3 Sep to 10 Sep, 2022 - Almaty, Kolsay Lakes, Kaindy Lake, Saty, Tamgaly - (Kazakhstan)
Kazakhstan. It's been on our wishlist for quite some time. Should have happened earlier, but along came the unmentionable virus which saw the world go mental. It feels like it is on the way home from Italy, and geographically, it is. Logistically, though, it may as well be just about any where in the world, as the low number of connecting flights out of this part of the world mean we will have some long hauls to get us back to Australia.
Things began a bit on the back foot. A cancelled flight out of Rome to Istanbul put us back 24 hours, although we did have some "fat" built in to the start of the adventure.
Almaty felt instantly comfortable. Broad tree-lined streets, cosmopolitan dining, and helpful locals. Weather was perfect, but we know it does get a lot colder than we are accustomed to - I saw some very pretty pictures with deep snow. We walked town, we ate and we drank, we saw some sights.
Shubat. We knew shubat was made from camel's milk. We erroneously thought it was just camel's milk. However, it is slightly fermented and fizzy. Although we didn't mind drinking it (a little like a fizzy drinking yoghurt), we did discover it is NOT good in your coffee!
Daniel, who worked at the cafe next to the hotel, soon became our "Kazakh friend". Each time we came in the cafe, he greeted us with "good morning my Australian friends". His English was very good, and we chatted about a variety of topics. Including one which seems to have many Kazakh nationals worried about coming to Australia. Spiders. A number of locals have said they would be concerned if they came to Australia because we have so many spiders. This would not be a problem for Daniel, though, who shared a video of his pet bird eating spider. It did not have a name.
Market, Almaty
Day one in Almaty, after an all night flight and a morning dozey nap, we headed out on a perfect cultural immersion, the local produce market. While we had more colour splashed across the screen in some of our other photos, particularly the spices, this one stood out because of the beautiful faces.
Check Those Ribs
When the ribs are that long and slim, you know you are in the horse meat section of the market.
Zenkov Cathedral, Almaty
One of the few buildings in Almaty from the "Tsarist" period. Built in the early twentieth century, entirely of wood, even using wooden fastenings instead of nails.
Pedestrian Underpass, Almaty
This beautiful mural decorated a pedestrian underpass beneath a busy intersection. Highly notable was the complete lack of graffiti.
Jo and a Famous Apple
We have been led to believe that Almaty is noted for its very large apples. Eating an apple is a two person job, here.
After a few days settling in to the time zone, the culture, the language, and the climate, we headed out of Almaty. We hired a 4WD, and made tracks for Kolsay lakes.
Close to the lakes, there are a number of places that offer accommodation. There are a couple of fancy hotels, some large camping / cabin complexes, and at the simple end, some locals have yurts on their land. Driving past and looking back down, we saw a farm house with three or four yurts on the land, which looked like a nice and immersive set up. Pulling up at the house, we were greeted by an old lady and a kitten. Babushka and koshka. She led Jo to the main house, chatting away to her as if she could make sense of what she was relaying. In reality, all Jo really understood was babushka. But somehow, the interaction was quite bonding. Although it was daughter of babushka who ultimately showed us to a yurt and told us the cost, it was babushka herself who had made us instantly feel like this was the right place to stay.
We gestured we wanted a meal, a dinner, and this is simple enough. Cup one hand as a bowl, and pretend to shovel food from imaginary bowl to mouth. She smiled, and nodded. Then we think she asked what we wanted. She listed lots of "things" that we might like to eat, or so we assumed. Not at all knowing, and definitely not caring, but just wanting to dine on what they do, we nodded along and gave an affirmative "Da" to everything she said. The meals we had (two dinners, two breakfasts) were all fantastic. She really treated us, and it felt authentic through and through.
The yurt (or yurta) was beautiful. We learnt a few things about yurt etiquette - enter right foot first, bow your head a bit, and always greet when you come in, even if nobody is within. The traditional "hearth" in the middle of the yurt was, in our case, replaced with a low dining table. Mats and cushions of different thickness were available, and we dined and slept there for two nights. In the morning, we just swivelled 90 degrees on our matresses to face the table, and effectively had breakfast in bed.
The day between those two nights was our hiking day. From Kolsai lake number one, to number two. It was further than we had anticipated, and this was not helped by a poor start when we struck off down the wrong side of the lake. A local boatman and his very young son took us across to the other side for a few dollars, saving us a lot of backtracking to start again.
Along the Way, Eastern Kazakhstan
Possibly the Kolsay River? Anyway, we were driving to the Kolsay Lakes, and there was a bit of a spot on a bend where cars had parked, and it seemed like it might be interesting. And wow, there along the road was this rift through the land. So dramatically in contrast with the barren flatness that surrounded it.
Yurt is the Word
Inside our yurt. It was basic, but comfortable. Uncomplicated, but warm. A table for meals in the centre, with cushions. Mats for sleeping. That’s it. Drop toilet outside (and a little bit of a walk, thankfully).
Dinner - Lamb (or Muitton?) Stew
So, we gestured to the lady who owned the yurt, could we eat. She understood our gesture, and responded with a long list of things that we had no idea about. We guess she was asking us what we wanted or what we ate. We just shrugged, and nodded, somehow knowing it would work out well. And we were blown away by this amazingly tasty stew of tender meat.
Middle Kolsay Lake
I think we walked about 10 or 11 km from the lower Kolsay Lake (and then repeated it to get back). Mainly sunny, other than a half hour of rain and hail - well, that's mountain weather, I guess. Found a Kazakh couple who were going at a similar pace to us, so we passed them, and they then us, multiple times, and it was really nice to get to know them a bit (her English was pretty good). Anyway, the worst weather was when we we got close to the lake, so we sheltered and ate lunch for a bit, and in a short break got to enjoy the spectacular views.
Lower Kolsay Lake
After completing the 20-something kilometre walk, we treated ourselves to some drinks at this viewpoint over the lower lake.
Dinner, the Next Night
Home made "manty", a Kazakh equivalent to momos. I am not sure why I am looking so shifty...
Our Hosts
The lady in the middle, self proclaimed babushka, was sitting on the step of the house when we pulled up. Jo went and began asking her about a yurt, but she just apologised multiple times and got her daughter to come out, who was not much better at English, but a lot better at gestures and guessing. We got there.
You can Lead a Horse …
Near the Kolsay Lakes, and still in the same national park, is Lake Kaindy. At this point, we were very glad we had a four wheel drive. Visiting this lake in a regular car would be a risky undertaking, especially with two river crossings involved.
An Eagle at Lake Kaindy
The "handler" of this eagle seemed to show so much devotion and affection to his bird, it was touching. The bird responded to his voice, turning around and stepping out when requested. Yes, it was reasonably heavy - I could not hold that pose for too long.
Lake Kaindy, Kazakhstan
Submerged Spruces, Lake Kaindy
We did read the spruces became submerged after an earthquake, but that is not confirmed, nor when. Below the waterline, the trees appear to be preserved in situ.
Final stop on our four day explore of this nook of eastern Kazakhstan, Charyn Canyon. Still a bit stiff from our longer than expected hike two days earlier, we set off on yet another longer than expected walk at the canyon. Thankfully there were not too many ascents or descents, but we tackled each steep stretch like a pair of Thunderbird puppets. It was generally quite exposed, and fairly hot in the baking sun. Despite the heat and our sore limbs, it was incredibly rewarding to complete both the upper and lower canyon walks.
Charyn Canyon
Looking down to Charyn Canyon from the rim. After parking, we walked a few kilometres along the top to various viewpoints and lookouts, taking in the "valley of the castles"
Walking Through Valley of the Castles
Looking up at the beautiful formations of Charyn Canyon. We pointed at rocks giving our interpretations. A face, a cat, a teddy bear. Actually, quite a few cats!
Crashed Spaceship
My interpretation of this rock formation in Charyn Canyon.
Then it was time to head a little west. A night on the outskirts of Almaty, and then an early start to get to Tamgaly for the Unesco Heritage petroglyphs.
No Space Left
Petroglyphs at Tamgaly. Some rock faces had so many etched in to the rocks, that there really was no space for any more. Many animal motifs, mostly goats and horses and similar. One or two predators were depicted, and even at one place there was a turtle! Not a lot of human figures, although a few were depicted riding horses.
Some Beautiful Details in the Antlers
A magnificent petroglyph of a deer, with wonderfully carved antlers. Below, probably a mountain goat. Tamgaly, Kazakhstan.
Pregnant Cow
This very unusual petroglyph at Tamgaly shows a pregnant cow.
People Celebrate a Sun Headed God
The people at the bottom of the rock appear to be dancing, or worshipping, and other figures are involved, including animals. Towards the top is a got with the sun for a head.
Five wonderful days, incident free. There was one close call, though, when we almost ran out of petrol. There must have been only fumes left in the tank. The needle dropped a long way below empty, and I coasted and nursed the economy however I could, praying for Elijah's oil. Finally, long after I thought we were going to be stranded, we rolled in to a petrol station. Praise the Lord.
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