Friday, September 11
After breakfast, we set off at 9:00 AM for the city tour. The local guide who will show us around the city is waiting in the lobby. We walk to the metro station, and along the way, she tells us about the city’s history. Riding the metro, we see the stations’ various themes, including space exploration. We head to the next station and come up to street level. In the square stands a statue of Abay, a famous Kazakh figure. Nearby is Hotel Kazachstan, a striking Soviet-era tower built to be earthquake-resistant. We walk down the hill towards the Park of the 28 Guardsmen. We pass through the park to reach the world’s largest wooden Russian Orthodox church and the monument to fallen soldiers—a massive structure featuring a sculpture of soldiers. It is an impressive sight. In the afternoon, we enjoy a successful wine tasting at Arbo, and afterwards we take the cable car up to enjoy the view while having a bite to eat and a drink.
The next day, we head deep into the mountains and arrive at a large parking lot filled with countless cars and vans. We enter Charyn Canyon via a flight of stairs and then continue our descent along a path through the canyon, surrounded by rock formations and stunning views on both sides. We eat our packed lunch in the shade by the river before taking a slow walk back. After a two-hour drive, we encounter another large crowd; it is the weekend, and these are popular outings for the people of Almaty. We descend another flight of stairs and follow a long boardwalk along Kölsay Lake, which is beautifully situated amidst green mountains. We end the day at Homestay Zhanar in Saty. A quick look at the Milky Way outside, and then it’s time to sleep.
On Sunday, we head into the mountains in an authentic Buhanka—a Soviet van that is still in production but decidedly dated. The grandfather is driving, and his grandson is happy to tag along. Forty-five minutes later, we arrive at the parking area, where a few hundred horses are already waiting by the roadside for visitors. It promises to be busy later, but for now, it is quiet. We walk mostly along a steel bridge that follows the river upstream. The mountain landscape is a stunning green. Upon reaching Lake Kaindy, we witness a remarkable sight: dead spruce trees standing in the water—apparently for over a century—the result of a landslide. It makes for a beautiful picture. After lunch, we visit Black Canyon—a magnificent gorge with a fast-flowing river—and Moon Canyon.
