At Home in Almaty

Prior to our trip to Turkestan (the next post), we had a perfectly domestic week in Almaty. We made plenty of trips to the bakery, vegetable store and coffee shop, and explored the city.  Kat enjoyed another morning at the Botanic Gardens, this time with paints in tow. We were also able to meet Nuray, Jackie and their brother at the climbing gym and afterward we went out for burgers with the family in the park near our apartment. We had the chance to try delightful Georgian soda which we had previously avoided thinking it was alcoholic.

On Wednesday, we made a visit to the archaeology museum, part of a complex of four museums at the National Academy of Sciences. In addition to the archaeology, we saw exhibits on rare books, the animals of Kazakhstan and the history of science in Kazakhstan.  We had a bit of confusion getting in, as the ticket buying process involves getting four individual tickets, which are also documented in a series of handwritten forms.  A surprising amount of work was involved in our $1 tickets. Once inside, we leap frogged the exhibits with a large group of boisterous school children.  There’s nothing particularly mind-boggling among the exhibits, but it was fund to wander.

We’ll be heading back to Minnesota in a week, but right now, Almaty feels like home.