Yes, this is a loaded blog posting. It's been a bit since our last posting, so I will use this posting to catch readers up on some of the fun winter activities that have happened around Almaty.
Although winter in Almaty can be bitterly cold and a bit dreary, the city has had some great events to help us through winter.
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A few weeks ago, Almaty hosted the World Cup for Bandy. What's bandy, you ask? We asked the same question. Bandy is like soccer on ice, as Nic exlpained it. It's very similar to hockey but they use a small, dense rubber ball instead of a puck. Players can't use hands, like in soccer. It's a very fast game and was fun to watch. We watched Russia vs. USA to show some home country support.
Approaching Medeu skate rink where the games were held. It is the highest outdoor skate rink in the world.
Teams from all over came to the World Cup.
Russia and USA standing in line for the playing of the national anthems.
I love this photo. The US national anthem was playing and people from all over where milling about the stadium.
Yes, some American attached a US flag to a ski pole and showed his support.
As you can see it didn't go well for the US boys.
A group of teachers from AIS came out to watch. There were locals sitting around us and when the US scored they offered congratulatory hand shakes and vodka.
The AIS crew.
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The following weekend was the Combined Nordic World Cup. What's combined nordic, you ask? Yes, apparently if its an obscure winter sport you want, Almaty is the place to be (this same weekend was the World Championship for ice fishing on a lake just outside of Almaty). Combined Nordic is a team of skiers who first jump, then do a 15k nordic race, with all member's scores going towards the team score. We didn't see the race, but we did get to watch the trial jumps.
Nic really wanted to see a crash, and the second jumper provided.
It was so foggy that day we couldn't see the jump! We could barely make out the landing box on the ice, and we would usually hear the slap of the jumper's skis on the ice before we could see the jumper. The big screen showed us the action at the top; the jumper sliding down the track, launching into the fog and then a second later appearing in the landing box.
A jumper appears from nowhere for a landing.
These jumpers had up to 135 meter jumps. They come in with such speed its amazing how they can stop themselves in such a short distance.
The stadium was surprisingly empty, but it allowed us front row seats! No US team, but there were about 15 nations competing.
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Nic and I love markets, and even the biting cold won't stop us from shopping at them. We have a weekend routine now for stocking up for the week at the Green Market. We park near Panfilov Park, a large city park, cut through the park, down the next block past the "junk" vendors and samsa stand and into the Green Market. We can leave our house, go to the market and be back in an hour now. We have established ourselves as regulars with many vendors and have a routine mapped for hitting each vendor in logical order (heavy stuff first for the bottom of the bag, fruit and produce on top and ending with a carton of eggs).
The entrance to Panfilov Park with a snow-covered statue of none other than Panfilov. I'm not sure who he was or what he did, but he sure has a nice park.
The walk through the park.
We pass by the colorful Russian Orthodox Church.
If we were to cut right instead of heading straight through the park we would see this massive memorial for the World Wars.
And rows of the Kazakhstan flag with the Almaty city flag.
Unfortunately, I have yet to get any photos of the Green Market; I've heard that people can get huffy about photos there, and I have yet to be brave enough to test the waters. Soon....
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The thing that has lifted our spirits the most has been skiing. We have only been up twice now, but plan to go every weekend until it becomes too risky (apparently the valley which houses the ski resort is prone to avalanches in late winter/early spring). The ski resort Shymbulak is a 15 minute drive from our house and is great for intermediate skiers like Nic and me.
We park at the base of the gondola and gear up at the car.
Then we get a pleasant 15 minute gondola ride to the resort.
Skymbulak was spiffed up a few winters ago when Almaty hosted the Asian Winter Games. This is one of the new additions; a people-mover for skiers. They call it the Magic Carpet. I call it super fun.
The view from the resort. It was early when I took this photo so the smog hasn't really settled in yet. If you enlarge the photo, you can still make out parts of Almaty. We could almost see our house from up here, behind the large, space-age looking tower.
At the lift. You can choose between chair lift or gondola to the top of the run.
At the base, practicing my sick tele turns (read with sarcastic tone). The patio is great, but unfortunately they have taken to blasting techno music over the piste.
Patio and cafes.
The Magic Carpet and bunny hill.
There's one section of the patio where you can eat food not purchased there. It's right at the base of the rope tow where sledding kids offer plenty of free entertainment. We lunch on cheese, sausage and bread in the warm sun.
On the lift. Although there's really only one run, its very wide and varied.
Nic at the top of the run, getting ready to shred. Notice how thick and dark the smog is now over the city.
The gondola ride back to the car takes use right over Medeu, busy with skaters on a warm, sunny day.
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One great thing about Kazakhstan is state-sponsored arts. Because of this, there are ballets and opera nearly nightly performed by various troops. Reada, a fellow teacher, invited me out to the opera while Nic and Reada's husband, Dave, stayed back to watch their 2 year old daughter Lina (and sample some newly purchased scotch). Reada and I took the subway to the theater, right downtown, and purchased tickets for around $4. A few other teachers met us there as well. We saw the opera "Rigoletto", which was recommended to us as a good "beginners" opera by the music teacher.
The theater was beautiful and immaculate. This photos doesn't show the pale blue and gold of the decorations.
The box seats.
The second floor lobby.
The performers were talented, and the price was right, but I'm not sure I'd go back. The opera was, of course, performed in Italian, and there was a reader board in the theater but the translation, of course, was in Russian. I was a bit lost through most of it, but fortunately some people had read a synopsis, so we had an idea what was going on. Even still, I'm glad I went at least once.
