Trip to Charyn Canyon

I had a little trouble uploading these shots last weekend, but here they are.

The trip to Charyn Canyon was a lot of fun and worth the 3-hour ride (each way). One thing that struck me was how close you needed to be to realize that there was a canyon out here. For the last hour or more driving up to the site, all you could see was flat steppe with just the occasional herd of sheep to provide some variety in the view.

After we climbed down into the canyon, it was amazing to see the stone structures created by the combination of wind, rain, and river. In some places, there were rocks that looked ready to come tumbling down at any moment. You couldn't help but wonder what was keeping them in place.

The trail ended at a fast-moving river, and there was a nice spot for lunch right alongside.

Photos from Charyn Canyon

Would you like to hold my eagle?

First, let me say that this should be a picture of me holding the eagle, but I didn't find out until too late that I could have paid 200 tenge (maybe $1.25) to hold this eagle. This is our tour guide Karla who knows everyone in Kazakhstan, and the guy let her do it for free.

Eagles can weigh anywhere from 10 to 20 pounds, and there is a special apparatus that young kids and horsemen use to get extra support when holding an eagle. The thick, leather glove is a must for dealing with the razor-sharp talons.

After our trip to the canyon, we stopped at a museum of eagle hunting and learned that Kazakh hunters use eagles to take down rabbits, foxes, and even wolves. On the wall of the museum was a wolf skin that looked about 7 feet long -- the owner said it was the biggest wolf they had seen an eagle take down. Eagle hunting season doesn't start for a couple more weeks, but it would be pretty cool to see a demo of hunting with eagles.

Village Market

There's nothing much like a local market in a developing country. Here, in a town called Baisejt, our tour group made a pit stop on our return from Charyn Canyon.

Fruits and vegetables are still in season, so many vendors had colorful displays of apples, plums, tomatoes, melons, and much more. Just about all the vendors were on this side of the street, and the booths stretched for probably two city blocks.

There were also people selling children's toys, bread, and shashlik -- grilled skewers of meat that you can find in restaurants and at street-corner vendors all over Kazakhstan. Tasty stuff, but I haven't tried the horsemeat shashlik yet.

The Book of Wishes

Not far from where I live, there is a monument to the history of Kazakhstan. In a semi-circle around this pillar are scenes from the nomadic past, Russian and Soviet administration, and recent independence.

At the base of the pillar is a bronze cast of a book with the imprint of a hand. Visitors place their hand into the space and make a wish. I'm sure other people wish for a prosperous future for Kazakhstan. I wished for more wishes. I don't think it worked.

Apple Fest 2010

The name Almaty originated at Alma-Ata, which translates to "Father of Apples". A recent BBC news posting explained that apples came from southern Kazakhstan.

Last weekend, I went to the Apple Fest, mostly to look for some good apple pie, but also to see what events and activities were lined up.

As you can see, there were quite a few tents set up for vendors of all things apple related. By the time I got there, most of the stuff had been bought, eaten, or both. Fortunately, I was able to get a piece of apple pie, but it wasn't quite as good as my friend's choice of apple strudel. I was disappointed to find out that they were not offering rides in the hot air balloon visible in the background. There was also live music with quite a few Kazakh performers. It made a nice backdrop for eating the pie and drinking a little coffee.

Zenkov Cathedral

This cathedral also sits in Panfilov Park, and the bright colors are amazing. According to the travel guide, this cathedral was built in 1911 and made entirely of wood, including the nails that hold it together.

Panfilov Park War Memorial

The Soviet Union was very proud of its accomplishments in World War II, and I've been told that every city has a memorial and eternal flame. In Almaty, this statue sits just in front of the flame, and it's just plain impressive.

President's Fountain

Fortunately, the last Monday was a holiday, so I was able to do some sightseeing. This is a fountain memorial dedicated to Nursultan Nazarbaev, the first and current president of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

This photo is from the inside, looking out to the entrance gate. Outside is another fountain, slightly smaller than the one seen here. In the lower right, you can see the start of an incline that leads nearly all the way around the fountain and has a series of small cascades. This place has a lot of moving water.