Silk Route

Day 35 - Sat 19 Apr 08

Almaty

I had decided to leave today, but it's a bright day, and the original plan was to stay, so I decide to hang around. Skip breakfast (which I think was the root of my stomach problems on the first day!) and walk up to the museum. Get there just as they are opening up, and there's no-one at the cash desk, but the shop is open! I'm herded in there, and shown lots of goods, but don't buy anything much to the ladies disappointment. I escape and find the ticket off is now open. 1300T (about a Pound) for entrance, unfortunately the museum isn't that interesting. There are a lot of books in glass cabinets.

I get almost physically pushed into a display of gold items found all over the country.

Cable Car ticket

After that I head up to the cable car and pay 1600T for a return ticket, the views from the top are pretty good with mountains on one side, and the city on the lower slopes and the flat, flat steppe beyond. Met a bunch of Americans who are over here to adopt children. From there it was into an Italian restaurant for lunch.

The next stop was across town to see another cathedral, bright golden onion shaped domes, and full of icons. Then return to the hotel to chill out and pack up ready for my next border crossing, before returning downtown to an Internet cafe.