Found riverside cafe.A little less luxurious than last week’s.Hidden away @ end of crumbling path,past barbed wire! http://twitpic.com/b3kp8
Jul 21 2009
Found riverside cafe.A little …
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Jul 14 2009
Riverside Walk And Astana Park Hotel Cafe
So, restarting the catching up for the Anna’s Photos category, we have some shots from the 14th of July again.
OK the WordPress gallery function once more appears to be convinced I don’t want the order I’m asking for with these photos. Beyond manually clicking and dragging the fifteen photos into the desired order, below is as close as I can get. Just imagine the first one is last, instead.
Anyway, Irina, Anna and I decided to investigate what was around if you took a left upon reaching the river Ishim near us, as despite living here for more than three years, we hadn’t yet made it to that part of the (very nearby) city. After walking down as far as the end of the concreted path, we sat on a bench and took a few shots on the camera. Anna seemed happy enough taking in the view by the water, so we continued our walk back across to more familiar territory, crossed under Turan (the name of the road our flat is on, since they moved Sary Arka), and continued walking next to the river. Irina spotted that a hotel (Astana Park Hotel) had a summer cafe advertised, so we decided to pop in and take a look. There are lots of gazebos, a pond with some fish swimming around, and a general summery feel to it.
Whilst the menu wasn’t cheap, the selection was pretty good, the service (that day at least) top notch, and the food tasty. Anyway, see below for a few photos of the place.
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- Fish (Koi Carp??) In Astana Park Hotel’s Pond
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- View Across The River Ishim – Astana
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- Bridge Across The River Ishim – Astana
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- Another Shot Of The Bridge Across The River Ishim – Astana
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- Building Near The River Ishim – Astana
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- Boat On The River Ishim – Astana
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- Anna Next To The River
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- Chris Merriman Next To The River Ishim – Astana, Kazakhstan
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- More Views Across The River Ishim
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- Club That Used To Have ‘Face Control’
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- Some People Practising Tai Kwando In Astana Park
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- High Tech Security Guard Accommodation For River-Side Path
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- Astana Park Hotel
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- Outside Seating At The Riverside Cafe – Astana Park Hotel
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- Astana Park Hotel’s Kebab
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Jul 14 2009
Just decided 2 try a riverside…
Just decided 2 try a riverside cafe that we’d not seen b4, let alone tried, when the heavens opened.
Good timing. http://twitpic.com/abn50
Jul 01 2009
Not Very Tolerant Police
OK, slightly dramatic post title, given that all the policemen did was refuse to allow us access to the park whilst the International Religious Tolerance Conference were being entertained near the entrance, but it did add an extra half hour or so to our attempt to get into the park with Anna. They were at least very polite, rather than gruff and menacing, as I had expected some of them to be.
Anyway, we walked around (once we’d found a side entrance not guarded) whilst preparations for Astana Day carried on in the park, but don’t worry, no repetitive yurt shots this time 🙂 We had previously only caught the very end of some acts that had an area set aside for them within the park. Whilst my Russian wasn’t very good that day, I could tell when the performers’ MC had asked for any donations into a hat, as a lot of people who had previously been enthralled suddenly discovered what the time was, and had to make a sharp exit. Anyway, this time we were lucky, as despite our detour, we didn’t miss much of the show. The acts were all from Uzbekistan I think, with the old guy on the tightrope easily having the most charisma, even from 30 foot up in the air, dancing away and smiling at everyone, he was definitely a seasoned performer. Enough of the wittering, onto the pictures… (Oh, click the link after the first few pics to see more, if you’re viewing this post on the front page.)
Anna In Training For Crowded Buses
Bird Of Prey In Astana Park
Small Boy. Big Snake.
Balancing Heavy Weights On Your Chin. Because You Can...
Oldest (Apparently, In Central Asia) Tightrope Walker. Small Girl Balancing On His Shoulders.
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Jun 30 2009
Tasty home made pizza. Well, p…
Tasty home made pizza. Well, pre-made base but the rest was down to Ira. Discovered my site #1 for pizza Astana! http://twitpic.com/8uxxk
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Jun 29 2009
Gros Getting Smaller?
Has anyone reading this site (who happens to live in Astana) noticed a problem with the Gros chain of supermarkets? For a few months now, when you go into their stores§, the shelves are pretty empty, and where you do find full shelves, there is nothing like the variety of brands that they used to stock. OK, so I’m not likely to cry over the missing low alcohol lager/pilsners, but you can no longer assume that walking over/stopping a taxi momentarily will result in being able to get anything other than the bare essentials.
So, are all the stores relocating to other locations, and running down their stock, or will Gros eventually quit Kazakhstan’s capital altogether? If you speak to the staff and ask when they might be getting XYZ back in stock, you are either met with a blank expression (not entirely a new situation), or told with a smile that it will be soon.
Unlike banks, I think I can risk a supermarket closing rumour without fear of jailtime being involved. If the 1 in 100,000 chance of someone who works at Gros reading this post actually happens, feel free to drop me a message (see the about / contact me page), and I’m happy to keep any such communications strictly anonymous, should you prefer.
§ – OK, to be honest this is only a sample of three of their stores in Astana.
(Gros(s)=Groß=Big=Opposite of small, in case the post title was too obscure once more.)
Jun 29 2009
Visitors, Straddling New White Lines, Posters and Yurts
You can definitely tell that there are foreign visitors about to arrive in Astana (there is the “III (I’m assuming that means 3rd?) Congress of leaders of world and traditional religions” – you can normally tell when a phrase is directly translated into English from Russian, rather than re-worded to sound more natural). The white lines on the roads are re-painted, even car parks get neat new spaces clearly marked out. Any billboard posters with our beloved president’s face on tend to be replaced (at least temporarily) with normal business adverts, or motivational ‘Astana city for the future’ type messages. You can tell when the big wigs have actually arrived though, as you’ll spot a lot more policeman at traffic junctions, sometimes ‘helping’ the flow of traffic by turning off the lights, other times ensuring that as a VIP’s car cruises down the road that no other traffic is met. The easiest way to tell when a VVIP is around? The motorcades get to drive on the wrong side of the road, with scores of cars, ambulances, motorbikes and 4x4s flanking the actual limo.
Anyway, we’re off in a moment to get and inspect the progress of the preparations for Astana day in the park opposite us – there are a lot more yurts there now, on raised platforms, and they seem to be making progress with the huge scaled up yurt in one corner. We have already taken a few pictures of the erecting process for yurts, and the mock castle walls at the pedestrian entrance to the park, I’ll try and post them soon.
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Jun 29 2009
Different Day, Different Yurts
29th June, another walk around Astana park, and the main promenade is now filling up with yurts. These look a little different, and actually have some families living in them. Some of the market stall traders, bird of prey owners and traditional cuisine vendors seemed to be based in this area.
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- See Last Post For How This Looked Without A Yurt On It. Or Just Use Your Imagination.
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- Slightly Different Yurt Style, Actually Occupied As Well
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- Anna’s Pushchair And Irina By Mostly Completed Yurt
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- Huge Metal-Based Yurt-Inspired Building. Used By Religious Leaders For Conference At One Point. I Think.
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- Flowery Roundabout And Street Patrollers Saluting. An Officer. Not The Flowers. That Would Be Weird. Even Over Here.
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- Beginnings Of A Stage Cover Being Assembled, Amongst The Yurts At The Entrance To Astana Park
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Jun 27 2009
Tried the new restaurant outsi…
Tried the new restaurant outside duman. good service,tasty food,too much salt. apparently it is called veranda.
http://twitpic.com/8kfoc
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Jun 26 2009
One Week Before Astana Day…
Well, eight days I think, but anyway, as this was the 26th June again, you can see the camera batteries took a bit of a battering. We took Anna out for her (almost) daily walk, and decided to check out how the preparations for Astana Day (and the International Religious Tolerance Forum) were coming along. If you have ever seen pictures of Yurts, and wondered how they were made, and the process that creates them, you’ll hopefully get a slightly better idea soon. If you’re reading this on the front page, you’ll need to click the link under the first photo to see the rest – there are a lot, and so to keep the front page readable, I’ve hidden them away.
Anna At Entrance To Astana Park, With Yurts In The Background
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