Almaty: The Greenest city
Most would be disappointed by the weather that met me in Almaty, but the drizzling rain in this verdant city makes me nostalgic for my hometown of Portland, and this makes my visit good. If Almaty ever develops an accomodation alternative for budget travelers the masses will swarm to its beautiful tree-lined streets, seemingly a stone’s throw from the Alatau Mountains to the south. Pity I can’t see these peaks today, but the pictures I’ve seen are nice and I understand why the residents walk confidently with pride in their surroundings.
Kazakhstan is in the middle of an economic bubble sparked by the large oil fields in the Caspian Sea. What this means for the budget backpacker is that it’s simply not a great destination. Unfortunately since land prices are rising as fast as oil exports, there doesn’t appear to be any short-term hope for budget hostels sprouting up. Sorry Borat, you’ll have to park your cow in a flat in Kyrgyzstan.
My arrival here marks the beginning of a new stage in my journey; the Central Asian leg with all its mysterious ‘stans. It doesn’t take long walking these streets for an unexpected culture shock to hit me: For the first time in a long while I blend in. Almaty is a mix of Euro-Asian faces and make caucasian mug can pass for a Russki. Three people come up to me today asking for directions, an occurence unheard of in my east Asian travels in the past three years. The verdict is still out as to whether it’s better to stand out or blend in. Stay tuned.
Tags: Eurasia: Marco Polo-in' it, Kazakhstan
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I love your blog, bud, just hate myself everytime I check in!
It’s great stuff and all the best from sunny Scarborough, the Compton of Canada!
Gambatte brother