Postcard from Astana

A traveler cares about the food and people of a place. A tourist cares about the sites and wonders of a place. A wanderer enjoys the grocery stores and the sidewalks of a place. And I suppose there are also the folks looking to score drugs or sex. The partyers?  Ya'll know where I lean and what my day looked like. 

"He touched the butt!"

I had about a seven-hour layover in Astana and, being one of two Americans on my flight, I am also one of the only people allowed to leave the airport. After being grouped in with the other transit folks, I played my American passport card and left my newly-made friends with their Chinese, Equadorian, and Mexican passports in transit-waiting-room hell. I get fifteen days in Kazahkstan automatically. Bye, acquaintances! I don't know you well enough to be loyal. 

Looks like fun?

(Actually, I kinda cheated. Glad it didn't come up, but when the first security guard said transit people couldn't leave, I just put my transfer-flight ticket in my pocket and said I was going to Astana to a different officer. It was true!)

Fight the man!

What do you know about Kazahkstan? If you mentally responded with anything outside Borat, you know more than I did this morning. 

Well, this looks promising. Let's see what the capital city in Kazahkstan is like...

As I often misquote when trying to figure out which way to go, when you don't care where you go, any direction, or in this case any bus, will get you there. With 5000 T ($20'ish), I jumped on the first bus that showed up after snapping a photo of the bus stop with the Kazah and Russian words for airport and the lines that would get me back. Yay, me! Thinking ahead!!!

We are moving. Of that, I am confident. 

Twenty minutes later, I'm in the city! It's so much bigger, nicer, cleaner, and lovely than I could have expected! Of course, I find myself thinking that all the time now after moving to Beijing... I stay on the bus well past a few areas that look interesting to where it looks like it is getting residential again. Okay! Okay. This is... Charming. Priorities: caffeine and a potty! Kazahkstan's bathrooms? What does that mean? Oh, it means bathrooms that remind me of Tokyo. Super clean and modern. Nice. 

Breakfast!

So, I don't know what Astana is famous for, but the architecture here is fabulous! Go for a walk with me. I've been intentionally using vague photos until now.  

Famous someone's house?

I could live here. 

Awesome bench!!!

Can't read the name. 

Cool buildings on the river. 

Yeah, I could do this. 

So, after wandering for an hour or so in the old part of town, I crossed the bridge you see in the photo and headed to the new area. Oh my. 

I...I wanna live here!!!

So many respected and obeyed crosswalks! When the cars see you approaching, they stop! Wow!!!

Neat. 

Cool. The whole, huge plaza was in this golden bowl of fancy. 

So many sculptures! And interesting ones!!!

That thing is famous. 

Blue sky!!!

It makes me sad to know that when people visit Las Vegas from Kazahkstan, they probably think our buildings are old and boring. Negative side effects from traveling a bit: you better understand where you and yours really stand. 

I love a beautiful mosque. 

This was actually one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen, but I was just passing by back on the bus. 

It was too short! There were so many streets that were offended I picked another to explore. It was great being back in a heterogeneous culture with different shapes and styles of People. I could just shut my mouth and blend it! 

And, back to the airport. It's a 6.5 hour flight to London. By the time I get to my AirBnB and make it to bed, I might be close to the 42 hour mark without sleep.... Yikes!

That's the whole airport. Sorry about the hops in verb tenses. This has been an ongoing writing at different stages of my visit here. Ah well. 

Bye!!!

When I get to a computer, I am gonna flip this image so the "I <3 Astana" is correct. 

P.S. In bed now and uploading this. It's 04:02 Friday morning in Beijing and I woke up at 6:10 on Wednesday morning. Good night!!! Hope I hear my alarm that goes off in six hours!