couple of times but never ventured over to Murano. After reading The Glassmakers I definitely would like to do that soon. Chevalier puts the reader in Renaissance Murano (long before it was called Italy) in this magical novel that spans hundreds of years.
The Women
Like all of Chevalier’s work (my favorites The Girl with the Pearl Earring, Remarkable Creatures and The Lady and the Unicorn), the reader will find themselves somewhere in a historical period, where women are not respected or even noticed. But also like her other novels we will have female heroins emerge despite the obsticals; brilliant, honest, clever, hardworking and creative women.
The Glassmakers
This novel is atypical in that it follows the same family through history, through the changing glassmaking industry in Murano. Unusually, as the centuries pass…the characters remain somewhat the same age. So the reader will see the same characters, men, women and children, dealing with a wide range of drama, triumph and tragedy in different settings of time. From Renaissance to WWI to modern day. It’s a very different way to tell the tale but Chevalier does it well.
I learned a lot about the glass industry, before industrialization and after. I also learned a lot about Venice and Murano that I did not know – fascinating. ****Four stars for The Glassmakers by Tracy Chevalier. Read last week’s book review Tangles by Kay Smith-Blum
Thank you for reading my book review The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier. We love it when you pin, comment and share our book reviews. Thank you.
Welcome to the seventh of a series of eight weekly posts covering the eight countries I visited this fall. My journey was epic and I chose not to write posts while traveling, in an effort to be engaged and present on this amazing odyssey. This is my honest opinion of my personal experience. I hope you will enjoy reading my posts covering all that happened over the two months of travel – The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful. Today I share about Incredible Kazakhstan The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful.
Kazakhstan
It’s Huge
Kazakhstan is a land locked country in Central Asia. Most people don’t know much about it, or realize it is the ninth largest country in the world! It is the largest landlocked country and has a population of 20 million and one of the lowest population densities in the world, at fewer than 6 people per square kilometer. Kazakhstan was the fourth of the five Stan countries we visited on our tour with Intrepid Travel. We spent our time in the Southeast part of the country. We would have needed a few more weeks to see the rest of this diverse and beautiful nation. A remarkable place Incredible Kazakhstan The Good The Bad and the Beautiful.
Kazakhstan borders Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.
Kazakhstan
A Little History
The word Kazakh derives from Russian, meaning “to wander” and refers to the nomadic people of the region.
Kazakhstan has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era. In antiquity, it was dominated by multiple nomadic tribes. In the 13th century, Genghis Khan plundered and subjugated the people. Kazakh Khanate was established over an area roughly corresponding with modern Kazakhstan in the 15th century. By the 18th century, the Kazakh Khanate tribes were absorbed and conquered by the Russian Empire; by the mid-19th century, all of Kazakhstan was nominally under Russian rule. In 1936, its modern borders were established with the formation of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic within the Soviet Union. Kazakhstan was the last constituent republic of the Soviet Union to declare independence in 1991 during its dissolution. (Wikipedia)
Most of the country is remote and rural
The Bad
Almaty was the capital of Kazakhstan when the USSR fell in 1991. But in 1998 Aqmola in the north became the capital of Kazakhstan for its more central location and was renamed Astana, which means “capital city” in Kazakh. In 2019, the name was changed to Nur-Sultan in honor of the first president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. Nazabyev however is described as a dictator for his long, brutal autocratic rule. The Kazakh people protested the naming of the capital city honoring a man not admired and In September 2022, the name was changed back to Astana. This grassroots protest was highly unusual and marked a change in policies for the country. During this violent period protesters also demanded the return of cap on gas prices. Dissatisfaction with the government and poverty fueled the demonstrations.
During our visit, we did not travel to Astana or beyond the Almaty region. I’d like to perhaps in the future.
Kazakhstan is rich with oil, natural gas and many minerals including uranium but the average monthly salary for the people of this country is about $500 USD. Gas prices currently are about $2 a gallon – some of the lowest in the world. We only ate in a couple restaurants but a meal for two was about $15 USD.
Charyn Canyon
The Good
We loved our time in the Almaty region. Some of the friendliest people on our tour we met here. We arrived in Almaty via a flight from Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Our arrival was late at night, and entering the country was easy and well organized. We had a nice modern hotel in Almaty and headed straight to bed after the late flight.
Almaty
Our lovely guide Svetlana let us sleep in a little, but after a quick breakfast we were off for a full day. First stop was the Issyk Cultural Historical Museum about 60km east of Almaty. Here we learned about the Golden Man – Kazakhstan’s National Symbol. This warrior was uncovered in a Saka Tomb and dates to the 5th Century. This indeed in itself is a great story…BUT this is not a man. DNA shows 100% the remains are a female, likely a Princess. However, the government has chosen to continue to present the symbol as a male. The museum presents the story as male, but since we had such a marvelous guide, she shared the truth with us. So many male egos… it annoyed me.
The Golden Man (who is actually a woman)
Burial Mounds at the Cultural Historic Museum
Sunshine
It was a beautifully sunny fall day and so I put my annoyance away as we headed next to the Issyk Lake. This lake was a resort area for Almaty area people but in 1963 a landslide washed away the dam, resorts and summer camp and killed many people. Today the lake sits silent and blue and is a very easy hike from the parking lot below.
Beautiful fall day at Issyk Lake
This amazing first day in Kazakhstan wasn’t over yet. In fact, we would end this day with one of my most favorite things of the entire trip. We arrived at the home of Slava, and the beautiful outdoor setting where we would be wined and dined into the evening. Slava Almaty is a family home and winery, creating gastronomic events for visitors. We enjoyed the wine, several courses including making our own pizza, lots of laughs and a perfect ending with fresh coffee and homemade grappa. An unforgettable day.
Wonderful activity
Slava making pizza
Amazing coffee over a fire
Beautiful wine
Quail, Pumpkin and Mushroom cooked in the outdoor oven
City Tour
Day two dawned a bit cold, and we could see the snow low on the Tien Shin Mountains around Almaty from our hotel room. We pulled out the outerwear and headed out for a full day walking around Almaty. Almaty has a good subway system and we used the metro to get around the city. We visited Republic Square and the Independence Monument while learning from Svetlana about Almaty and Kazakhstan recent past. We really enjoyed our tour of the Central State Museum of Kazakstan particular the wonderful textile and traditional costume displays.
Snowy Tien Shin Mountains
Historic clothing at Central State Museum
Weavers and carpet making display
Despite the chilly temperatures we road the gondola up Kok Tobe Hill for views overlooking the city. It would have been better on a clear day, but we still enjoyed it and used the free time to pick up some fun gifts to take back home to friends and family.
Kok Tob Hill Mural
History Remembered
Ending our day we walked through the very Soviet style Glory Memorial. This immense and beautiful monument remembers those who bravely sacrificed their lives on November 16, 1941. These soldiers destroyed 18 German tanks and halted the enemy’s advance. The twenty-eight soldiers were posthumously honored as Heroes of the Soviet Union.
Glory Memorial
Beautiful monument
We finished our walking tour at the beautiful Zenkov Cathedral (also known as Ascension Cathedral), a wooden Russian Orthodox church built in 1907. The church claims to be the second tallest wooden church in the world at 56 meters and was built without nails. Luckily it survived both the 1911 earthquake the Soviet era when it was used as a museum. It has had multiple restorations over the past fifty years and today is back in the hands of the Russian Orthodox Church and welcomes worshipers and visitors alike.
Zenkov Wooden Church
The Beautiful
Day Three in beautiful incredible Kazakhstan we left the city to explore the astonishing beauty of this region. Had we more time, my husband and I would have loved to spend weeks hiking the mountains of Kazakhstan. But we did feel lucky to be headed out into nature for the next couple of days. It was a long drive, but well worth it to our first stop Charyn Canyon.
Charyn Canyon
Excellent hiking day down to the river
Incredible geologic formations
Very reminiscent of Arizona or Utah, this breathtaking canyon lies about 120 miles from Almaty on the Kazakhstan-Chinese border. Worth the long drive on small winding roads, Charyn Canyon gave us some hiking opportunities and we reveled in the natural beauty. The destination at the bottom of the canyon was the Charyn River, cutting its way through the soft sandstone of the valley. It was both a hiker’s and a photographer’s dream. We felt lucky to have a dry day for this wonderful excursion. We loved our time here and were falling in love with Kazakhstan. By the time we were back in our van ready to go the sun was setting and we had another hour more drive to our night’s lodging.
Charyn River
Hiking and Homestay
Over the next two nights we stayed in a home stay, with apartment style accommodations and excellent food. Our host made sure we tried several local Kazakh foods including Baursak, a fried dough and Besbarmak a meat and noodle dish which is the national dish of Kazakhstan.
Baursak is fried dough, served warm
Besbarmak a meat and noodle dish is the national dish of Kazakhstan
The next day we were up early to do more hiking, this time at beautiful Lake Kaindy. This lake has an interesting history. It is a mountain lake in Kazakhstan’s portion of the Tian Shin Mountains. The lake was formed after an earthquake in 1911, which caused a major landslide, effectively creating a natural dam. Successively, rainwater filled the valley and created the lake.
Lake Kaindy
Hiking at Lake Kaindy
Getting up to Lake Kaindy from our valley accommodations was interesting. The “road” up to the park requires a special all-wheel drive vehicle. A cottage industry has developed for visitors. Old style Soviet “breadloaf” busses can be hired for the bumpy and a bit crazy drive up the rocky road. Once we arrived though, the color of the lake made it worthwhile. The trails were really muddy, but it still was a good work out and a wonderful hike.
Breadloaf Transportation
Hiking with horses on the same trail made the trail very muddy and messy
More Turquoise Lakes
After lunch back at the home stay we headed out again to another lake for a less strenuous hike. Lake Kolsay is much more easily accessed and is a very popular weekend destination for people from Almaty. It was pretty cold but we bundled up and did a loop on the wooden boardwalk around the lake. Some of our group took out paddle boats. We enjoyed the birds here too as well as seeing the interesting looking local squirrel. Time to head back to our home stay for a delicious dinner and early to bed. Our final night in Kazakhstan.
Lake Kolsay hike
Local squirrel. We loved his ears and color.
Incredible Kazakhstan
In the morning we headed out early for the long drive to cross the border into Kyrgyzstan – our final Stan of the tour. We drove on a high plateau with stunning mountain and river views before arriving at a desolate border crossing. On foot we made our way through one of the smallest border controls I have ever seen – entirely outdoors. The wind was howling and the temperatures were hovering around freezing as we trudged from Kazakhstan exit controls about 50 yards to Kyrgyzstan entry. Even the luggage scanner was just under a small cover. Surprisingly, despite the cold, the border officers on both sides were friendly and welcoming. After our van went through all the controls, we piled back in to get warm but laughing about another memorable experience. Incredible Kazakhstan. So glad we came!
The drive to the border was so beautiful
Very low snow near the border crossing
Thank you for reading my post Incredible Kazakhstan – The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful. Please come back next week for my final Stan post as I share about Kyrgyzstan. Be sure to read last week’s post about Tiny Tajikistan.
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