The train ride from Astana was fairly non eventful…this time we shared our compact compartment with a mother and her two children! Vladimir picked us up and we were soon feeling happily at home in his guesthouse.

We have visited the National Museum, Musical Instrument Museum, Gorky(Central) Park, the Green Market, Shakespeare Pub and today we went on a cable car up the mountain. It was just lovely! The view was excellent…Almaty doesn’t seem that big from the ground. Had a go on the Ferris wheel too! Looked at the animals in their scruffy cages…chickens, doves and peacocks mostly…oh yes and a couple of “emu ostriches” from Australia. There were abundant restaurants and souvenir shops, but we came back down the mountain, had a beer and a pizza for lunch and walked around town.

For dinner we returned to the same restaurant and had Georgian red wine as well as lamb kebabs…delicious! Tomorrow we are off to Uzbekistan. The guesthouse we have been staying at on Sadavoya St has been delightful, highly recommended if you are ever in Almaty!

Jumping castle on top of the hill

Albino Peacock?

Ready to perform at Gorky Park

The crowd went wild at Gorky Park

Russian Orthodox Church

Entrance to Gorky Park

Not quite the Russian Grannies, but almost!

String instrument with knucklebones

Mmm, hooves and horns as instruments