Day 13

Only 2 more appeal days to go! Actually, Day 14 has already started in Kaz so I am almost there!! Since I had some requests for more photos of souvenirs including some yurts, here you go-
Stacking yurts -these nest together one inside the other.
This hanging is very beautiful in person. It is leather carved and dyed to represent a yurt and horse outside the yurt- 2 of the most typical Kaz traditional items(horses and yurts).
These are 2 wall hangings made of a wool/felt showing camels and yurts.
This yurts is about 10 " tall and shows a family having a meal inside.
This yurt show the couple in tradtional dress inside their yurt. Another yurt. This one is a material similar to a stiff felt.

This one is NOT a yurt! It is a box made from leather and carved decoration from a birch tree layered on top. I do have a few more items but since I got most of them as gifts for people I will not post them so they are still surprises when you get them.
Only 2 days to go!!!

Day 10(already Day 11 in Kaz)

2/3rds of the way through the appeals period!!! Really nothing new to report other than going back to work is no fun.

Day 8(starting Day 9 in Kaz)

I went back to work today. I'd rather still be visiting the girls, but they will be home soon. 7 days left in the appeal period!
Since I have nothing more interesting to post, here are some of the souvenirs I bought for myself and the girls.
This is one of my souvenirs. It is a felt version of a horse? It reminds me of a Kazakh Eeyore!

These are wooden miniature versions of the traditional Kazakh musical instruments the dombra and Qobyz.

These are 2 dolls for the girls in traditional dress for when they are a little older. They fit well in the Kazakh cradle.

Twin camels for the girls in the future. This is a wooden doll in the traditional Kazakh outfit.

Day 7 (almost 8!)

I got my dog Frosty home yesterday. She was happy to see me and then mad at me for leaving her at the kennel for so long. She is better today although she is still roaming around a lot. I guess if I had been in a small dog run for 35 days, I'd be roaming also. She did get out once per day for a walk, but it is still a very long time for her to be there.

I managed to get suitcases unpacked although I still haven't got everything put away yet. I have a whole table full of souvenirs and presents that I'm not sure where I am going to put them. I stayed home from work today to try to recover some more. Even though I stayed up til after 9pm yesterday, I still wake up at 1am and cannot get back to sleep without taking a sleeping pill which I hate to do, but I know I have to.

I did have a nice surprise when I got home. Thanks Ruth Ann!

Day 6 or is it Day 7?

I'm home. The trip was uneventful and much quicker coming back. I only had 2 hours in Frankfort and 2 1/2 in Chicago for layovers (instead of 5 and 6 on the way there) and I didn't have the wait and final flight to SHymkent so it was much better, but still exhausting. I got home yesterday, unpacked a few things to make sure things made it home ok, took a shower and went to bed. I woke up at 1am wide awake, but this time I was a little smarter and took a sleeping pill and went back to sleep until this morning. It took forever (ok, maybe a week) for me to start sleeping properly on the way over and I do not want to go through that again. I still feel pretty bad, but I am going to try to get on a regular scheduled quickly.
Going through customs in Chicago was very quick. I had heard it was slow and could take up to 2 hours. It took me about 15 minutes. My luggage came out quickly and I wasn't asked any questions in immigration or customs. Actually, the only questions I was asked on the whole trip were by the people doing the metal detection checks on the entrance to the Almaty airport(you go through a metal detector and luggage xray to enter the airport). They asked me if I had a knife in my luggage(I had a multi tool with a knife) and I thought it was a problem, but they just wanted to know. They also asked me if I had bought any souvenirs. I'm not sure why they asked that, but they let me in ok. Overall, still a long trip, but I am home and glad to be here.
I think in a few hours I will be on Day 7 of the appeal in Kaz. That means I am almost half the way through the wait. I don't expect any issues, but until the 15 days are over, you can't be 100% certain. The first week went fast-mainly because so much was still going on. I hope the next week goes fast also as I try to get back into my regular schedule.

Day 4(11 to go!)

Today was cold and drizzly. Shymkent was so warm that I did not bring a jacket or sweater or anything warm. Some of the residents were even in winter coats although it wasn't that cold. I just got back from my mountain tour. I took some pictures on the way there, but they are through a dirty window in a moving vehicle so they are only so so. This fancy building is a gym. As you head towards the mountains, you go through the expensive part of the city. Mansions and designer stores etc. As you drive up into the mountains, you follow a nice stream. You can't see it too well in this picture however.
Once you got up in the mountains, it was cold. You can see the ice skating rink in the background. They also have concerts there and use it as a stadium.
This is the ice rink. This area is called Medeu. They are trying to develop it as they want to some day hold the Olympics here.
The mountains are very close. If you follow the road further on, you get to the ski area called Chimbulak. Medeu is at 1700m elevation and Chimbulak is at 2300m. Medeu is much cooler than Almaty. You can walk up to the top if you want, but there are a lot of steps. There are actually a series of these staircases to get to the top. We drove. When you are at the top, you are standing on a dam. It is to protect the valley below from avalanches and mudslides.
After the mountains, we stopped at a park in the center of the city. It was called Paniflov park or 28 Soldiers park. 28 soldiers from the area were killed in WW2. They died defending a village near Moscow from the Nazis. This monument is huge-maybe 25 ft tall and 50 ft across.
The park is very nice and is next to a museum. I didn't go to the museum, but I was told it is a museumn of the traditional kazakh musical instruments the dombra and qobyz.

They have an eternal flame for the soldiers.

On the other side of the park is Zenkov cathedral that was built from wood including using wooden nails. It was built in 1904.

It is very beautiful in person. there is also a children play area with games etc nearby. Lots of roses, trees, etc also. Overall a very nice park. So despite all my complaining about having to stay 2 extra days in Almaty, it turned out to be a nice time and I have more good memories and pictures to share with the girls when they are older.

Hotel Almaty

I am staying in the Hotel Almaty. My room is the smallest hotel room I have ever stayed in. It is about 8 by 10. The bed is a twin bed although the headboard attached to the wall is for a full size bed.

This is the bathroom I do not close the door since the there is so little room in here. Note how high the little tub is off the floor.
The tub is maybe half the length of a normal tub. You can't really turn around in the shower. The cleaning lady spent 10 mintues in here today cleaning. I have no idea what she cleaned for that long-it isn't that big!

The elevators are also tiny. They never stop even with the floor. Sometimes they are an inch high, sometimes 2 inches low! you can see the elevator shaft below as there is about a 2 " gap between the elevator and the floors.

They are maybe 3 by 4? if that big. 2 people can fit in it. Tomorrow I have to get me, 2 big suitcases and 2 carryons in this thing when I go to check out! I'm not sure we will all fit.

I am on the 7th floor and face the mountains so at least I have nice views when the rain and drizzle aren't clouding them up. This building is the opera house.

More of the opera house and the mountains behind it.

I think this is part of Kok Tobe, but I am not sure. If the weather cooperates, I will be going there tomorrow so I will know then.

One of the fountains in front of the hotel taken from my balcony. There is construction all around the hotel so much of the grounds is torn up.

Another fountain they are in the process of retileing.