My time in Kazakhstan is going way too fast. I have already been here for about two months, but it doesn’t really feel like it. The good days have definitely outweighed the bad days, and I am so grateful for having an outstanding host family and amazing friends. A memorable experience.
Three weeks ago, we traveled northeast to see some of the most important and magnificent sights Kazakhstan has to offer. We started our trip on a Friday morning, and we drove to the Charyn Canyon: aka. the Grand Canyon of Kazakhstan. It was truly an adventure as we hiked around and took funny pictures. Once we arrived at the end of our small hike, there was a very cold and fast-flowing river. Naturally, we jumped around on the river’s stones and climbed on a small tree that stood at the bank of the river. We climbed up hills and admired breathtaking sights. We then headed to a small village where we would stay for the next two nights.
Once we arrived at the village, the host family provided us with a small banquet. We ate and passed around the пиала (bowl) for tea. We then went outside to eat marshmallows and sing campfire songs in Russian, of course. It was so dark outside that you could see the Milky Way. I was so surprised because I had never seen such a majestic sky. We then stayed up and played cards and talked to our language partners.
The next morning, we headed for an all-day hike to the Kolsai Lakes. This was the longest hike I had ever completed. We hiked for hours and were greeted with waterfalls, horses, and flowers throughout the path. I was able to have the opportunity to ride a horse up the mountain which was a great but also frightening experience. The view of the second lake was incredible. The water was turquoise blue and tall pine trees stood around the bank if not inside the water. The water was freezing, but some of the group jumped into the water and swam for a full 10 seconds. We then ate our lunch and headed back down the path for another three-hour hike back.
Once we returned to our host's house, we ate a lot of flavorful manti, a very popular Central Asian dumpling . We then drank a lot of tea and prepared to go to the Russian баня (sauna). The баня felt amazing, especially after a long hike in the cold mountains. It was definitely a cultural experience because you are supposed to be massaged with a branch and leaves from a birch tree and then dump cold water all over yourself before you leave. After the sauna, we went and had small dance party with our language partners before heading to bed.
Our last day, we headed to Kaindy in a small Soviet van. A friend and I went together with a group of other Kazakhs. They talked to us a lot and they were also very interested in where we were from and why we were studying in Kazakhstan. We explained to them our reasons and they gave us a brief history of Kazakhstan. This helped pass the time as the road was very bumpy and the drive seemed to go on forever. We then met up with the rest of the students and hiked up the mountain to see the lake. The lake was very stunning, but also strange because, unlike the other lakes, this lake was once a forest and now the trees are surrounded by water. After this long day, we traveled back to Almaty and headed home to prepare for another week of classes. I am truly blessed to have had such a memorable experience with students, teachers, and language partners from American Councils.
Program: Advanced Russian Language & Area Studies Program, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Term: Fall 2019