Category: Personal

This is a test memo to text section on my Samsung Galaxy 3.8. I’m going to try and see  

I need to set up a new account.
Help me to my password then more about how security make money promoting go daddy on your site she’s not right you Batman text ads to publish on your website, the restaurant sales you refer to go daddy.com.
How now brown cow this is how it all works sometimes south georgia really into things sometimes it’s easier well it is easier however it’s not exactly how I expected it surely little bit more complex and a little bit more precise than normal so where is my car and this is where to sell your old is I said some ass can well that’s funny s a m a r k a and e have you seen this is going to be really funny I don’t know how long I can talk probably 5 minutes I’ll be home alan people attempt 

This time I may have got it right

Kazakhstan tourist day two

Picked up outside the hotel at 8 am (after a small but filling English breakfast) Kati says we need to get food for lunch, which it should have spotted as a clue for where we were going but I didn’t. We scoot off to a supermarket which from the outside looks very ordinary but upon entering it is like Aladdin’s cave it is as good as any shop I have seen anywhere the biggest problem is the amount of choice there is and the range of products. They even have a bakery so we get coke, water, crisps (chips), chocolate and some of those local meat filled pastries and are soon back on the road.

We are heading South out of town and are soon in a traffic jam mainly due to the road works for the upcoming winter games than the time of day. There is a 4 lane section of road reduced to one lane which is a particularly difficult spot to use and. There is not a lot of coordination between groups on these things and never any though about the impact to drivers. Exactly the same thing happened in Moscow the other week when bridge repairs closed 6 of 8 lanes on Leningradsky prospect stopping traffic for a couple of days until the president ordered them to open more lanes. The effect was to delay travelers to Sherementyeve airport leaving thousands stranded. (Aeroflot are suing the city council but doubt they will win).

We crawl out of the city eventually and an hour or so we are heading out on the main highway towards China. Not that we are going there but many of our fellow travelers are. Lots of large trucks some looking rather overloaded are mixed with cars of various ages from Lada’s to Lexus’s with a few carts pulled by small donkeys. This leads to many opportunities for issues as the speeds range from 5 miles an hour up to 80. The road itself is wide but uneven with no markings it has grass verges and a double row of mature trees on either side all with the bottom 2 meters painted white which I assume is so that in the dark people will not run off it. I think this is the original “silk road” used by Marko Polo now moving less exotic goods around but still functioning fairly well.

Every now and again there are vendors set up selling fruit and at this time of year Melons. Whatever else they have they all seem to have melons. Some individually and some in groups of up to 15 stalls but all selling basically the same things. What you find in the east is that things are more seasonal so ther are great gluts of things based on when they ripen. In the west this is less pronounced as if you want Strawberries in December or Apples (Did I mention Almaty means apple) in April then they are available. This is because we can import them from different parts of the world so we need never run out which I am beginning to think is not a good thing, granted it is convenient but not sure it is good. Food here also comes in different shapes and sizes. You might think that is obvious but check out you supermarket. EU Regulations or FDA requirements really means everything has to be a particular size shape and color, I challenge you to find a product which does not conform to a “standard” well we don’t have this here. I think there is a price to pay for food all being the same uniform standard and it is probably taste.

There is not much of a view yet, the land is fairly flat although there are hill in the distance we are driving through semi agricultural land, a few sparsely populated villages where knots of people and houses break the monotony. After a few hours I ask for a coffee stop so we pull over at a little shack (I can’t think of a better description) with a sign “Kofe & bap” and Kati inquires about a beverage, the answer is “niet”. I remind them that the sign says “Kofe” as assertively as I can without being rude and suddenly they remember they have some. On reflection maybe it was a mistake as we sit down at one of the 3 or 4 tables are take stock. It is small room and the tables have plastic tablecloths which are sticky. The chairs don’t match each other; there are some Christmas decorations up with look like they may have been there for several decades. At one end of the room there are 2 very large speakers on stands, so large I wonder if they would make the whole place shake when used. On the table there are a few condiments with a sugar bowl covered by a tissue which is doing an effective job of keeping the flies off it. These insects really want to attach themselves to the flypaper on the shelf however it is full and I mean full not a scrap of paper can be seen but hundreds of stationary flies can. Mmmm, coffee arrives and I assume as the water would have been boiled it will be ok although it does look rather weak it is a little too late to back out.

Quickly finished Kati says she will use the facilities and enquires is I plan to use the toilet. I say no thanks I will use the wall outside as it will probably be more hygienic.

Kazakhstan tourist day one evening

After my exertions of the day we are off to dinner with a colleague of Judi’s. I think he is Ukrainian but not quite sure and if I am correct it would seem that people come here without being forced any more.

We are going local, which means local food although the place we stop at is very modern and themed with the staff dressed up in some peasant styles costumes. The restaurant is almost empty but it is Tuesday night and probably more of an impact is the fact that we are in a Muslim country and they are observing Ramadan which is daily fasting between sunrise and sunset. There is one large table occupied by what looks like an extended family with a range of ages from 12 to 90.

We settle in and Judi orders some Kazakh wine which might be interesting or not. Our host chooses several starts for us all of which seem to be either bread or pastry filled with things, a little like the snack I had earlier although this time I think I can de-code what is inside. All I am thinking at that moment is there is another English breakfast waiting for me in the morning but hey that’s several hours away.

Across from us there is a small stage which indicates there are live shows some nights but not tonight, there is also a large TV screen and there are showing what looks very much like “Kazakhstan’s got Talent” or “Kazakhstan Idol”. Either way there is a parade of singers all belting out tunes with a lot of passion but not a lot of melody. There are some older ladies who are dressed in some exaggerated gowns, very bright and kitschy. The men seem to favor puffed sleeved shirts and extravagant haircuts.

Our dinner arrives and I miss getting the voting number for the Diva with the bright orange outfit. I am having “Beshparmak” which should be interesting. When we ordered I had the choice of Pig or horse I of course chose horse. It’s not my first time and I have had Cheval in Switzerland and it’s not that bad its just meat and I think easier to digest so it may be better for you. The word Beshparmak means five fingers which is the eating method although I am not going that far. You know I cannot resist the specials an consider myself fortunate that there was no Kumys or Mypalau on the menu a Kumys is fermented horse milk Mypalau is from a camel. What arrives is something like a sliced roast beef, not very thick but quite lean. It is on a bed of flat pasta just like you would use for lasagna and some boiled onion rings. There is a clear sauce which makes the whole thing a little watery. It tastes fine and I tuck in.

Judi is having Plov which we know as Pilaf but its origins are somewhere around Tajikistan or Iran (both close by) and it was first mentioned in some records of Alexander the Great in Bactria which was an eastern Iranian province, probably the birthplace of Alexander’s wife Roxana and geographically located in modern Afghanistan. It was known to have been served upon his capture of the Sogdian capital of modern Samarkand. Alexander’s army brought it back to Macedonia and spread it throughout Europe. (Thank you Google). The difference here is that the rice is simmered in a stock and it really improves it.

The other diners are now saying prayers lead by an elder and everyone falls silent to listen. Once complete everyone at the table gets up and either shakes hands or kisses everyone else. The older ladies go around and collect all the bread and Manti they can lay their hands on to take home with them. After a great deal of hugging they make their way to the exit. It will be dawn soon enough and the fasting will begin again.

We finish up and chat for a while but given we did not start until 9:30 pm it is now late and I have another adventure tomorrow. Katie said the Canyon is far away and we need to get an early start so she would pick me up early at 8:00 am (early? everything is relative)

Kazakhstan tourist day one,

So day one of this short adventure and guess what, a full “English Breakfast” is waiting for me. I’m getting a little fat on all of these, note to self need to stop travelling for a week or two. After eating far more than I need or should have I wander outside to wait for the guide. Not exactly sure what I will get as it was arranged by Judi’s firm. What turns up is a huge Toyota 4*4 with two people in it.

Kati (I assume Ekaterina) and Natasha. The first looks about 18 and the second about 60. The first is the driver and translator the second is the Kazakh speaking official guide. This should be “Interiesna” for some reason I have to sit in the back so the guide can jabber to the driver and first tell her where to go and then read aloud from her notes the details of where we are.

First stop the biggest of the two train stations although given it is not a particularly impressive station I am not sure why they think it is worth stopping for. There is a statue of Abylai Khan who was some sort of founder or protector of the city anyway Kati described him as a “great pitriot and munager” which says a lot about her English. I think it will be a long day.

We crisscross the streets of Almaty for a while stopping only long enough for me to poke my camera out of the window to take a couple of quick snaps before we are off again. Blue Mosque, New Ice stadium for the Asian winter Olympic games next year (it is actually just winter games and participants are members of the Olympic council of Asia and a very big deal around here). Circus, Basketball stadium, and a lot of road works in preparation for the aforementioned games. This work however does have a bonus for me it means we will not be able to go up and see the world’s highest open air skating ring as the road is closed between 10 am and 10 pm for repair. They do offer to take me up at midnight but I decline the offer as it is not a world heritage site or great historical monument it’s just a skating ring.

We stop briefly at a park in the middle of town where there is a WWII monument to the fallen hero’s which is very impressive and a Cathedral which purports to be the second tallest wooden building in the world and built without the use of nails. It is an impressive sight with lots of copulas and some very impressive icons inside. I manage to get the attendant to sell me a couple of candles to light whilst my driver explains she is an Evangelist and does not believe in this sort of thing, I comment that I am hedging my bets just in case.

The park has plenty of people in it and lots of small children. Kati explains that the President says they need to build up the population which had fallen by 2 million over the previous decade so they are doing their best. Given Almaty was noted as the 30^th most expensive city in the world (higher than Los Angeles and Toronto) you have to wonder if this was a contributing factor to the population decline as kids are expensive.

One place on my list is the “Green Bazaar” which is really an indoor market. It gets a big write up in the guide books but I find it slightly disappointing. Now if you have never seen an indoor food hall where they cut up animal carcasses and hang the bits from the stalls then it would be exciting but I have seen many and this one is just ok. There were some interesting items though as the food here has that exotic theme. I will find out later as I plan to have the local delicacy “beshparmak”.

We stop for coffee and sit outside on what turns out to be a warm day. I still cannot see the nearby mountains as they are covered in clouds. I know behind these there are snowcapped jagged peaks just waiting to be pointed at my by Nikon but not right now. We have some form of bread which is stuffed with meats and things, it tastes fine but I am unable to distinguish exactly what it is so I use my “they will not try and poison me” theory and continue.

We release the guide at this point as she is actually slowing things down. There is so much history around here that it seems to take forever to read and translate. One thing I am finding out is that there is a huge wealth of Stone Age artifacts which I plan to see in a couple of days. I also find out that this was an area where people in the past were exiled in their millions (see Stalin, forced migrations and famine and this commentary on one case in millions azer.com/aiweb/categories/magazine/73_folder/73_articles/73_exile.html).

The population is only 65% Kazakhs 23% Russian and a fair number of Germans and Eastern Europeans. A point which strikes me is how much of an ethnic mix there is it’s to my shame and ignorance that I assumed that they would all have straight black hair and slightly Asian features. There is a large mix of people and many are fair or brown haired tall people who would not be noticed in and European city the country is bigger than Western Europe but it seems full of European people.  

A small adventure in Kazakhstan

(Yes I know I have jumped a few weeks but I have to catch up sometime, I have 3 wedding to report and will do them when things get quiet again but this was an interesting trip)

We arrived back in Moscow at midnight last night and are now at 6:45 am we are on our way to the airport off to Kazakhstan. This time Sheremetyevo which has been improving as of late. There is an express train (I say express but it does not go fast it just does not stop) going direct from the center of Moscow to the airport in 45 minutes and it has new carriages which makes it an impressive ride for your 300 rubles ($10). We catch the 7:00 am train for a 9:55 am flight giving us lost of hanging around time.( Judi is logistics for this trip).

We are in a brand new terminal “F” only opened a few days ago. I went out of “E” another new one the other week on my way to Paris. F is very very new, so new they have not taken the wrapping of the big screens everywhere and empty spaces where the shops should be. A vast hall of a place with lots of nothing in it. There is a café which is serving coffee (you can order black, white or espresso nice) and is acting as a smoking area as they have not finished building the official one and don’t look to be making much progress from what I could see the builders were all in the café.

Russians are an interesting group, they instinctively queue so every time someone went up to our departure desk they would impulsively get up and move toward it. When the person moved off they would all disperse. It is a very interesting phenomenon and I am not sure if it is an unconscious or involuntary thing. Probably a hangover from when they had to queue for everything you know see a queue and you must join it. Anyway with no screens working there is no way to check if everything is ok and on time so people go and ask and others form a little queue. I am watching whilst drinking my white coffee. 

The flight is to Almaty once the capital of Kazakhstan it is now the second city which is Astana and we are on “Air Astana” a new carrier for me but we are on an Airbus so not nervous about it, the only drawback is the flight is around 5 hours. 3100 kilometers and remember yesterday we were in London 2500 kilometers further west so quite a lot of travel for 24 hours. Now I am a tourist on this trip but unfortunately Judi has to work. The only perk she gets is to fly business but I am ok with the rank and file. I get an aisle seat which is fine for me and have a fairly elderly couple by my side. I have to be careful here as they may be my age but they look older. The plane is quite full and another trait of the Russians is to always take between 3 -6 plastic bags as hand luggage. They are enthusiastic duty free shoppers and always seem to board planes with lots of extra items they cannot live without.

The companions by my side may not be frequent fliers as they are collecting souvenirs and seem to be putting the magazines, the seat safety card and the sick bags into their carriers. I wonder what they will do with the food tray when it comes around later. The film is “Date Night” which strangely enough I saw on a plane so I get chance to sleep with my iPod playing country and western softly in the background.

If you look up Almaty you will see it is close to China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and a couple of other “Stan’s” one of the Turkic States (whatever that means)an ex-Russian state it claimed independence on Christmas day 1991 which is interesting as it is a Muslim country. There is a large mountain range to the South of the city but the wet weather means I will probably not get to see much of them as we land.

Once on the ground we get through customs very smoothly, far more smoothly than when it went to get my vise the other week which will get a blog of its own. 10 minutes waiting for the bags and we are outside. We have a taxi organized with a rather large chap driving and talking on the phone the whole way into town. I think he should have been paying more attention to the traffic so I calm myself by looking at the buildings. Giorgio Armani,  Mexx, Maxa Mara, Mmmmm. The town seems to be all glass and steel and almost brand new. There are some older buildings but mostly new malls and hotels. Our Hotel is a brand new Holiday Inn which appears as we turn a corner.

So where was I ?

That’s right we were in John’s caravan in Conway, its Wednesday (possibly) and we have to get back South so that Jo can pick up her ferry back to France and I have a car to pick up at Heathrow. Jo has managed to move her sailing time (nice technical term) back a few hours so we don’t need to be on the road until 10 am. Not that we were planning to cook breakfast, had enough of them for a few days but we do have time for coffee and biscuits outside on the patio, (it’s a very nice caravan).

I spot what I think is a Robin bobbing around but dismiss the thought as it is late June and they should all be somewhere else like Spain or Portugal. This however turns out to be a personal choice of the individual robin and not a lemming like requirement as there is definitely one hopping around our little patch. Normally these little birds with a bright red breast are not overly friendly and will stay at a safe distance. I did once have one follow me around the garden one spring as I was turning over the soil. It would wait until I mover on a little then hop around the newly turned sods looking for enticing items for breakfast. This one however looks like it is waiting to be handed breakfast so we oblige with some crumbs which seem acceptable to it.

It even hung around whilst I fiddled putting a big lens on the camera so I could take a few shots. It is not often you get the chance to take close-ups of these so I make the most of it. It likes the biscuits and invites a friend along for a while. We do have to be going so reluctant as I was it was time to jam everything back into the little car and move on.

Driving in England in the sunshine is a great experience and our Sat Nav has chosen a particularly scenic route of us to start with. Back along the coast towards Chester then South via Wrexham, Oswestry, Shrewsbury and Telford before joining the Motorway just North of Birmingham. We take the toll road which is a recent innovation, well Dec 2003 (I’ve been away a while) although it was first discussed in 1980 so 23 years from idea to opening. I actually was partially closed for repairs only 5 weeks after it opened which should be some kind of record even for England. It is 5 pounds well spent and we speed along with little or no other cars around. Not sure it is filling its expectations if nobody is using it Mmm.

So on an South towards Heathrow we go stopping for coffee somewhere. Interestingly when you buy coffee these days you have lots of choices, none of which it understand, how do you know that you like double skinny latte with caramel or whatever code they are using. I still like coffee with some milk please which normally get a sneer as a response. This particular establishment seems badly planned and the payment area is also the pickup area as these peculiar concoctions are brewed, distilled, swilled, mixed and blended which all takes time. (Two people taking money and one fermenting is not the right ratio methinks however they know best). This means there is a throng of people hanging around some waiting for drinks and some waiting to order and neither knowing which is which. Being English people are politely asking each other, “are you queuing” “are you waiting” “is this the queue” “have you ordered” whilst the 2 Barista’s are shouting loudly “who’s next” and “can I serve someone” which only added to the chaos. This of course is only exacerbated when the person gets to the head of the throng after 10 minutes and then has no idea what they want and stare aimlessly into space (probably trying to invent a new combination, if you want to try it then here are the options you have http://www.quicksilverweb.net/sbucks/sbcharts.htm). I’m sure I heard someone ask for a double espresso “decaf” now I ask you why can’t we have these people taken out to the car park and flogged. Decaffeinated espresso, next it will be a double gin and tonic with no alcohol please. So you see asking for just a coffee with milk avoids all of this hanging around. Please take note when next you are in your local coffee house. (bit of a rant there sorry)

Ever onward we go and navigate the ring road of the airport with some ease if I say so myself. (I used to spend a lot of time going back and forth out of this place) The car hire is inside one of the hotels on the perimeter which avoids the airport surcharge normally. For some reason I get what they call a “free upgrade” which is interesting as I seemed to get exactly the car I ordered. Never mind next is to point Jo in the direction of Portsmouth and her ferry. “Try and keep the sun on you right hand side” I shout as she drives off (it’s a man thing)

Day 3 not another English Breakfast, enough already !!!

Yes given we are in a hotel we get breakfast again then off to see my other daughter Katrina. Only slightly early to invade her space being that it is only 10 am. Spend an hour or so catching up then on at my sisters insistence to find a “Poundstretcher”. (99 cent store) where it is believed bargains abound. Not so sure myself however 3 tablets of Pears soap for a pound looks like a good deal, unfortunately I am not in need right now (I am collecting hotel toiletries and am good for a week or so).

Whilst Jo ransacks the place for kids stuff for her own grandchildren I wander around the shopping precinct. We are in Swinton and the place looks a little sad. I have a theory about these strip malls, if there are more than 3 charity shops then the whole place is on the decline. There are 5 that I pass which says a lot about the place. Every shop seems to be selling 2 for 1 or buy 1 get 1 free. Is nothing normal in England anymore?.

I pop into “Greggs” the Pasties and Pie shop where in my youth I used to acquire cheese pasties which were so hot you could take the skin off the roof of your mouth. I fell for it every time straight in and Ahhhhhh. Probably not allowed to happen now even McDonalds has to mark coffee cups stating contents may be hot, “quell surpris”. Anyway I am on the hunt for cakes as we are going to stop off at a cousin of ours close by.

I finally get Jo out of the shop and as we return to the car I wonder where we are going to cram all the bags? They all end up squashed into the back and with a firm slam of the boot (Trunk) lid we are off again. Elizabeth is waiting with tea and there is only a small dispute over who gets which cake, lucky I had bought a spare one so everyone ends up happy. I saw Elizabeth last November but Jo maybe has not seen her for 15 years or so. Quite a long time so pictures taken along with tea and the cakes of course and we are once again on the road. Liz lives on the housing estate I grew up on and it all looks so much smaller than I remember. I did move when I was 11 so maybe I was still small and it was big then.

We are on route to Conway about 70 miles away in North Wales. Now you should know I took the family on holiday there one year, yes only 70 miles from home and it was an adventure I can tell you. This was the days before Motorways (Freeways) so it took half a day to get there with all the traffic lights and roundabouts. These days it takes 1 hour 30 minutes and it is a breeze. A vivid memory I have of the place was taking the kids to a circus. “Circus Apollo” it was called and it was a travelling affair. We bought tickets from this young girl in the ticket booth who later appeared as the female bareback horse rider, later as the tightrope walker, juggler and trapeze artist. She may well have sold us refreshments as well think we had stopped playing “Where’s Wally” by then. The thing is although she kept changing her costumes and hair style she continued to wear the fishnet tights with holes in the back (it was a bit of a giveaway). I only have to mention the words Circus Apollo to my girls to have them burst out laughing (Berni try it next time you see them).

We arrive at Bryn Morfa where Johns caravan is and soon have ourselves settled in. Jo wants to find some “Gram Flour” so we need to find supermarket but first we need to find Auntie Zita. She has already left a not at the caravan asking if we had arrived. So of we pop, it’s not far to her house and when we arrive there is another note on the door saying it is open and she is in the back garden.

We enter and make our way through to what is a small but refulgent (not sure that is the right word but I have always wanted to use it) garden. It is not big but it is packed with plants and flowers far too many to list but the Clematis and the Japanese maple were stunning.  Not sure if I mentioned but Zita is 79 and lives alone, smokes roll up cigarettes, plays 3 holes of golf every morning and thinks nothing of travelling around Europe in her little car. All credit to her and I can only hope to emulate he active lifestyle as I progress.

Hearing about the Gram Flour she decides to take us on an expedition to find some. We pass through llandudno (pronounced Khlandundo its Welsh and they are funny about that sort of thing). It is one of those archetypical seaside resorts. Big 4 story guest houses in a terrace style block all along the promenade. It is probably used extensively for period films and looks as if it has not changed for 100 years. Now did you know the Alice (Liddell) who was the inspiration for “Alice in Wonderland” lived here. There are violent arguments both for and against this theory (not a lot of people know that).

After an all too brief glimpse of the town we trek through both Tesco’s and Sainsbury’s to get some provisions including my sisters item ( she says it is for Bhajji’s) and some odds and ends (inc pork pie).

Back at Zita’s she insists we stay for dinner which she also insists on making, we dine in the garden with the sun drifting off into the west over the shore, all in all somewhat idyllic.  Zita is the family archivist and has traced my mother’s and the whole of the matriarchal side of the family. There are pictures and facts regarding people I have not knowledge of which trip of her tongue at the drop of a hat. Now sure she has got as far back as “William the conqueror” yet but she must be close by now. All this whilst fascinating is also somewhat frightening.

We retire when it gets dark, glad that we made the effort, I even helped her with some computer stuff so everyone wins. We slip back to the caravan and plan the following day. Jo has an early afternoon ferry and I need dropping off at Heathrow so probably 9 – 10 hours on the road.

More on the next posting

NB I am off to the UK Tomorrow for a wedding so no blog, Monday we are off to Kazakhstan, yes that’s right Kazakhstan Almaty  to be precise so if you don’t hear anything for a few days don’t worry.