Hello from Taraz, Kazakhstan!!!

I’m here! After 32 hours of traveling and losing 1 day, I’ve made it to Taraz, Kazakhstan! The flights, Memphis to Chicago, Chicago to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Almaty, Kaz, went off without a hitch! I arrived in Almaty around 11:40 pm, got through the Passport Control around 12:05 am and met my driver Ernuy (don’t ask me how to say it because I don’t have any idea) and we were off for a seven hour car ride to Taraz. I checked into the hotel around 7:30 am after meeting my guide Janine. I get today, Monday, to rest and then bright and early, I’m anticipating, tomorrow (Tues, July 7th) I meet with my coordinator Janette. Transactions will ensue, explanation of the rest of the trip will be explained and then it’s on to the baby house (this is what they call an orphanage in Kaz) to see my precious Alina for the first time!
People keep asking me, “Aren’t you excited?” and really, it’s all still to surreal to even think about answering that question. I am still so numb from all of this happening so “quickly” (the trip I mean) that I am just trying to keep one step ahead. Now that I’m here in Kaz, maybe it will hit me. Probably like a ton of bricks! I anticipate that all of this not knowing what to think will fade away when I get to see my Alina’s face in person for the first time. I still don’t know how I’m going to react. I’m going to try to keep it together for her but we’ll see.

Three planes and then a car…just some observations about my travels so far.
This is my first trip oversees. I’ve never traveled outside the US or Canada. It was interesting to say the least. I’ve heard O’Hara in Chicago was huge but you really don’t know how huge it is until you have flown into it and experienced it for yourself. Luckily, I didn’t have far to go from one gate to the other. I found my Frankfurt gate rather easily. Thank God most airports have great signage. Otherwise, traveling via air would be a catastrophe! The Frankfurt airport was not as large as Chicago but was a lot more confusing. Again, this was my first time to see a sign in German and English so it took a little more time to find my gate there. Again, I was lucky that the gate that I arrived at was not far from the gate I needed to be at for my Almaty flight. I did go in a circle twice trying to find the gate by myself then I finally gave up and asked an airport employee who was very helpful. I had a four hour layover in Frankfort so I whipped out the last in the series of Harry Potter books which I haven’t had a chance to read yet (I know….I know!!!) and starting reading. Boy, the Europeans do not believe in air conditioning! The Frankfurt airport was hot and I was sweating sitting down. And, why do Europeans NOT use deodorant? Holy BO Batman!!! Nough said about that! Boarded a huge plane in Frankfurt, spent eight and half hours sitting next to a young guy who didn’t say a word to me. At least I was seated in an exit row so I had lots of leg room. I believe on this flight, I crossed about three time zones! Arrived in Almaty (see above), went through Passport Control and meet my driver who speaks only about 3 words in English. They are Toilet, Smoke, and Okay. He was a very sweet guy but we could not communicate at all. He did have a piece of paper that had words on it like toilet, stop the car, turn the music up/down/off and a few others written in English and then the Kazak spelling next to them. I could just point at the one I needed and he would know what I needed or wanted him to do. Thank God he had toilet on there because about an hour into our journey, I needed to go. Now, I know I’m not in America anymore and I know things are going to be different here. But, this toilet experience was really an eye opening one. It’s 1:30 in the morning so we stop at a gas station (there are gas stations it seems every 2 or 3 miles here…very strange). My driver proceeds to ask the gas station attendant (who looked 12) where is the bathroom. He points to around the side of the building. I’m thinking ok..it’s like in America where you get a key and you go to the side of the building where there is a door to a room that, for one, hasn’t been cleaned in the last 24 hours, consists of a toilet, some toilet paper that, hopefully, someone hadn’t dropped on the floor, a sink that, hopefully, wasn’t clogged and maybe some paper hand towels to wipe my hands on after I had just touched the nastiest sink in the world. Notice I didn’t mention anything about having soap or a soap dispenser…I knew I probably was asking for a little much there. Hey, a girl can be hopeful for these things right? HA! We, the driver and I, proceed to the side of the building, then proceeded to go behind the gas station to an outhouse complete with a tin roof, a door that didn’t lock much less close and a hole in the floor for the toilet! Did I mention it was 1:30 am and pitch black outside? Yeah…I could only smell the hole…I actually can’t see it. As I’m trying not to gag my guts out, I wasn’t even about to approach the hole because I couldn’t see it and I WAS NOT about to step into it. So, I take 2 steps into the lovely little out house, pull up my pants legs, pull down my pants and do my business…all the while trying NOT to pee on myself. It was an interesting experience to say the least. I pulled myself together quickly, as the smell was absolutely horrendous, and scurried back to the white Toyota Camry that was my chariot to Taraz. Thank God I had some hand sanitizer (Thanks Tam!!!), some Wet Ones and some Vanilla body spray in my carryon bag which I had with me in the backseat. I slathered myself with all three and felt somewhat better. At least my bladder was empty and happy.
So, we head out again on our journey. The road so far have been nicely paved and lined in the middle and on the outside. I thought, “Hey, this car ride might not be so bad after all!” HA! For one, there is no speed limit in Kazakhstan! I did not see one sign that pertaining to a speed limit. This means you can go as fast or as slow as you want, right? Our chariot, which was a very nice and comfortable car, only had km (is that right?) and I know that that is not the same as our mph. At one time when the tires of the chariot felt like they were barely touching the ground, I looked at the speedometer and we were going 140 km. I just closed my eyes, said a little prayer and tried to get some sleep.
At 3:30 am, I felt the car slow down, as my eyes were stilled closed..half due to exhaustion and half due to me still praying, and heard the blinker come on. So, we pulled over because the driver needed a pit stop. Pit stop achieved and we get back into the car. Little did I know that I would never see or feel the nicely paved road again. As we pulled out of the gas station that we had pulled over at for the pit stop, we turned onto another road that, needless to say, was not as nicely paved or lined as the one we were just on. Imagine, if you will, the ruttiest, most uneven country road you can think of and then pave it without leveling it off first. That’s the kind of road we turned onto. Some places were better than others but going 140 km on this type of road was, to say the least, a little nerve wrecking. Once again, I closed my eyes, said a little prayer, and tried to catch some shut eye.
The people who drive in this country are crazy! I thought Memphians were bad for not using their turn signals! In this place, you’re lucky to not have a head on collision due to the fact no one uses their turn signals and everyone drives at a breakneck speed…because they can!!!! This other road that we turned on to was a two lane road almost all the way to Taraz. Thus, if someone was going slower than my driver, he would pass them no matter who or what was coming down the other side of the road! Everyone who was driving did this! We were even passed by other cars going faster than us!
As daylight broke, I told myself to wakeup because I’m trying to prepare my internal clock for the time change. I’m so glad I did. As I opened my eyes, yawned, and stretched my legs out in the car, I look to the right and I see flat land. This is a familiar sight. It looks like the scenery from when I drove to Utah to work at Utah Shakespearean Festival some years ago. I told my self all I needed were huge snow capped mountains in the distance and it would be exactly like my trip out west. I look to my left and guess what I see? Huge snow capped mountains in the distance! It’s just like the western US! I was so awed by the sight! It’s just amazing to be at the base of a mountain where it’s 70 degrees and look up and see the tops of the mountains covered in snow. It’s a really pretty sight.
As we keep driving at the base of these snow capped mountains on the two lane road, we start to come upon roadside communities. Everyone has a fence around there little community and each house has a gate that you have to enter to get onto someone’s property. The houses are far from extravagant but not hovels either. They’re by no means middle income houses either. I would imagine that they are two to three room houses, some maybe with dirt floors and maybe an inside bathroom. But, if I had to bet, most of the bathrooms would be outside. It is so funny to see these types of houses by the side of the road with their wooden shingles, corrugated tin patches on the sides of the house, and the all to familiar satellite dish just outside the fenced in yard. I had to chuckle to myself as I saw dish after dish lining the road. I doubt most of these people could afford a car payment much less buy a satellite dish! It was very amusing.
Also, as we rushed passed these quaint little communities at the wee hour of
5:30 am, I saw cattle and goats roaming outside the fences. Just grazing beside the road. There was so much land behind the houses and the animals were in front of the houses next to the road grazing. Very interesting indeed. There were old men out to take their prized cow on a walk and graze, a little boy yawned as he herded the families sheep over to the other side of the road were there was more grass to eat and, close behind, the ever faithful family dog helping to keep the animals in line. I felt like I was on the set of a movie. I know I’ve seen this scene over and over again in the movies that I’ve watched. It also took me back to the time when I was designing the scenery for the musical Fiddler on the Roof. So many of the fences and houses reminded me of the research I had done for that show.
The Kazakhstan people also love statues. There were statues everywhere. Almost every little roadside community had one. And, they were all different. Some had the patina of copper that had been out in the weather for some time, others were painted. One I saw was painted bright gold. I’m sure they all symbolize something or someone but only the people of Kaz know who or what they commemorate. There were also some beautiful mosaics alongside the road. These mosaics where located on bus stand shelters. They were absolutely gorgeous! So colorful and artistic with circles, waves, and abstract patterns. There were also what looked like carved plaster ones as well. Each depicted a scene usually consisting people doing something…playing sports seamed to be a big theme among these stands. These bus stands were not just metal and glass with a metal roof. For one, they were works of art constructed from brick with interestingly shaped leg supports in the shapes of V’s and roofs that were slanted. There were no benches but at least they were covered so one could be out of the weather. That’s another thing….there were transportation buses everywhere!!! And, they are not like the dinky MATA buses of most cities. These looked like old tourist buses that independent bus owners had bought and started their own transportation business. It was all very interesting to see.
As we got closer to Taraz, the two lane turned into a four lane and my American mind thought, “Ah, we must be getting closer to a bigger city.” And, hey, we were. By 6:45 am we had entered the city of Taraz. Immediately, I noticed a peculiar smell. It was a mixture of farm land and petrol…heavy on the petrol. As we stop one last time to get some gas, the driver makes a phone call to Janine, my guide for the day. He tells me something to the fact that she will meet us at the Hotel Zhambul.
We arrive at the hotel and we have to wait on Janine about 5 minutes. When she arrives, she introduces herself and we proceed inside to the hotel desk to pay for my room. The driver, whose name I can’t pronounce even after spending the last 7 hours with him, is busy dragging my 64 lbs and 49 lbs suitcases up two flights of stairs to room 220. As we are speaking with the desk clerk, the driver comes back down and gets my carryon, which was not light either, and drags it upstairs as well. Janine shows me where the hotel restaurant and bar are and then she takes me upstairs to my room. There are no lights on anywhere in this hotel. There were no lights on in the lobby, in the restaurant, in the hallways. I was told by a family who had been here a week earlier to pack a small flashlight. Now, I know why. The hallway where the rooms are located were dark. The only light is coming in from the window at the end of the hallway and what is spilling out from the open stairway that we just ascended. We reach my room and I can’t even see the lock to unlock it with my key (YES…an actually key instead of a keycard). We finally get the door open and I walk into the foyer of the room. To the left is the bathroom, complete with sink and toilet (thanks be to God!!). To the right, is a small room with a small fridge and small table. In front of me is the sitting room complete with sofa, TV and table along with the only air conditioner in the room (which works quite well I might add). I walk into the sitting room and to the left is a dining room complete with table, chairs, chandelier, and china cabinet all in black lacquer with gold trim. To my right is my bedroom complete with the very low to the ground bed, dresser, wardrobe, bedside table with lamp, and the shower. It is very adequate but I don’t think I need something so big. I’ve already paid for 3 days without looking at the room so I will probably ask for something smaller thus hoping to cut my hotel bill down especially since I’m will be staying for two and a half months. The driver has lugged my suitcases into the sitting room as Janine and I look at my bedroom. The air conditioner is not on and there are no lights on in the room either. Janine shows me the bathroom with the toilet and sink. I excuse myself to use it. After finally locating the light switch, I emptied my bladder which I hadn’t done for the last 5 hours. I was not going to ask the driver to pull into another gas station. One outhouse experience in a foreign country in a millennium is enough for me. After I had emptied my bladder again, Janine asks me if I had exchanged any of my American dollars to Tenge (pronounced ten-ga), the official currency of Kazakhstan. I hadn’t so she said that the she and the driver would take me to do just that. We head out the door and I have mistakenly left the bathroom light on. Janine promptly tells me (in a little bit of an upset tone in her voice) to turn the light off. Even though I catch the tone in her voice, I say nothing and just apologize and move on.
By now it’s 8 am…still very early even in Kaz. We drive around for 20 minutes trying to find an exchange place open and finally we do. At the suggestion of Janine, I exchange $200 American dollars for the equivalent in Tenge. After that, I asked Janine if we could go to a grocery store so I could get some bottled water. I have been told by everyone NOT TO DRINK THE WATER! Don’t even brush your teeth with it! Well, you had thought I had asked the driver to give a pint of blood. He instantly calls Janette, the coordinator I’ll meet on Tuesday, and starts, what I’m assuming, to complain in a very loud voice. He hands the phone to Janine who seems more calm than the driver. After Janine hangs up the phone, I was basically told that I would not be taken to Gros, the grocery store that the other adoptive parents told me about located just down the street from the hotel, and that if I wanted something to eat, I could eat in the hotel restaurant. Fine…whatever…I’m tired, I smell, just take me back to the room so I can take a shower. Of course, I didn’t say this but I certainly was thinking it. We get back to the hotel, Janine helps me purchase a hotel breakfast pass and she leaves along with the driver. I’m all by myself now. So, I go back up to my room, take a much needed shower and get dressed. I roamed around the apartment some more, in daze more than just investigating, and found that the little white frig has 2 large bottles of water, beer, a Snikers bar, nuts, chocolate and a few other things that I have no idea of what they are. My bottled water problem has been solved so I grab my computer and head to the business center to call Mom and Dad on Skype.
I was trying to figure out what time it was in Kentucky but I was so tired I couldn’t do it. I thought I would just take my chances and hope it wasn’t too late and I wouldn’t wake them up. It just so happens I didn’t and they were glad to hear from me. I have a feeling I will be calling them at least every other day. It was good to hear their voices even though it had only been 38 hours since I had seen them. After the phone call, I called my house sitter to check in and then checked my email. After that, I proceeded to partake of the most unusual breakfast but it was very tasty. There were pastries, potatoes with onions and something pickled in them, a potato cake filled with some sort of cheese, fruit, whole grain cereal, crepes, sausages, cheese, and hot water for tea and instant coffee. After I had feasted, I grabbed an apples to take to my room for later. I went back to the Business Center to play on the computer some more. Since there is only on high-speed hook up and one hotel computer, I was only there for about 40 minutes as I didn’t want to tie the only high-speed connection up to much. I then came back to the room, turned on the TV and started writing this blog entry.
There…you have it! My experiences in Kaz so far! To long?!!! Well, I tried to keep it interesting plus I had a long 36 hours. The next posts will not be so long. Plus, they will have pictures and just updates of what Alina and I are doing.
Thanks for hanging in there and reading to the end. Smaller blog entry coming soon!!!