DAY 1 (27th August 2024) – Kazakhstan (Almaty)
FIL and MIL had travelled to our home a few days prior to the start of the trip to get ready for the adventure to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. On our side, we made sure all the hotel bookings were confirmed, and our international drivers’ permits were valid, since I would probably need some help driving during our adventure. My daughter ZC (Adventure Name: BR:@packer) dropped us off at the airport for the afternoon flight to Almaty.
The flight was relatively uneventful, except that as we approached Kazakhstan, the views outside the plane window were simply stunning – the snow-capped mountains interspersed with jagged ridges and shallow valleys, making it an almost alien landscape to us! So, we spent some time taking photographs and taking in the sights that await us in the days to come, beside us ooh-ing and aah-ing as the plane flew along. The pictures are as below:
Now We Know
Kazakhstan is one of the largest countries in the world in terms of land size. Located in Central Asia, this landlocked country is measured at 2,724,900km2 but has a population of less than 20 million people, making it one of the least densely populated countries in the world, i.e. about 6 persons in every square kilometre. Kazakhstan became part of the Soviet Union in the early 19th century, and was the last of the satellite republics to achieve its independence in 1991. The remnants of Soviet or Russian technology and history is evident in modern day Kazakhstan, from the buildings to monuments and statues and from language to culture. Even some of the vehicles on the roads in the suburbs are of Russian origins.
The largest nations (by land size):
- Russian (Total land area – 17,098,242 km2)
- Canada (9,984,670 km2)
- China (9,706,961 km2)
- United States (9,372,610 km2)
- Brazil (8,515,767 km2)
- Australia (7,692,024 km2)
- India (3,287,590 km2)
- Argentina (2,780,400 km2)
- Kazakhstan (2,724,900 km2)
- Algeria (2,381,741 km2)
Arrival at Almaty
Almaty, formerly known as Alma-Ata, was originally the capital city of Kazakhstan from 1929 to 1997, before the title of “capital city” was transferred to Astana. However, it is still the bigger of the two cities (over two million people live here), and considered to be the cultural and financial heart of the country. The city is located at an altitude of over 2,000 feet above sea level, and is very near to some of their most beautiful tourist attractions, which are comparatively nearby.
As most people suggested, getting our phone SIM Cards for the local internet and phone lines was best served at the airport. We also got our local currency sorted out here, though we didn’t plan to use cash if we could avoid it.
Just so you are aware, there is no Grab or Uber in this country, but they use another similar app called Yandex Go. Due to our luggage, we decided it was best to order two separate cars to the Arbat Apartment Complex, where we had booked our AirBnB accommodation. It turned out to be a pleasant unit with two rooms and a spacious dining area. It wasn’t difficult to find and the owner was so gracious and friendly, which added to the welcome that we had been feeling since touchdown.
Night Walk Around Almaty
The time was already 8:00pm in the evening local time, almost midnight back home. So, we were pretty tired and didn’t really want to venture too far to look for food. The foot paths around the area were wide but mainly because there is an allocated lane for those on scooter-bikes and bicycles. We had to be really extra careful not to step onto their path as some of them tended to whizz by at speed.
At first glance, the night view did not look all that different from almost any other city – wide streets for cars, traffic lights, bright neon lights of entertainment establishments (malls, supermarkets, pubs, etc.) and the regular shops selling normal supplies. There were pharmacies and restaurants, and all the trappings of a modern city, except the signboards were all in Russian or the Kazakh language.
So anyway, the few recommended places on the Google Maps were either no longer in operation or did not look like what they did in the pictures (some street views on Google Maps were taken in 2015!). We ended up at Del Papa along Gogol Street, which had a nice décor and reasonably priced. Alright, fine – Italian food in Kazakhstan doesn’t really feel that adventurous, but hey, we just needed to fill our tummies with food.
Summary for Day 1
As expected, Day 1 was more about travelling, acclimatising, overcoming jetlag and getting ourselves mentally prepared for the fortnight ahead. Especially for me, who would be driving (on the “wrong side” of the road), getting used to the traffic and the roads was important for me to avoid any potential mishaps. It was good that the weather in Almaty wasn’t too cold, especially for my in-laws, and we had to start preparing for when we head into the mountains in the next few days. And so, we start our new adventure… onto tomorrow!
