As I pen my penultimate chapter on Kazakhstan, I am reminded of the overwhelming magic of this country, and I shall bask in its splendor for the longest time. It was more or less a cultural immersion and albeit brief, it was intense. There are simply too many things to describe, and now it has become a blur of images which need my dedicated time and attention to organise, so I shall undertake this exercise at a later date. As I recall the unique and special qualities of this region, one thing that stands out is how the wilderness is just an hour or so from the city limits of Almaty, so much so that it looks more like a pleasant extension of urban life. Indeed, scores of local people—both adults and children—are seen frequenting the several national parks that are literally a hop, skip and jump away—by car, bus, van, or even horse!
As our tour guide for the Kolsay-Kaindy day trip asked us to get down from our plush air-conditioned van and get inside the UAZ (Ulyanovsky Avtomobilny Zavod or Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant—formerly in the Soviet Union), we struggled and giggled as we tried to find a comfortable enough spot in its cramped and gloomy interiors. It would certainly not be easy for the faint of spirit (or weak of knees) to sit though the roughly half hour ride up the undulating terrain and into the wild heart of the landscape where the lakes are situated. Over hard turns and bumps which induced mild attacks of vertigo, we could not help but marvel at the rugged beauty of the countryside as the uaz expertly navigated hill and stream alike.
We were treated to a sumptuous multi course lunch at a guesthouse also running accomodation in yurts—sturdy tents traditionally used by the nomadic tribes but now mainly serving tourists. Though we did not opt for the overnight tour, we were allowed to use the facilities; a yurt can lodge small to large groups of people—anywhere from a single bed to ten or a dozen—and offer convivial hospitality where meals can be shared, but for answering the call of nature there are outhouses.
And when an entire day was fully spent in soaking up the natural wonders, there was a spectacular sunset over the Charyn Canyon just as we were finishing our hike through a section of it—this attraction is touted to be one of the ‘Grand Canyons’ of Asia, and one can understand why. Though smaller in scale than the better known Grand Canyon, it is steeped in history and artistry, and pareidolia is a significant feature of this formation. This is rather exciting when one considers the variety of flora and fauna predominant here. As we were lulled to sleep in our van on the return leg, my dreams were vivid with shapes and sounds.
