Welcome to Kazakhstan, my 135th Visit and 130th Run UN Country out of a total of 193. As usual, after the last lot of photos below is a brief summary of the country of Kazakhstan and ten interesting facts that set this country apart.
THIS IS BORAT COUNTRY but I have no thong !!! Instead, I shall wear my budgie-smugglers the whole time !!!
This is the ONLY Post of Kazakhstan so please set some time aside to indulge in a fascinating country…
My journey to my last Stan started at 6am. I rejoined the truck after 7 days off it. Bishkek was also my longest single-place stay = 6 nights. It was a great stay. We rolled out of this great city at 7am and made it to the border just after 8am as it is only 22km from Bishkek. Then it was time for another jump !!! Yes, 6 of us in total decided to hire a 7-seat people mover to take us directly to Almaty instead of bush camping with the truck that night. Another full day gained in the largest city to use for a day tour. Excellent. After some negotiation we settled for $10USD each to take us 209km to Almaty. Once in the car I showed the driver our hostel address and it appeared that he did not want to take us there because it was in the centre of town !!! Maybe these cars go from one hub to another like a bus station. We would solve this once we were closer. This driver was crazy, driving fast and playing loud local music – it sounded like the music in the film BORAT !!! Laughed but not for long. He refused to put on the aircon saying he wanted extra money. What did we get ourselves into !!! We stopped at a petrol station and we paid him half our total fare for fuel which is only 80 cents Ozzie per litre as Kazakhstan has huge crude oil reserves. Lucky for me I found someone in the petrol station who spoke some English and he confirmed that these drivers only cover travel from the border to a central bus station. It would cost us two taxis at 7000 each to get to the hotel so I asked him to help me negotiate with our driver and eventually settled on an extra 6000 for all of us – this meant $12USD each to go from the border to the hostel including aircon. Fingers crossed.
The landscape in the first hour was rolling green-yellow hills. The mountains of Kyrgyzstan had disappeared. Eventually it went completely flat hovering around 700m elevation. The road was generally good. So good that our driver danced to his own local music saying “OPA” like the Greeks – what a revelation !!! About 50km out distant mountains started to appear. Almaty, like Tehran, has the snow-covered Tian-Shan mountain range as a spectacular backdrop. Our hostel was very well located in the centre with a supermarket selling wine next door – bliss !!! We arrived around 1230pm leaving me plenty of time to start my first solo walk of one third of the city. I would do the other two thirds tomorrow after my morning 130th UN Country run !!! My first impressions of Almaty were great. This city is modern, full of trees and some spectacular grand buildings left over from the Soviet Era but well-kept by the Kazaks who are still very friendly with and pro-Russian. I saw the following attractions: Park of the 28 Guardsmen (Zenkov's Cathedral, War Monument, Military Museum, Folk Musical Instrument Museum), Central Mosque, Zeleny Green Bazaar, Zhibek Zholy Pedestrian Mall (Magnum Supermarket), Town Hall, National Bank of Kazakhstan, Kazakh British Technical University, Astana Square & Park, Old Soviet Dialin Hotel. My last stop was the large Magnum supermarket in the middle of town selling plenty of hot food which I enjoyed that night turning in early for my run and huge solo-walk the next day.
Almaty (Pop 2,249,400. Elev 886m) is the largest city in Kazakhstan, the 2nd largest in Central Asia and was the Capital until 1997 when it was transferred to Astana. It was first settled in 1000-801BC and founded as a modern capital in 1854. Despite no longer being the capital, Almaty remains the most cosmopolitan and influential city in Kazakhstan, often regarded as the nation's cultural and financial heart, and is colloquially referred to as the "Southern Capital". The city was also a contender to host the 2022 Winter Olympics but lost the bid. The city has a very busy airport and the Almaty Metro which opened in 2011. Additionally, buses and trolleybuses contribute to the city's comprehensive public transport system. Almaty is a base for nearby ski resorts and the world’s highest-altitude skating rink. Almaty is celebrated for its green spaces, with numerous urban parks, tree-lined streets, and fountains, contributing to its reputation as one of the greenest cities in the region. The city’s skyline blends historical Soviet-era buildings with modern skyscrapers, symbolizing its ongoing economic development and evolving identity.
I was so relieved to run my 10km in Almaty to complete running in all 5 Stans !!! The pressure was off. I could now focus on running to stay fit in China in preparation for my final run in Mongolia in 3 weeks time. Boy, how time flies. So happy that I had sunshine when I started my solo-walk at around 10am. Running here revealed excellent wide roads and plenty of footpaths. Lots of modern buildings mixed in with the old Soviet ones – a real balance of old and new. Almaty is not as polished and modern as Tashkent but very progressive and open to tourists. Russians top the list but Indians have exceeded the Chinese as the number 2 visitors. This was a huge day. I walked 15km and visited more attractions here than in any other Stan City: Curia of the Most Holy Trinity Diocese Building, National Academy of Science, Hotel Kazakhstan (Oldest & Most Expensive), Caspian University, Ploshchad Abaya Square & Convention Centre, Kok Tobe Cable Car & Amusement Park, Central State Museum, Old Parliament Building, Old Soviet Icicle Building, Dawn of Freedom Monument, Independence Monument & Square, Metro (Abay to Zhibek Zholy Stations), Zenkov's Cathedral (Sunshine).
The highlight was the cable car to Kok Tobe Amusement Park – the views of the city from here are terrific. I ended the day riding the new underground metro which was a scaled-down replica of the Moscow Metro with lavish marble and sculptures between the platforms but not the chandeliers, artwork and size of Moscow stations. I was exhausted on my return after a 10km run and 15km walk in 34C heat. I napped for an hour and prepared for the farewell dinner tonight for 10 people finishing in Almaty and another 5 joining for the Northern China segment. 30 of us gathered together at 730pm occupying half the restaurant with plenty of drinks and some great food. It was a great night of singing and reminiscing the last 2mths of journey. I hope you like Almaty as much as I did…
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Tue 10JUN began at 8am with a pickup from Yerkin, the driver and guide for a private hike by me, William, Tyne and Emily to the “Big Almaty Lake” just 15km from the city. The lake is not big but named after a neighbouring gorge which is in fact BIG. The day was overcast but at least it was cool. The hike started with a novelty – a big long one. We hiked next to a huge water pipe built by the Soviets in the 1950’s to carry the fresh drinking water from dammed Big Almaty Lake to the city via a hydroelectric plant 5km downstream. The lake provides 25% of Almaty’s drinking water. We hiked to a waterfall and pool before the pipe which was steep and muddy. The pool was icy cold. The subsequent pipe walk started at 20 degrees incline but easy since it used metal steps followed by a well-defined path with few rocks. It was a 5km trek to the lake arriving to the sound of thunder and low cloud licking the sides of three huge mountains covered in tall spruce forests that led down to the lake. One of these is in Kyrgyzstan since the lake is next to the border. The lake itself was only half-full due to a mild winter not producing enough melted snow. When full, the lake is 1.6km by 1km and 40m deep. The surface is 2,516m above sea level. We hiked from 1,851m at the car park to 2,588m at the viewpoint above the lake. We returned to the car via the road, walking 9km through two stunning valleys. It was a satisfying day with a descent return at 330pm. Enough time to relax, blog and indulge in well-earned wine, cheese and olives before a delicious dinner of beef and chicken roast veggie salads. Aren’t you glad you did not have to hike the 14km to see these images of The Big Almaty Lake…
I tried to execute a third jump from the truck so I could visit Astana, the Capital of Kazakhstan but it was simply too expensive with only one day there and I would miss the Charyn Canyon which is supposed to be the “Grand Canyon” of Kazakhstan. The flight alone from Astana to Urumqi in China was $550AUD then add the $100AUD flight from Almaty to Astana, accom and taxis and it was close to $1000AUD for one day in Astana and no Canyon – no deal !!! So, I woke at 630am and by 8am I was back on the truck and on my way to Charyn Canyon. The first two hours presented us with lush green farmland straddling the Tian-Shan mountain range that separates Kazakhstan from Kyrgyzstan. We then entered a gorge with jagged cliffs either side. Before noon the gorge disappeared leaving us with vast open plains with yellow-green grassland and absolutely no trees. Around noon the strangest shaped rocky formations started to appear indicating the canyon was close. At 1230pm, there it was. A mini Grand Canyon. All the shapes, all the colours, all the crevasses only on a smaller scale. We found a great camping spot in the dunes near the entrance and at 130pm I was off and running. It was a 1.8km trek along the top at 1,233m elevation to shoot amazing vistas into the canyon. Once this assignment was finished it was a staircase down into the canyon and a 2.5km hike to the Charyn River for a lovely 17C dip and return. Wait to you see the canyon sides leading down there. Got back to the truck in time for Culture Club (wine, cheese and olives) at 5pm. Had to eat down all my cheese since it is not allowed across the China border tomorrow. That evening we ate truck-cooked Paella overlooking the canyon and my tent had views out to the canyon… Here it is…
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KAZAKHSTAN IN A NUTSHELL
Kazakhstan is the world's ninth-largest country by land area and the largest landlocked country. Hilly plateaus and plains account for nearly half its vast territory, with lowlands composing another third; its southern and eastern frontiers are composed of low mountainous regions. Kazakhstan has one of the lowest population densities in the world, with fewer than 6 people per square kilometre (16 people/sq mi). Ethnic Kazakhs constitute a majority, while ethnic Russians form a significant minority. Officially secular, Kazakhstan is a Muslim-majority country with a sizeable Christian community.
Kazakhstan has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era (2.5 million years ago to 10,000 BC). In antiquity, various nomadic Iranian peoples such as the Saka, Massagetae, and Scythians dominated the territory, with the Achaemenid Persian Empire expanding towards the south. Turkic nomads entered the region from the sixth century. In the 13th century, the area was subjugated by the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan. Following the disintegration of the Golden Horde in the 15th century, the Kazakh Khanate was established over an area roughly corresponding with modern Kazakhstan. By the 18th century, the Kazakh Khanate had fragmented into three jüz (tribal divisions), which were gradually absorbed and conquered by the Russian Empire; by the mid-19th century, all of Kazakhstan was nominally under Russian rule. In 1936, the Soviet government settled Russians and other ethnicities in the republic, which resulted in ethnic Kazakhs being a minority during the Soviet era. Kazakhstan was the last constituent republic of the Soviet Union to declare independence in 1991 during its dissolution.
Kazakhstan dominates Central Asia both economically and politically, accounting for 60 percent of the region's GDP, primarily through its oil and gas industry. It also has vast mineral resources, ranking among the highest producers of iron and silver in the world. It is a unitary constitutional republic with an authoritarian government.
Russian novelist Dostoyevsky lived in Semey Kazakhstan from 1857 to 1859 while in exile. Home to the weird sport of KOKPAR in two teams on horseback attempt to collect a freshly slaughtered headless goat body from the field. Horsemeat is a big part of Kazakh cuisine – so much so that it was shipped out to their athletes at the 2012 London Olympics. World’s No 1 producer and exporter of Uranium with 43% of the world’s supply. The EU invests the most amount of money in Kazakhstan (54.8 billion euro in 2022) because it is the largest trading partner.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT KAZAKHSTAN:
1. Largest landlocked & no ocean coastline country in the world. 9thlargest country globally. Longest land border globally with Russia.
2. Has coastline on Caspian Sea – world’s largest inland body of water (huge lake = 1.6 UKs).
3. Has 2 Capital Cities: Astana (Future focused) & Almaty (from Past).
4. Home to the world’s first & still largest operational space launch facility. Built 1955 by Russia & put the first satellite (Sputnik 1) and the first person (Yuri Gagarin) into Earth orbit.
5. Home to over 130 Ethnic Groups due to occupation by several Empires including BORAT, the original 2006 movie.
6. Famous for using trained Golden Eagles to hunt foxes (for fur) & hares (for food).
7. Home to world’s 15th largest & strangest Lake Balkhash: western end is fresh water & western end is saltwater.
8. Birthplace of the APPLE: Malus Sieversii variety first to grow wild in forests of Almaty.
9. First in history (3500-3000BC) to tame & domesticate wild horses.
10. Home to the world’s highest ice-skating rink: MEDEO at 1,691m.
KAZAKHSTAN SUMMARY
END OF KAZAKHSTAN
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