Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Winter in Almaty

So the winter is upon us again in Kazakhstan.

The winter weather in Almaty is described as mild compared to other cities or regions in Kazakhstan.  January through to March might be the worst winter months as it tends to be cold and overcast with little or no sunshine for weeks. During January and February the average high can be -10 to -15 degrees celsius while the average lows can be about - 25 to -30 at night.

I think those individuals that come from Scandinavian and other countries known for cold and overcast wintery days, really would not mind this weather. But those individuals that come from warmer and sunnier climates can find this time of year a little depressing.
 For those of you are not familiar with cooler climates the key word is "layering". You need a proper winter jacket to take you through the season and add or remove garments underneath the coat as the temperature requires.

I suggest buying winter coats and shoes here, as other regions might sell you stuff that is insufficient for this weather (that is if you come from warmer climates). Some people will suggest that you need to buy fur or sheepskin coats, but I believe a good insulated or down coat will do.  Fleece pullovers underneath the coat for colder days are great and having thick socks, gloves, and wooly hat is essential for the colder months. There are various places to buy you winter clothing, a good place for essential winter gear is the sports/outdoors clothing stores like SportsMaster which is a Russian chain. You could also try the markets like Green Bazaar or Baragolka for clothing or the fashion retailers like Savage (also a Russian brand) or Finn Flare and many more brands available at most shopping centres. I advise you to invest in one decent coat and a good pair of shoes (with thick soles and lots of grip) for the winter.

Expect the city to be covered in ice, with only some main roads being cleared from the snow. Walking on slippery icy roads and sidewalks is a skill that you will have to master as soon as possible.

If this is your first winter here... enjoy and try to get out to the mountains as much as possible it is really beautiful.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

The Kazakhstan food festival

The food festival in Almaty runs from the 26th of November to the 2nd of December 2012.
For more details and the list of participating restaurants check out the My Destination website

http://www.mydestination.com/kazakhstan/travel-articles/721359/a-kazakhstan-food-festival

Monday, November 19, 2012

Some sightseeing experiences

Sightseeing around Almaty

Eva Ferriere has posted some wonderful pictures of her trip to Charyn Canyon. See her beautiful pictures on her blog http://evaferriere.com/blog/2012/10/28/the-charyn-canyon/#comment-662.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Some additional views about Kazakhstan

Hi All

I am sorry that I have not updated this blog much in the last couple of days. Hopefully in a few weeks things will be back to normal.

I found this great blog of Joseph Weber, a professor who traveled to Kazakhstan. Check out his blog
http://joeweber.org/tag/almaty/
I found his stories and his observations quite insightful and very well put.

Its almost December, which means it is time for the Almaty Oriental market at the Central State Museum on Furmanova street (1-2 Dec 2012). Four times a year, sellers of all things Oriental come together at this event. Everything from oriental carpets from Iran, Turkmenistan and even Kazakhstan are being sold and other handcrafts, all of which will make great Christmas gifts for those going home over the holidays. I especially love the hand-painted plates and bowls which comes is such amazing colours.
See the picture below of the first one that I bought. They come in various sizes and this one is about 35cm across.





And if there is one thing that I would recommend to everyone staying or visiting this area, is to buy a carpet!!!! They are truly beautiful and come in various colours, textures and price ranges.  Just note that the antique ones can be tricky to get out of the country.... You can even have one made especially for you... or so I have heard : )

I would love to get some feedback, please email me at tulipakz@gmail.com