Family in Almaty: Special Edition
My kin travelled nearly 6,300 miles to see their one and only son for a few days
Somehow, we’re already approaching the end of May and the beginning of June. My family, mom, dad, and sister, recently came to Almaty for four days to see the city I’ve lived in for the past year before trekking to Uzbekistan for a quick three-day excursion.
Now, call me old-fashioned, but when someone travels around the world to see you, the polite thing to do is to meet them at the airport and help them reach their accommodations. Unfortunately, most international flights to Almaty land between 23:00 and 05:00, and my family’s plane from Dubai to Almaty landed smack in the middle at 03:30, so I stayed up all night. I took a taxi to the airport to meet my cranky travelers. Upon entering the airport's arrivals section, I looked for my family but to no avail. I went to use the toilet and promptly came back to the waiting area. I was looking for any sign of Kuvin when, all of a sudden, I turned to my left and saw my sister and mom. “Holy sh*t!” I exclaimed and embraced them with a hug. They must have gotten through customs during my 3-minute bathroom break, but it was a nice surprise.
We called a taxi and headed into the city. They stayed in a hotel right next to my apartment building, which made for a very easy and accessible rendezvous point throughout their stay. After leaving them around 04:15, we got some rest and decided to meet up at 10:15 to start the day.
First, I took them to get breakfast. As the plan for the day was to walk around the main sights primarily, we ate at a nice cafe called Afisha, across from the Abay Theater. Honestly, after about 20 minutes of chatter, it felt like I had seen them more recently than 10 months ago; I guess that’s the power of FaceTime. We ate our food, drank our coffee, and continued on with our tour.
I showed them the mosaic at Hotel Almaty, explained the folk story it portrays, and walked along Panfilov Street before reaching Arbat to look at the street artists and their paintings of the surrounding scenery. We went to Panfilov Park and marveled at the Ascension Cathedral before finding a shady spot for a *quick* 20-minute power nap. I explained the story of the 28 Defenders’ statue and contrasted the brutalist Soviet architecture to the colorful church a few hundred meters behind it.
Sweettooths the Kuvins are, so naturally, I took them to the Rakhat store, where they stocked up on Kazakh chocolates for friends back home. 20 pounds of chocolate later, we arrived at the Green Bazaar. My family is familiar with a bazaar, but I was a bit impressed to see them so impressed with this one. First, I took them to the main hall, the butchery, for sights and smells. My dad, naturally, could not get over the cow hearts sitting on a plastic cutting board waiting for purchase. My mom couldn’t wait to see the fruits, vegetables, and things that weren’t powering other living beings at one point.
We wandered around the bazaar's many layers and crevices before taking a taxi back to the hotel for a nap. If there’s one thing we do well when traveling, it’s understanding our limits and napping. For dinner, I took them to a restaurant I’ve always wanted to try but never had an excuse for, Ogonyok. The highlight of that meal must have been the horse carpaccio with tomato salsa. Combined with their fluffy and fresh pita bread, it was phenomenal. Our waitress was so shocked to have a table from NYC in her section and graced us with a couple of free desserts to remember her restaurant. I will definitely be returning, and if you are in Almaty, it is worth trying.
Other highlights of our time together include taking them to Medeu (the highest skating rink in the world), Kok Tobe (a mountain top with attractions), and visiting my university to meet my coworkers. Now, about Medeu. Just past the skating rink are about 800 steep stairs that bring you to a nice viewpoint overlooking the rink and valley. 800 steps is a lot for a 23-year-old, not to mention my AARP-aged parents. Eventually, we all reached the top for a breather and view, but unfortunately, it was cloudy and misty when we reached the top. Good for the glutes, anyway.
According to my parents, one of the highlights of their time in Almaty was coming to Narxoz University for a campus tour and meet-and-greet. They have all listened to me talk about my kind and gracious colleagues; having them meet face-to-face was a true treat. Pictures were snapped, buildings were toured, and city recommendations were given. It was a highlight for me as well.
After four quick days in Almaty, it was time to send my family off to their next adventure: Uzbekistan. Unfortunately, I would not be joining them as their guide, but rest assured, they were taken care of.
As for me, I started a new job the day after they left Kazakhstan. I am working as an editor and contributor at the leading English-language newsletter in Central Asia called, as you may have guessed, The Times of Central Asia. I will be working this gig part-time until the first week of June, then will be ramped up to full-time status. So far, I am enjoying the work. It is obviously teaching me a lot about Central Asia, but it helps hone my writing and editing skills. I never would have thought that starting this blog would have led to this opportunity. Funny how the world works sometimes.
My next guests arrive on the 8th of July from NYC, and until then, I am figuring out what needs my attention in the short term. Most likely, some domestic travel while the weather is nice and perhaps some ventures to the surrounding regions. I would love to return to Kyrgyzstan to reach the abandoned mining town, Engilchek, which we could not reach in March due to a *minor* avalanche. Furthermore, my new job is remote and allows for great flexibility in traveling around the region whilst covering it. That’s all for now, but I will update you in the near future.
Thanks for visiting,
Hen