ID :
270493
Thu, 01/10/2013 - 10:31
Auther :

Let's Go Skiing In Kazakhstan

This writer visited Kazakhstan recently. The country celebrated 21 years of independence on Dec 16. This is the first part of the writer’s story. There are a total of two parts. This part shines light on the landscape and weather in the ninth biggest nation in the world. ASTANA (Kazakhstan), Jan 10 (Bernama) -- The pilot of Air Astana announced that the Boeing 757, would be landing shortly at the Almaty International Airport in Almaty, Kazakhstan, much to the delight of this writer. Through one of the windows in the plane, the writer saw snow-covered hills and valleys. The sight was mesmerising, and it got the writer excited after sitting in the plane for eight hours. The visit was on the invitation of the Kazakhstan Republic's government in conjunction of the country's 21st independence anniversary on Dec 16. During the two week stay at the former Soviet state, the visit to two major cities - Astana and Almaty - really impressed this writer on the rising young nation. TEMPERATURE: -53 DEGREES CELSIUS The chill that went right down to the bones could be felt right after stepping out of the plane, despite being fully dressed in winter clothing, complete with mittens and boots. The temperature outside was -53 degrees Celsius, far below the freezing point. To make matters worse, there was snowfall. The cold air felt heavy and made breathing through the nose difficult. This writer had to breath through the mouth but the frigidity disappeared, at least for a moment, when this writer touched the snow outside the terminal building. The writer had an opportunity to touch snow. It felt like soft cotton when she touched it for the first time. However, the journey was not over yet. This writer was in transit to Astana, as there were no direct flights from Malaysia to Astana. The flight from Almaty to Astana took one hour and 45 minutes. The third Secretary of the Malaysian Embassy, Jamaaiah Che Ross, received the Malaysian media delegation at the airport. "It is really cold here (Astana), if in Malaysia you won't get weather like this. Welcome to Kazakhstan... moreover December, is really cold," she told the writer. The distance between the airport and the writer’s hotel was 30 kilometres. During the journey from the airport to the hotel, the sight of beautiful and unique buildings close to the road greeted us though slightly covered in mist. ASTANA, A MODERN CITY Kazakhstan is home to 17 million people. There are 140 ethnic groups that follow Islam, Christianity and Judaism. About 64 per cent of the population comprises Russians, while others comprises people from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Germany, Ukraine and Korea. Located in Central Asia, Kazakhstan is a landlocked nation, with more than 2.7 million square kilometres of land. Astana is a modern city envisioned by President Nursultan Nazarbayev's government. The modern and well-planned city is the pride of the nation. BAITEREK TOWER Although the writer was mesmerised by most of the buildings in the city, one of the buildings that stood out was the Baiterek Tower, a monument and an observation tower in the shape of a tree holding a golden egg of a mythical bird. The height of the tower is 105 meters and provides an eagle eye view of the city's landscape and skyline. At the top, there is a golden plaque, highlighting the right palm of the country’s first president. The visitors were told by Zeynep Shamurat, 30, a guide, that they could place their palms on the golden plaque and make a wish. Apart from the tower, the Palace of Peace and Harmony, which was in the shape of a pyramid and stands at 62 meters, caught the attention of the writer. It was built as a meeting point for religious leaders who are keen on understanding various faiths in the world. NUR ASTANA MOSQUE This writer also had an opportunity to pray at the Nur Astana Mosque (picture), the biggest mosque in Central Asia that could accommodate a congregation of 5,000 people. The mosque, one of the 2000 mosques in the country, is open to non-Muslims every day, except Fridays. More than 70 per cent of Kazakhstan's population belongs to the Hanafi sect. Nevertheless, this writer was disappointed as the view of the beautiful golden dome was covered in snow. Religious classes and weddings are also held at mosques. SHYMBULAK - THE SKIING PARADISE Almaty was the capital of Kazakhstan until 1998. Almaty is a beautiful city, with snow-covered mountains and lakes. It is the biggest city in Kazakhstan and is very different from Astana. Almaty is a popular tourist destination, with Shymbulak (also known as Chimbulak), a ski resort, located 25-km from Almaty. It is located in the Medeu Valley, at 2,230 meters above sea level. A cable car takes visitors to the peak, where an ice skating ring exists. This writer was told that visitors could bring their ski equipment or rent them from various outlets at the resort. The rental for the skiing gear costs 5,000 Teng (US$33.63) for adults and 3,000 Teng (US$20.18) for children. According to many visitors, the best time to ski is between November and May, when the temperature is between -5 and 10 degrees Celsius. When someone visits Kazakhstan, he/she will realise that the natural beauty of the country is different from what is portrayed on Facebook and television programmes. The beautiful landscape and the hospitality of the locals will definitely attract visitors to Kazakhstan. One doesn't have to visit Europe to experience the winter season; Kazakhstan has everything a visitor looks for when he is on a holiday. (photoBERNAMA) MALAYSIA

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