Feeling at home in Yrdyk, Kyrgyzstan
Historically food has been the primary way for me to explore a new destination and experience local culture while traveling. What’s been interesting about this trip so far is that I haven’t really explored the local food scene as much as I would normally - normal being a “typical vacation”. A large part of this is because I’m planning on traveling for a while (…potentially for the foreseeable future - sorry Mom and Dad!) and as a result it’s more economical to cook*, or more accurately assemble foods, especially when embarking on multi-day treks or taking long bus rides from point to point.
*Cooking is a bit of a stretch word to use when I’ve been eating salads (so much delicious fresh produce) or packing sandwiches and hearty snacks for long treks
Here is an example of a typical salad I’ll have for lunch or dinner. The local favorite is tomato and cucumber, but I’ll usually add corn and/or peaches. I love that produce here is fresh, cheap, and (I think) organic.
When I found out that there was an opportunity to join a traditional dinner in a village near Karakol, a popular hiking destination in Eastern Kyrgyzstan where I was based, I jumped at the opportunity. I had just finished a three-day trek to Alakol Lake and welcomed the idea of sitting down to a meal with a local Dungan family, especially after I found out that the Dungan people are ethnically Chinese Muslims who migrated to Kyrgyzstan 164 years ago. After being away from home for three months, this seemed like an opportunity to get a taste of home.
We drove to the Dungan village of Yrdyk, which was established in 1877 by the early immigrants from China, known as 回族 in Chinese. There we visited the local museum where the elderly docent shared information about the history and legend of the Dungan people and showed us important artifacts from this village. Upon walking into the museum, I felt a rush of emotion at seeing a banner with traditional Chinese characters hanging from the wall, Chinese art, and large bamboo steamers. It was heartwarming to see and be surrounded by familiar objects in a place so far from home. This feeling would only grow as the docent continued to speak about Dungan culture and customs. It turns out that they speak an old dialect of Chinese that sounds most similar to Cantonese - more on that in a bit when we get to the main course! They also use bamboo steamers to create 包子 filled with meat and vegetables, have similar styles of embroidery and art, and viewed foot binding on women as a sign of beauty.
We also learned about the legend of the Dungan people, and the docent was quick to remind us that what he was about to tell us was legend, not fact. Here’s a quick summary about the legend of how the Dungan people came to be:
The Emperor of China (not sure which one) dreamed of being attacked by a monster but was then saved by some man. When the Emperor shared this dream with his advisors and described the man who saved him from the monster, his advisors identified the man as the Prophet Mohammad.
As a result, the Emperor invited Mohammad to visit China. Mohammad wasn’t able to come so he sent three of his students in his steed, and these students traveled from Saudi Arabia to China accompanied by a large army. The journey was long and hard so only one student ended up making it alive to China.
After residing in China for three years, the Arab army yearned to go back home. However the Emperor wanted the army to stay to help protect his borders (the Great Wall) against the Mongols. Being the smart man he was, he asked his wife for advice on how to keep the army in China. She said that the best way to keep them here would be to have them marry local Chinese women so that the army men could create their own families in China.
The Emperor hosted a banquet for the Arab army and invited the most beautiful Chinese women for the men to choose as wives and start new families. So, the legend of the Dungan people was born - Dungans come from Arabian fathers and Chinese mothers; their religion is inherited from their fathers, their culture from their mothers.
After visiting the museum we took a very quick drive around the corner to the home of the family hosting us for dinner. They live in the first building that was erected when the Dungan Village was founded back in 1877. We were greeted with a beautiful table setting that was already filled with food and fruit. I had heard that we’d be eating a many dishes, and I couldn’t wait!
Okay enough about ashlan-fu - back to the Dungan family dinner!
We had several dishes to share and each one reminded me a little bit of home. Because the Dungan originated from China, they used a lot of similar flavor profiles as Chinese cooking. Almost all of the dishes evoked a sense of my parents’ home-cooked food and made me nostalgic for their cooking.
After dinner we were introduced to Dungan wedding traditions, and the host brought out a set of wedding clothes for the group to try on.
We ended the night with full bellies and lots of laugher, and it was a lovely way to end my time in Karakol.
I’m grateful to a chance meeting with a woman on the street - I noticed she was a foreigner and we got to talking, and she is the one who recommended I check out this activity sponsored by Destination Karakol, the local community-based tourism organization.
Hiking three peaks in the Tian Shan Mountains
One of my favorite hikes in Kazakhstan was a hike that covered three peaks - Furmanov Peak, Panorama Peak, and Shymbulak Peak, all around 3000m in height. I had the opportunity to hike this in early July with two friends I had made during my Steppe Spirit trip, Kazu and Satori, who are traveling from Japan. We had bonded during the Steppe Spirit trip and wanted to end our time in Almaty with one last hike in the beautiful Tian Shan mountains. I hope you enjoy the photos!
Postcards from Turkestan
I’ll let the photos do the talking for a bit because the architecture is pure art.
These photos are of the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, which is the main attraction of Turkestan, a town ~2hrs northwest of Shymkent. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its authentic and outstanding example of Islamic religious architecture. I loved the shades of blue and the intricacy of the tile work - it was beautiful in the morning sunlight.
A quick overview:
Khoja Ahmed Yasawi was a distinguished Sufi leader during the 12th century. Sufism is a mystic religious practice of Islam. He had a significant influence in spreading Islam in Central Asia and consequently is regarded as a spiritual teacher. He isalso well-regarded as a poet. When he was 63 he dug himself an underground cellar to live out the rest of his life.
The mausoleum was built by Amir Timur, a ruthless conquerer of Central Asia during the 13th century, after he had a prophetic dream where Yasawi predicted a successful military campaign. As a result, Timur visited the grave of Yasawi and ordered the construction of the mausoleum.
A bit more on Timur, also known as Tamerlane. He was a Turkic conquerer who founded the Timurid empire in the 14th century. He was a powerful ruler descended from a Mongol tribe and who saw himself as Genghis Khan’s heir (Genghis Khan lived during the 13th century). Depending where you go, you’ll hear different versions of who he was. In Central Asia he is seen as a great warlord and leader, but outside of that region he can be viewed as a mass murderer who was ruthless in his campaign to create an empire.
Here are some more photos from my day trip to Turkestan, although I didn’t see much given that it was so hot. Turkestan is one of the more recognized tourist destinations in Kazakhstan because of the mausoleum and has been named the spiritual capital of the Turkic world, also because of the mausoleum. You can click on each photo for more info.
What is identity?
Musings from Central Asia
identity | iden•ti•ty
noun
Merriam-Webster
1a. the distinguishing character or personality of an individual : INDIVIDUALITY
1b. the relation established by psychological identification
Oxford Dictionary
1a. the fact of being who or what a person or thing is
1b. the characteristics determining who or what a person or thing is.
Musings from Central Asia
Everyone I meet, from locals to other travelers, has been asking me why I decided to visit Central Asia. Depending on my gut reaction to the person and whether or not I feel they can be trusted with my truth, my answer changes. Sometimes it’s about the history of the Silk Road and the legacy behind it (I feel like that’s “supposed” to be the “right” answer because of all the rich history here) and other times it’s because of the beautiful landscapes and hiking opportunities. Both are parts and pieces of the truth, but the real reason why I came to Central Asia is a bit deeper than that.
I’m a first generation American whose parents immigrated from Taiwan and whose grandparents are from China. I grew up feeling very much “other” - not American enough because I don’t look “American” (aka white) and not Chinese or Asian enough because I don’t speak my native language fluently. I never felt like I truly belonged to either community, and there are countless stories and memories where this starkly stands out. The one that breaks my heart is a self portrait I drew when I was a child, maybe sometime around 1st grade. The drawing hangs on the second floor of my childhood home and is framed with a beautiful golden bronze frame, likely because it won a prize at my Chinese school’s annual drawing competition. The drawing depicts me celebrating Chinese New Year, as I believe that was the prompt of the drawing contest, and illustrates all the many traditions of Chinese New Year - red envelopes, dragon dance, and of course the many foods consumed. But what is the most heartbreaking is the girl who is centered in the middle of the drawing. She’s wearing a qipao and has a big smile on her face as she dances across the page, but she’s a white child, blonde with blue eyes. It’s ironic that this girl is what won third place in a Chinese school contest.
Apparently I’ve always been fascinated by blonde hair. My mother loves telling a story of me as a toddler, running over to any girl with golden locks and wanting to tug it (tug it off?) and play with it, leaving her to run after me and apologize for her wayward child. I don’t remember this at all and I don’t remember why I did this, but looking back and reflecting on this incident knowing what I know now (and after years of therapy), I think it’s because I saw how white people were the ideal - the ideal standard of beauty and the ideal American - a blonde, blue-eyed, and white skinned person. As a result, I wanted to be like them, and I think that little girl growing up wanted to fit in and wanted to belong, so she desperately wanted to transform into a white girl.
At the same time, I never really felt like I belonged anywhere. This feeling emerged more as I grew older. There are a couple of memories that stand out that made me feel like this. It was the memory of going to school in North Carolina, a state with much less ethnic diversity than where I grew up, and yet not feeling like I could relate to or feel comfortable with the people who formed the Chinese or Asian Student Associations. It was the memory of backpacking across Europe and Asia and people assuming, rather than asking, that I was from [insert random Asian country that’s not China] and always getting it wrong and saying that I didn’t look Chinese but looked [insert that random Asian country']. It was the memory of traveling to countries outside of the US and locals being shocked that I could be American because I looked Asian. It was the memory of long car drives with family to Georgia (the US state) and being stared at because we were the only people who were not white or Black.
As a result, I’ve always struggled with my identity and where I belong, because it seems that neither community really embraces me. Among Americans and among the general worldwide community, I’m seen as Asian and people are shocked when an Asian-looking person can be American. Among Asians, it’s not always clear that I’m Chinese because of my tanned skin, and sometimes because of my facial features. Among Chinese, it’s puzzling that I can’t speak Mandarin fluently or it’s a ding on my person that I’m not Chinese but an American Chinese (usually said with a scoff or a sneer). Funnily enough, Taiwanese people seem to be most at ease with me and don’t question who I am - they just accept that I am me and move on. Maybe this is because they too have their own identity struggles because they too have complicated questions around nationality, ethnicity, and identity. More recently over the past decade, even I can be reluctant to identify myself as “Chinese” rather than just “Asian” because of the geopolitical issues and tensions between the US and China, and how China and the Chinese are often portrayed as the enemy or are given unfair stereotypes (greedy, loud, Communists, rude).
I dread when people ask “where are you from?” because 99.9% of the time the real question is “what are you?” (and sometimes that’s the actual question). As if I’m not a person who can be multi-dimensional but am relegated to a what rather than a human who. People normally aren’t satisfied with my truthful answer to “where are you from?” and often follow up with “no, but where are you really from?”. Sometimes it’s even the dreaded “but you don’t look [American/Chinese], so what are you?” or “are you sure you’re not from [insert Asian country]?”. This ends up being a rabbit hole of questioning that dregs up anger, frustration, and exhaustion because it further emphasizes the feeling that I don’t belong and that it’s impossible for me to just be, well, me.
Before I came to Central Asia, my perception of this region was that it was a blend, a harmony, of East and West. It sits between Europe and Asia and has connected the two continents for thousands of years, giving birth to the Silk Road and numerous trade routes that exchanged cultures and goods and connected multiple groups of people. It seemed that it’d be a harmonious mix of the Western and Eastern worlds, not just in culture, but also in people. I had heard that the some people looked white, some looked Russian, some looked Asian, and some looked a blend of Western and Eastern features. It seemed like a place where anyone could belong because it was composed of a multitude of people. If I’m honest with myself, I came to Central Asia to see if I’d finally find a place where I’d fit in and no one would question whether or not I belonged based on how I looked. I thought I’d feel at home with others who are a blend of East and West, and maybe I’d find a group of people who feel at home with their identities being a blend of the two cultures rather than being torn between the two and not knowing where they belong.
After being in Central Asia for several weeks, parts of this are true. I do see a diversity of people (note that I’ve rarely seen dark-skinned people, whether that means Arabic, Indian, African, or others, which in itself is a whole other conversation) who look like they can belong in the East or West. There are people whose facial features are distinctly Eastern European or Russian yet a large majority of people have features that hint to Asian ancestors. What I love is that most of the people look “ethnically ambiguous” in the sense that their features are definitely a mix of East and West. At first glance, it seemed like people living in Central Asian countries (specifically Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan because they are the only two that I’ve visited so far) wouldn’t have any sort of identity crisis because Central Asia is supposed to be a blend of multiple cultures - West, East, and Middle East.
However after talking with some locals, it seems like this isn’t the case. Kazakhs who have Asian features and are traveling outside of Central Asia are automatically assumed as Chinese (likely because China is the most well-known and biggest Asian country, so it’s easy for non-Asians to automatically relegate someone as Chinese because of course, every Asian person is from China). They too have to explain where they are from and who they are, that it is possible for someone Asian to not be from China, and that Central Asia is its own melting pot of ethnicities and diversity. In Kazakhstan, your ethnicity is also printed on your formal papers so you can’t just be Kazakh (examples of ethnicities include Russian, Korean, Tartar, and more). Additionally, the official languages of Kazakhstan are Kazakh and Russian - in fact, many of the Central Asian Stans have Russian as an official language as a legacy of the USSR - and the predominant language is often Russian. Many people may have grew up with Kazakh but have forgotten it as Russian has dominated. There’s also the legacy of the USSR and Soviet Union that subtly hangs over Central Asia - in some cases you could call it colonization. What does it mean to be Kazakh when your language isn’t the dominant language and when there is still subtle signs of discrimination between those who look Russian and those who look ethnically Kazakh? Then there’s also the Kazakhs who are ethnically Korean, as a result of their ancestors being forcibly relocated to Kazakhstan during the Soviet Era. They are Kazakhs but not seen as Kazakhs by everyone.
I (naively) thought I’d find an affinity with the people here - people who don’t look distinctly Western or Eastern but are a harmonious blend of the two, who are uniquely Central Asian, who are just themselves. I thought I’d finally find a group of people who could be both West and East and feel completely at ease because no one would question who they are or where they are from and just accept them as themselves.
Instead, I’ve found that people can still be questioned about their identity, who they are, and whether or not they belong. I don’t feel reassured, I just feel lost - I’ve been searching, perhaps my whole life, to find somewhere where I could belong, where it is okay to be a mix of cultures and be completely accepted, to find a country where you could be a blend of backgrounds and be completely accepted for who you are rather than judged for what you are. I thought that Central Asia would be where I’d find peace and finally find what I’ve been searching my whole life. Instead I’ve found people who can empathize with my struggles and are also searching for the same thing - an understanding of their identity and seeking to belong.
I don’t know if I’ll ever find a nirvana where you can be a blend of East and West and be completely accepted at face value. Maybe that place doesn’t exist. Maybe the answer is to just accept myself as who I am and that I don’t need to “belong” - my identity is as May, the human, and that is more than enough.
Postcards from Shymkent
I briefly visited Shymkent, also spelled Chimkent or Chymkent, which is in southern Kazakhstan and in the middle of the country. During my visit, I also took a day trip to Turkestan, one of Kazakhstan’s historic cities and a spiritual center of the region.
Shymkent used to be a minor stop on the Silk Road, was taken over by Russia in 1864, and then rebuilt again during Soviet times. Now it is one of the main cities of southern Kazakhstan. It feels more like what I imagined Central Asia to be - a mix of the old and the news in terms of buildings, architecture, and culture - and contrasts sharply with what I left behind in Almaty.
Honestly in hindsight I don’t know if I wouldn’t made the trip to Shymkent again. I ended up leaving Shymkent a day early because I didn’t feel a strong connection to the city and because my intuition was encouraging me to head back east to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where I could resume hiking and be back in my beloved outdoors. However this experience was a lesson in a couple of things: in remembering that with this time off I have the gift of flexibility and can make spontaneous decisions and in reminding myself to trust my gut and follow my instincts - something that I wanted to focus on during my time abroad.
A post about people
I woke up filled with so much gratitude - gratitude to be alive and living, gratitude to have the courage, determination, and resources to take this extended time off, and gratitude for the kindness of humans who live on this beautiful planet. I want to take the time to capture this moment so that whenever I need reassurance or inspiration I can look back on this entry and remind myself of this feeling.
A moment of feeling so incredibly joyful and alive. Kaindy Lake, Kazakhstan.
I struggled a bit when first arriving to Kazakhstan. I was already a little burnt out and arriving to a country where I couldn’t easily communicate with others was challenging and lonely. It made me really appreciate what my parents went through when immigrating to the US and learning how to navigate their way in a foreign land. This could be a whole other journal entry but long story short, I feel humbled by and so proud of how much they’ve achieved and their success in creating a beautiful life for themselves and their family (me!) in America.
It’s also been a while since I’ve backpacked for an extended period of time - while I’ve frequently gone on vacation by myself, those vacations have been three weeks at most (US vacation policy is not that generous) whereas the last time I backpacked and traveled in this way was back in 2015! I’m also a recovering perfectionist, so it was hard to not feel like I needed to create a plan of action for every moment of my time in Central Asian and beyond in order to maximize my time abroad. As a result I’ve been slowly remembering what it’s like to be a “backpacker”, slowly but surely regaining my footing and finding my rhythm again.
Initially I was worried that I wouldn’t get to meet people with whom I’d feel an instant connection - maybe I’d already used up all of my bonus points after building my community and forming deep friendships back home. Now I look at this sentence and laugh at myself - how silly it seems to read out loud but how real it felt when fear and anxiety was taking over.
Someone recently told me that the people you meet while traveling are often more memorable than the places you see (thank you, Aunt Gigi). While I intellectually knew this to be true, it didn’t quite hit me until this morning. As much as the world can be a scary place, I’m realizing just how beautiful our world can be thanks to the people you meet.
I recently finished a two day tour with Steppe Spirit, a Kazakh community-based tour company, and had an amazing time experiencing the beauty of Kazakhstan with travelers from all over the world. We all had a really good time just enjoying each other’s company. I bonded with other backpackers who are exploring the world (and themselves) and danced with fellow travelers to celebrate the joy of journeying together. I’ve met elders who see me as their American daughter and take care of me with care and affection. While Couchsurfing I’ve met generous locals who went out of their way to make sure I felt warmly welcomed in their home country and who want to pay things forward because of previous kindnesses shown to them.
I’m feeling inspired by and grateful for the people I’m meeting while traveling. I’m building friendships with other backpackers with share values and who are embarking on gap year (or years!) for similar reasons as me, so we end up having enlightening conversations about life and purpose. Often times I leave the conversation feeling more inspired to continue my journey or try an uncharted path.
At times it even feels like a meeting of the souls. In just this year, these types connections have formed all over the world in Antarctica, Africa, and Almaty, so I think I can use this time to remind myself that it is possible to meet like-minded, friendly, and authentic people wherever you go. It might take a bit of extra effort, a pinch of extra courage, or a little extra time, but it will happen. Not every friendship will be an intimate one, but even the fleeting ones can be meaningful.
I hope to meet these people again somewhere else in the world. And if we don’t have that opportunity or if the friendship fades over time, it still warms my heart knowing that we’ve had a positive impact on each other’s lives, even if it’s just for a brief moment in time.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my community back home as my friends and family have been such a source of love and support, and they make my time abroad even more meaningful. While traveling has given me the opportunity to meet other travelers, it’s also made me further appreciate the people who make up my home.
It may seem corny bit it seems that human connections enhance the beauty of my surroundings, and those connections make my time on Earth all the more meaningful. How wonderful it is to have such a big family, one filled with people all around the world.
Charyn Canyon National Park
Our second day with Steppe Spirit (check out Day 1 here) was spent in Charyn Canyon. Charyn Canyon is actually a canyon system consisting of several canyons that were carved by the Charyn River. It’s often compared to the Grand Canyon in the US (what canyon isn’t?) and while Charyn is smaller, it still has its own unique beauty.
We visited three canyons: Black Canyon, Moon Canyon, and the Valley of the Castles. Below are some photos with a bit more information about my trip there and each of the canyons.
We headed back to Almaty in the afternoon, and I promptly conked out in the bus. It wasn’t until we were about an hour from the city that I woke up - our minibus was encountering some mechanical issues and had the telltale stutter of a car breaking down.
We all got out of the car to lend a hand and push the bus to get it moving. Hurrah! We got it going once more before it broke down for real and we had to wait for a replacement vehicle. All’s well that ends well - we arrived safely in Almaty and well before the sun went down.
It was an amazing trip with Steppe Spirit, and I formed friendships with many of the other travelers in the group. It was wonderful to see these natural wonders of Kazakhstan accompanied by some of the most enthusiastic, fun, and caring group of people I’ve met so far.
Kaindy & Kolsai Lakes
I had heard so much about Kolsai and Kaindy Lakes while researching what to do in Almaty and after seeing stunning photos, I knew I wanted to make a trip out there! The problem was that it’s not easy to get there on your own - your options are to rent a car or take a bus to the nearest town and hitchhike the rest of the way there. While hitchhiking is on my bucket list (don’t panic, parents!) I wasn’t quite ready to try that out, so I booked a tour with Steppe Spirit, a local tour company that does day and overnight trips from Almaty and who came recommended by my hostel. Most of our group were international travelers with some Kazakh locals visiting out of town.
The two day tour would cover Kolsai and Kaindy Lakes on the first day and visit Charyn Canyon on the second. While it’s billed as a two day one night tour, it actually includes an additional night of driving at the beginning of the trip. Our mini bus departed late in the evening, around 9:30pm, from Almaty and made its way to Saty, the closest town to these attractions and about a 5-6 hours drive.
The “girls’ dormitory” for the solo female travelers at our guesthouse in Saty.
Breakfast of champions
We arrived at our guesthouses in Saty early in the morning and got to get a couple hours of shut-eye before our tour began.
Our guesthouse was clean and comfortable and is run by a local family who lived in an attached building. There were multiple bedrooms so that each couple could have their own privacy, a dining room where we had breakfast and dinner, and a bathroom that thankfully had hot water - it got cold at night since Saty is at a higher elevation than Almaty.
Each morning we were served a traditional Kazakh breakfast included baursak, (fried dough), homemade bread accompanied by margarine and homemade butter (clearly the winner, rich, fatty, and straight from the family’s cows) and delicious fruit jams, a small cucumber and tomato salad, and porridge.
An antique - our bus from the USSR era but still capable of making a road trip. We only took this bus during our drive to Kaindy Lake.
Kaindy Lake
We filled up on breakfast after a five hour nap, then departed for Kaindy Lake. However since the road to the lake is quite bumpy and sometimes flooded by the rivers, we changed vehicles and ended up with a mini bus from the Soviet era. Not a 4WD but still capable of getting us to our destination!
Kaindy Lake was formed in 1911 as a result of earthquake. The lake previously was a valley of pine trees situated below a glacial river, but after the earthquake, the river flooded the valley to create Kaindy Lake and submerge the trees in the valley. This is how Kaindy Lake got famous for its “underwater trees”. While the trees look magical, seemingly growing underwater, they are quite dead and have been for over one hundred years. They’ve been rotting in the lake but the process has been slow since the glacial water is cold and slows the rate of decay.
“Kaindy” means birch tree in Kazakh, but the trees in the lake are actually pine trees rather than birch trees. The lake is called Kaindy Lake because the lake used to be located behind a forest of birch trees so the locals used the birch trees as a way to direct people to the lake.
After our visit to Kaindy Lake we stopped by Saty for lunch, which consisted of plov (a rice pilaf), a cabbage and carrot salad, and of course, lots of bread.
A blurry photo of our Kazakh lunch.
Kolsai Lakes
After lunch we headed to Kolsai (Kolsay) Lakes, which are located in the Tian Shan mountain range. There are three lakes known as Lower, Middle, and Upper or Kolsai 1, 2, 3 (very creative, I know!). Kolsai 1 is the most popular as it is easily accessible by car and a scenic spot to picnic or take a leisurely walk. Kolsai 2 is around 2500m in altitude and a 8km hike from the first lake. The last lake, Kolsai 3, is 4km away from Kolsai 2 and only 6km away from the Kyrgyzstan border!
A small group of us decided to try to make the 16km round trip hike to Kolsai 2 as we had heard that this lake was supposedly more beautiful than Kolsai 1. We were in a bit of a time crunch having only been allotted four hours of free time, so we hiked at a fast pace. It seemed like the trail and its multiple uphills were never-ending, especially since we were in a time crunch, but we ended up making it to Kolsai 2 and back well within the time limit. This hike definitely made me grateful for being athletic and for having healthy and strong legs!
I was quite hungry after a long day of hiking and was happy to see some manti (Kazakh dumplings) for dinner! They were filled with lamb and potatoes and accompanied by bread, cookies and a cabbage and carrot salad.
I ended my day with a refreshing hot shower - it was so good to feel clean! We spent the evening around a bonfire where twinkle lights hung above our heads, creating a magical ending to our day. We danced and sang the night away, playing games you’d find at summer camp, like Ninja and Musical Chairs, and swapping stories as we watched the
Postcards from Almaty: First impressions
Almaty is my first stop in Kazakhstan and has been an easy transition into Central Asia. It’s been comforting to spend time in a city that feels familiar as it closely resembles a Western European city. However most people don’t speak English; Russian and Kazakh are the primary languages here and Google Translate has been my best friend.
I’ve spent my week here hiking in the Tien Shan mountains, hopping from bougie cafe to bougie cafe to catch up on personal admin, and trying to “do nothing” in order to not burn out after traveling non-stop for two months. Sending you some postcards from my time here so far - as always, please click on each postcard for more info!
