Around the world: week 4 - Bekaert Els

Hi Bloggers,

Here I am again with more news about Kazachstan! Today is our fourth day in this beautiful but yet not well known country. We just have had the most wonderful day in Astana, the capital of Kazachstan. Like Anne already said in her first blog on Kazachstan; Astana hasn’t always been the capital. For centuries, and until 1995, Almaty was the capital. There may be different explanations for this change: maybe the reasons were symbolic, or strategic? The discussion is still open. But enough about such matters, let’s talk about our fascinating day.

When we arrived in the vicinity of Astana we noticed enormous “fields of gold”- fields with cereals growing on it. These fields were originally just grass steppe. But at the time of Chroetsjov they became cultivated land through the famous ‘Virgin Lands Program’. Once arrived at the center of Astana, we were perplexed how modern and developed the city really is. First we made a wonderful sightseeing trip taking in the city’s innovative architecture, which is the leading attraction of Astana. For example the ‘Bayterek-monument’ has really impressed me. It’s a gigantic white tower that speaks to the imagination. The structure of the tower looks like a tree with inside a huge golden ball. The entire tower gives the impression of being a huge crown. This mystic tower includes a rather nice legend about a magic bird. The bird, called by the name of ‘Samruk’, isn’t a regular bird but a bird of happiness. Nesting on the branches of a popular tree, it laid an egg that contained “the secrets of human desires and happiness”. We climbed this fascinating tower and it was astonishing views of the city. But it was time to continue our tour…

The next stop worth writing about, is the KazMunaiGaz, the headquarters of the state-owned gas and oil company. It’s a really beautiful building with two high towers connected by an arch. If you stand in front of the giant arch, you’ll see another amazing architectural beauty: the Khan Shatyr. It’s an entertainment center. And so I can go on, but because I have little time left today to write since we have to catch a plane tonight, and there’s still so much to see here! We’re going to grab a bite to eat and walk a little through the old city center, before leaving for our next country… Mongolia. I’m really looking forward to exploring this country.