The Steppe

Southern Kazakhstan

October 12, 2018

Here's a "Pop Quiz."

A camel with one hump is known as a Dromedary camel.  (Camelus dromedarius found in Africa, Arabia and South Asia)

What is the correct name for the camel with two humps? (Found on the Steppe of Central Asia)

Prize for the first correct answer: 

One liter of verblyuzh'ye moloko. 

Saty Village Guest House

Kungey Alatau Mountain Range

Near the Border of Kyrgyzstan

Saty, Kazakhstan

October 13, 2018

Hello Fellow Travelers,

The trip from the Guest House to Kolsai Lake is an easy thirty-minute drive over a lovely paved road.

Kolsai Lake lies about 1700m above sea level (5577 ft).  It has an odd shape and the surrounding Kungey mountains provide a diversity of shadows and an attractive background.

Several young Kazakh visitors join me at the viewpoint above the lake.  The more adventurous and energetic travelers hike up from the lakeshore below.  (At 1700m - more than a mile high - I think I’ll just admire the view.)

Taldykorgan

Almaty Region

Kazakhstan

October 8, 2018

Hello,

The visit to the Buddha Petroglyphs at Tamgaly-Tas is a long somewhat bumpy and sometimes gentle ride across the Steppe and then down into the gorge for a leisurely stroll along the riverbank.  The setting is peaceful and picturesque:  rugged cliffs to the left and the river on the right.  In the grasslands on the opposite shore, horses graze unperturbed and indifferent to our presence.

Legend has it that a caravan was moving to the river when an earthquake dislodged huge boulders that rolled into the water forming a river crossing.  The pilgrims took it as a blessing from the gods.

Almaty (pop 1.5 million)

Kazakhstan (18 million)

October 7, 2018

Clear and Cool

Dear Friends,

When I planned my trip to Kazakhstan, I never expected to be almost immobile after I arrived.  I should have checked the elevation of Almaty, my first stop. (700-900 m or 2300-3000 ft)

For two or three days I am quite dizzy and barely able to leave my hotel room except to eat lunch and dinner at a nearby restaurant and to buy a Kazakhstan SIM card at the local telephone company.

I do manage to visit the State Museum and to have dinner with my charming Facebook friend Sardana and her friend and their young daughters.

L’viv

Ukraine

June 18, 2018

                            You Can read Cyrillic

In the photo galley I posted from Uzhhorod, Ukraine, in the caption under the photograph of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, I deliberately mentioned the exact location:  Cyril and Methodius Square.

Who are Cyril and Methodius?

L’viv

Ukraine

June 16, 2018

I decide to rent a car for a few days and drive from L’viv to Uzhhorod and back.

Along the way I visit several villages and rural churches.

The mountain scenery is quite lovely.

On the way back to L’viv I stop for lunch.  I order soup and salad and potato pancakes.

In fact, throughout my trip in Ukraine I feast on food from “the Old Country”