It'll be hard to sum up the past ten days in a single entry; I've had an amazing time. Shame on anybody out there who thinks I have it hard in Kazakhstan. Though sometimes I do wish I were back at home, little liesurely hiatuses like this past one are all I need to remind me that there is so much more to this country than what I've experienced within the limits of my village. I'll try and keep it brief.

On March 20 some fellow volunteers and I set out by train for Shemkent, a city located in the steamy southern reaches of Kazakhstan (though the weather was quite comfortable, barely exceeding 75 degrees on the warmest day). The volunteers who live in that region hooked us up with housing and arranged local excursions to nearby villages of Turkestan and Sayram. When it comes to traveling, I’m typically a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda gal. The thought that my first vacation in-country had an itinerary made me a little queasy at first, as I prefer not to be told what to do. I guess it took six months bumbling around in a country without knowing the language, customs, or what to do in any given situation to show me just how nice a little structure and organization can be. The Southern region volunteers did an outstanding job easing us into the practice of traveling within country. For most of us, it was our first trip beyond our assigned oblasts.

This is my friend Erin (who graduated from A&M recently) and I hanging out in the dining car on the train to Shemkent.

We rolled into Shemkent in the early morning of March 21. It was my first ever over-night train experience; I was antsy and couldn’t help but stay awake for the sunrise. The topography of the area around Shemkent was an amazing contrast to what I’m accustomed to in my village, which is nestled in the foothills of the Tien Shien Mountiains. Gentle, rolling hills, whitewashed huts, and a pink-smeared morning horizon welcomed me to this city which would soon become my favorite in all of Kazakhstan.

Rolling Hills and Houses (Sorry, No Sunrise)

Within half an hour of settling into our apartment at 9:00 am, we impulsively decided to take part in an excursion to the nearby Uzbek village of Sayram. The village is rather small and conservative, so when 25 blue-jean clad, backpacked Americans schlepped into the village unannounced, more than just a few heads turned. We spent the day strolling around the dusty streets, snapping photos, and chatting with locals in whatever broken Russian we could muster, though it’s worth noting that the people of Sayram’s first language is Uzbek. Sayram is arguably the oldest city in Kazakhstan with archeological evidence going back approximately 2000 years, and a lot of the mausoleums and ancient Muslim holy sites date back to 1100 AD. If you know me at all, you can imagine how elated I was to run my hands along ancient bricks and tiptoe among weathering gravestones.

Town Gate: Sayram!

Me And Some Friends Posing Mosque-Front

Another Mosque

11th Century minaret located behind the secondary school. It was at one time part of a mosque, which crumbled to the ground many years ago. Rumor has it that the minaret is haunted, so village children and hooligans don’t go near it. Perhaps that is how it has withstood the ages.

What?!! Haunted minaret? I’m so going up there…

Just a Random Mausoleum

In Kazakhstan, one of the most celebrated National Holidays known as Nauryz occurs on March 22. Nauryz, a.k.a. the Muslim New Year and welcoming of spring, is most commonly celebrated by community festivals, tall colorful tree-like structures in city/village squares, and National games. In Sayram, the Uzbek celebration for spring occurs on the 21st.

Girls in Traditional Uzbek Dress

There are no lines in Kazakhstan, so my friends and I had to elbow our way through the most jam-packed accumulations of people to get onto the rickety carnival rides. It hurt a little but was totally worth the pain.

End of the Line

Success! View from the top.

In Shymkent, one of the major Nauryz attractions is Kokbar, also known as Goat Carcass Polo. Look Closely.

Can you see?

Oh, yeah.


This is my great friend Art and I watching some polo.

The three days following Nauryz were devoted to In-Service Training located at a sanatorium in Almaty. So, wearily— reluctantly— we packed it up and boarded the train for A-town.

But lo! My birthday so happened to fall within these three brutal IST days. I had previously thought that last year’s birthday celebration would be the end-all-be-all of birthday soirées, but after year 24’s b-day bash I’m convinced that the celebrations will only improve as I grow older. Just for fun, here are some party pics of me and my friends. Probably the worse pictures I’ve ever taken, but that’s how I know for sure that it was a rockin’ time.

Birthday Girl Front and Center


Me and my girl Mary from Alabama. She didn't want to take this picture, so she's gonna kill me if she sees it posted on my blog.

Late Night Dance Party Lives On: Complete with Funny Hats and Cute Boys.

As for what I learned at IST, well, I learned a lot. ;-) I have a nice start on my secondary project, which is an obligation that all education volunteers must carry out in addition to their main task of teaching English. I’ll report more on this once I iron out the details for myself.