We've come from Siam to cyan. One of the things we've noticed in Kazakhstan is that the aquamarine blue of the flag is everywhere. From the towels on the train to the roofs on the houses, the uniforms of many workers to bus tickets. Not only the colour, but the national sentiment. Ordinary shops sell Kazakhstam chocolate bars, branded with the national flag, people wear Kazakhstan tracksuits, Kazakhstan belt buckles and police, immigration officials and random strangers alike are all eager for us to like their country. "I love Kazakhstan" said the tipsy guy on the subway before being whisked off by his friends, a sentiment echoed in many ways by many people throughout our stay.
Astana certainly has its share of aquamarine. This architects wet dream centres around various principles:
- it has to be on a grand scale
- it has to fit around the President's Palace and Tower
- no building is complete without a touch of sky blue
The Baiterek tower (glory to the President) is, rightly, a national symbol and is magnificent. It really comes into its own at night, when the turquoise (of course) glittering tower stands out in the dark sky, balancing a shining golden ball which represents the egg of peace on earth laid by a magical eagle. The ball also represents the only time SrNorman Foster has been told how to build a structure - it's truly Nazarbaev's vision. Inside the ball, reverential Kazakhs and not so reverential tourists put their right hand into the President's golden (and improbably large) hand print, posing for the requisite photo and making a wish. The tower stands in the middle of an extremely long avenue, with the President's Palace (a replica of the White House, with an almost predictable colour change - it has a blue roof), at one end and a giant see through tent at the other.
The view from the top is wonderful, an array of collossal buildings pile out from the tower's epicentre, especially as we've come up for sunset and are able to watch the red sun sink and the cities' lights flicker on. What's almost more remarkable than the giant structures is that we can actually see the edge of the city, and it's not far! Just blocks away, the edifices give way to scrubland, and behind that sits a huge lake. This lack of urban sprawl is understandable when you think that this is a new city, a capital created from a small town, according to the President's vision. No doubt in time it will grow, but now we had the strange sense of these huge structures planted in a town which doesn't yet have the people and houses to complete the picture - like you've just used a cheat on SIM city, or a child's lego creation where they haven't built the boring little bits.
For all the promise of the giant tent, it's a little disappointing at first. It's a shopping mall - like in the UK with Debenhams, Zara and Mango. But it rewards closer inspection. For starters, it's a green house - the fabric absorbs the sun meaning the building doesn't need any heating, even when Astana reaches its winter lows. Second, there's a fairground ride at the centre, lifting shoppers up to the top before suddenly dropping down. There's a monorail running around the 4th floor, with little coaster buggies worming their way around. And that's before you make out bikini clad ladies and what appeared to be deck chairs on the top floor. Sure enough, we find a beach styled fitness centre, though it's way out of a backpacker's budget. Astana has many shopping malls, all with touches of the President's favourite colour, and all splendid in their own ways, with Pirates of the Carabean playgrounds or elaborate light displays. I imagine they offer shelter for citizens and visitors alike, for Astana weather is pretty intemperate, ranging from +40 to -40 degrees, with no mountains to break the gale force winds. We were glad of the warm bolt holes, tea/coffee breaks and internet access. With all that oil and gas money floating around, I suspect they have no shortage of customers.
The furthest oceanarium from the sea is located in another grand building, the Dyman, which slightly surreally contains models of various Astana sights and a 5-D cinema. The cinema had seats that moved and sprayed us with water to provide the extra dimensions, and was surprisingly realistic, leaving us a little queasy after the 10 minute ride. The aquarium is actually not very big, but it houses a good number of small sharks, turtles, groupers and of course nemos. We were also impressed by the selection of hats, fur or otherwise, boots and local outfits inside - and by the kindness of the lady who walked us to the door after we asked for directions.
Our cyrillic map, limited time and reliance on wiki travel meant we didn't find all the sights, and visiting on a Sunday and Monday meant that some (such a the mini model map of Kazakhstan) were shut when we got there. But it didn't stop us from enjoying the city, the dwarfing roads, and sense of arriving early in a future regional power centre. One Aussie we met described it as Dubai in the snow, and it's easy to see it growing exponentionally. Now we're on a bumpy train to Moscow, a 54.5 hr journey, from the 9th biggest country in the world to the biggest one. Kazakhstan has been a gem - lovely people, loads to see, and lots of pies.
If you're going
- The Baiterek is open until 9pm, it's worth timing your visit around sunset and the tea at the viewing tower is 100T a cup.
- Local buses are cheap and easy to use, it's not practical to walk everywhere
- Use the web to book cheap accomodation early. We'd found some relatively budget places, but they were full when we got there and it's a big city to be tramping around with backpacks
- Stick to tea, it's very cheap, especially against the price of coffee
- It's not a tourist city so don't expect souveniers
- Most things are shut on monday
