I love having a lifestyle that allows me to travel to new places several times per year. I also enjoy novel experiences and Astana certainly fits that bill. It is distinct due to the absolute flatness of the treeless steppe, the newness of the city (since 1997) and the Siberian air currents bringing cold temperatures and high winds making it the second coldest capital in the world. Growing up in the upper Great Lakes region in Michigan, walking outside here reminds me of my childhood, with the frozen sidewalks, snow, and biting cold. It differs however with Michigan having hills and valleys and lots of trees. The flat grid structure of the city combined with mostly high rise buildings would be a bit monotonous after a while. However, for a short visit, it is great and a refreshing change from Tashkent.
Impressions of Astana and Kazakhstan
- The Kazakhs love dry heat! Every place we go to, restaurants, hotel, school, I have to take off my hoodie because I start sweating. We turned off the radiator in our room from 5 to 0 to keep it a tolerable level of heat. It is similar to the USA in the summer regards to air conditioning. I complain that I need to wear a sweater in the summer because of the strong AC.
- The Kazakhs are not a friendly and open as the Uzbeks are to foreigners and as a culture in general. They were not rude, just not as friendly and expressive.
- Lots of people walk outside despite the cold temps and icy sidewalks.
- Kazakhstan is about 5x richer than Uzbekistan and you can see with its development and sophistication. I noticed more Chinese businessmen in the hotel and around the city than I see in Tashkent. One person commented that the country sold its soul to the Russians and Chinese in developing their petroleum industry.
I really enjoyed the week in Astana and it makes me want to explore Central Asia even more. It was a nostalgic trip for me. Experiencing a bitterly cold, snowy, icy winter is what I grew up with.
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