Victory Day!

While different countries have different versions of the World War II history, the sacrifice of the Soviet people in defeating fascism should never be forgotten. 64 years have passed, but May 9 or Victory Day is remembered and celebrated in Kazakhstan.

Yesterday we took a walk at the Panfilov Park, where the main festivities took place. Vincent were sleeping despite the live concert at high volume.

In front of the war memorial in remembrance those who died during the second world war, people laid flowers at the site of the Eternal Flame. Thousands of flowers! Another park, just behind the "spaceship" house we live in. The park is so well groomed that the police station is placed there. I love yellow tulips, suddenly it reminds me of "Yellow tulips/Желтые тюльпаны" song by Natasha Koroleva. It was my first summer camp, I was 13.

One rainy day

Some pics from chilly and rainy Almaty... Spring is beautiful in any weather...

Non-boring weather

Don't knock the weather;
nine-tenths of the people couldn't start
a conversation if it didn't change once in a while.
Kin Hubbard

Almaty three days ago, sunny, warm and outdoor seating, + 21 C.

Almaty yesterday, lots of snow, cold and refreshing, + 3-5 C.

Panfilov Park

Located right in the middle of the city Panfilov Park attracts all kind of people and animals. You can also see lots of couples kissing on the benches. My role as paparazzi is useless, I don't dare to disturb their privacy by taking pictures.

Glimpses of Almaty

One sunny day I took a picture of the the Ascension Cathedral. It is said to be the second tallest wooden building in the world (54m).

Entrance to the Uzbek restaurant "Kishlak". Good food and entertainment programme.

Arasan Baths with three types of bath : Russian, Finnish and Turkish. We have to go there one day. The birch beating and massage in the Russian sauna are very popular.

Twin Towers of Almaty.

Karaoke Bar "ZAPOI". Well, if you understand Russian, you get the double meaning ;)

Schtraffmen and parking

"You know, somebody actually complimented
me on my driving today.
They left a little note on the windscreen,
it said 'Parking Fine.' So that was nice.

If you are looking for parking lots in Almaty, don't waste your time. You can park wherever you are able to put your car. Parking on the pavements is also ok, as you see. Just be careful, your safety is not guaranteed.
On the other side you see Almaty traffic police, called informally "schtraffmen" among expats.

Later I will tell you why, it's a separate topic for discussion.

The Green Bazaar has everything!

The central market, known as the Green Bazaar and "зеленка" in Russian, located in the center of the city is a must if you are in Almaty for a visit.

For those who are from Stockholm, it looks like a huge Hötorgetshallen with negotiable prices and wild atmosphere. Here you can find everything: traditional eastern spices, mobile phones, gold, sushi rolls, pirate DVDs etc.

The Central Asian market is nothing without dried fruits and nuts.
This is a guy from Tajikistan selling dried fruits. Yesterday he told me what raisins are best for plov. I get really good advice for cooking here.

There is even a sex shop and the entrance fee is 50 tenge ( about 0,4 USD) ;)

Kok Tobe

Curiosity is the best guide

Today I took a short trip to the Kok Tobe mountain. The mountain is connected to downtown Almaty by an aerial tramway. In 10 minutes it takes you to the top of the mountain. It also shows you how polluted the city is. On the picture you can see the skyline divided by grey and blue zones.
The Kok Tobe mountain is a typical tourist place with number of restaurants serving all from national dishes to pizza and burgers. There are also art galleries, a mini-zoo, amusement activities and souvenir shops. Most of the places were closed but I enjoyed being in the park almost alone.

You can also find ... a bronze statue of the Beatles surrounded by the speakers playing the Beatles music. Some fans of the Beatles raised some money to get the statue up on the Kok Tobe. Sorry, I just don't see any connection between the mountain, Almaty and the Beatles.

Day and night from my window

As I wrote before, we live on the 11th floor and this is the view from my window. I wonder how it looks like from the highest 22nd floor.

In reality is looks facsinating, especially at night. I have to be better in taking night pictures, leave me some space for improvement.

The Television tower you see in the background is 370 m high and the highest one above see level (1000 m). Since Almaty is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes , the TV tower was designed to withstand earthquakes up to a strength of 10 on the Richter scale. I've heard that the tower is a popular look-out area over the city. We have to go there and take some nice pics!

Twilight in Almaty

Here are some pics from yesterday

Almaty has its own Eiffel Tower, located in front of the so-called " French House" where they sell perfume.