10/04/04

Wow, so much to tell!! We had the best day! This morning Emil took us to the mountains! It was a beautiful day for it, the sky was mostly clear and the temperature was in the high 70’s. We headed out at about 11am. I’m not sure why I thought the ride would be longer than it was. Before you knew it we were heading up a winding road with new construction on each side. We now understand who shops in the upscale stores in downtown Almaty and at the Silk Way Shopping Center ($$$$). The houses were very nice with a lot of windows and fantastic views looking up the mountains. The air was notably cleaner as we left the city. The leaves were changing much more on the outskirts of the city than downtown where we are. The birch trees have yellow leaves and there were a few apple trees w/ red leaves. As we looked over the guard rails we saw a very clear river. The water was flowing quickly over beautiful stones and a few gathering pools where Emil told us people Polar Bear Swim in the winter. BRRRR…the water looked icy in October, we could only imagine how cold it would be when the snow was melting while the river was draining it away from the mountain. We asked Emil if he ever took a dip, he said “No.” We asked if he would do it if we tried the camel milk, he said “No.”, we then upped the offer to Camel and Horse Milk, still “No.”. No sense in adding in Horsemeat, he was not going to go for it.

We entered the public park and the admittance was 200 tenge. Emil was very familiar with the sites and showed us the structures/barricades in place in case of avalanche or mudslide at the base of the mountain. We started up the hill and he pulled off to the side of the road to let us have a close up look at the river, he walked us over to a small footbridge for a really nice view. Across the river there was a yurt set up as a café where you could have lunch. (A yurt is a nomadic dwelling that was used by the Kazaks as they traveled through the steppes, it looks like a round tent with a hole in the top to let the smoke out from the cooking area).

After this stop we proceeded up the hill, we saw horses roaming free on the side of the road, several bulls grazing, and at our next scenic stop, donkeys!! The scenery was breathtaking and we were so glad we waited for a clearer day to go. The aspen trees grow up one side of the mountain and the birch on the other, making a stark contrast of pine green and yellow foliage. We looked down over a very large outdoor skating rink that had been used for an international competition. It was being restored and must be breathtaking in the winter. What a wonderful afternoon outing in the fresh air, the mountains all around and a hot toddy! Next time.

We looked down into a valley where a damn had previously been. New trees were coming up and there were dirt paths along the edge. Hikers and passers by had taken large stones and spelled out words that could be seen from above. What a nice change from the spray paint that would have been used back at home. After this stop, we went upward still. The hills became very steep and twisted so that we could continue our ascent. The view just got better and better as we came closer to the white capped mountains. Emil grew concerned about his car as he was using low gear and the engine was heating up. We stopped at the ski lifts and let the car cool down. Mom and I headed over to the picnic tables and ordered ourselves a drink and some Pringles, while Jeff and Emil took the lift half way up the mountain. We expected the trip up to be a short ride, they were gone nearly a half an hour. Jeff took some photos of the view. We will share them below.

When they returned to the bottom, their hands were cold and they were ready to have a snack. We were sitting with the children, enjoying the air and views when the guys at the table behind us heard us speaking in English. The largest of the group started speaking to us, the only thing we could make out was "Kansas City", so we smiled and tried hard to pick up on other words. He then had one of the smaller guys stand up and show us his shirt. The shirt was a red/white/blue motif and had a boxer in the middle of it. Emil started to help us with the translation when he reached the table. These were international boxers who represent Kazakhstan and the big guy was their trainer. They were in the mountains training where the air is thinner so that their lungs will be strong when they fight at sea level. The trainer kept coming over to our table and shaking our hands, he then offered for us to have our picture taken. We happily obliged. They were very nice guys and smiled big. See below...

Once the excitement of meeting the Kazak celebrities quited down, we settled in with the menu. Emil said that this was not the place to order horse, so we escaped that once again. I was especially thankful of this since I was worried it might have been one of the furry fellows we passed on the way up. Jeff ordered an omelet and had a chicken kabob, mom and I split a cucumber salad and tried to share it with Emil he took only a few small pieces. We each ordered a lamb kabob which was very good. I shared mine with a cat that was looking at me with hungry eyes. We ordered a few beers and a litre of Coke, once again for a mere $26. for four. It was a great ending to a wonderful afternoon.

After lunch we headed back to the apartment. Jeff and I snoozed a little while mom stood on baby duty. (and dooty). The kids had a fun time in the tubby and were sporting their ducky outfits, we snapped a few more pictures of them and enjoyed playing with them on the floor for a few hours. I think the fresh air did them good as they have a pink oxygenated glow in their cheeks. They also seemed to be even happier than normal. Their diets have been improving and we are balancing the meals with fruit and vegetables without the terrible repercussions of the first few weeks. This is also helping to extend their over night sleeping time and reduce the fussiness when its time for a nap. Overall, they are doing great and I’m hoping we can maintain this pattern through the flight home.

Tonight, Jeff cooked for us, frozen pizza with vegetables and Italian ham. He was very proud of the meal he prepared and we said how good it was because we were very hungry. Gulnara and Emil stopped by with our schedule for the rest of the week. We need to go to the clinic, the embassy and also to drop off our donations in Ecik. Tomorrow we will head to Talgar City, the birth city of McCale and then to Ecik, then to the clinic for their exams required for the exit visa to the US. It looks like we are really heading into the home stretch, and we have to plan our days carefully so that mom and I can shop some more.

I wanted to mention... I know I have said I would stay here longer, and I would. A piece of my heart will always be here as I am so thankful for the wonderful people and gifts we have received. I DO however miss you ALL dearly, I wanted to be clear that I'm missing you and think of you each and every day. Please don't think that homesickness has not struck, I have tried to enjoy each moment for what it is worth, I am cherishing them and would never wish them away.

Take care everyone, more tomorrow.
Colene, Jeff, Gramma Marilyn, McCale and Karleigh.


Dear Karleigh and McCale, if you are reading this someday, please don't make fun of Mommy for her spelling or grammar, she is usually very tired when she writes this. XO me