Would you be able to place Kazakhstan on a map? Or describe its landscapes? Name one of its culinary specialities or one of its cities?
Before arriving in Kazakhstan, we knew nothing about the country. We imagined huge deserted areas, very few inhabitants and a nomadic culture. We weren't entirely wrong!
Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world and has one of the lowest population densities. For a very long time, Kazakhstan was only a land of passage for nomads. The word ‘Kazakh’ is said to mean ‘free’ or ‘runaway’ in the Turkic languages. Most of the landscape is made up of steppes which, when crossed by train, give the impression of being endless.
However...
Our favourite place
Kazakhstan also has some very modern cities, similar to those found in Europe. We spent two weeks in Almaty, a very dynamic and modern city, where there's no shortage of cafés, restaurants, shows and activities. While waiting for our Russian visa, we explored the city and its surroundings.
Just 30 minutes by bus from the city centre, you can go hiking and skiing in the snow-capped mountains. Once you get there, the scenery is extraordinary.
We also hitchhiked to Charyn Canyon. You'd think you were in Arizona!
In the region, you can also walk around magnificent turquoise lakes, and even admire a spruce forest immersed in a lake!
A wide variety of landscapes, a far cry from the steppes you might imagine.
A lovely meeting
30 minutes from Almaty, we set off to meet a group of permaculture farmers. There, we were welcomed to Madina and Tair's farm.
Madina and Tair know how to do it all: cheese from their goats, eco-constructed buildings, nature education programmes for children, a CBD business and even a delicious plov! They always have a smile on their face, and we were very impressed by the energy they put into all these activities, while at the same time educating 3, soon to be 4, children. What's more, their generosity is exemplary. When they welcomed us, it was in the middle of Ramadan. But they still prepared us a vegetarian buffet fit for a king! Being vegetarian in Kazakhstan is more than a challenge, as meat is part of the culture and customs - worse than in France! So we were pleasantly surprised by their choice.
Madina and Tair are one of those people who inspire because they are everything at once: interesting and attentive, dynamic and soothing, generous and modest. In just one day, their family more than touched us, and also made us want to have our own independent farm one day!
What’s for dinner ?
On the bus taking us to Kazakhstan, a local told us: "Kazakhs, without horse meat, do not eat anything". That set the tone! We learned a little later that the Kazakhs are very proud to say that they are the second biggest meat eaters, after wolves!
The vegetarian offer is therefore very poor in Kazakhstan. So we mostly ate in international restaurants: Georgian, Indian, Italian...
Nevertheless, here are the few local specialities we discovered:
- Poppy seed buns: it's impossible to know whether these buns are actually Kazakh or Russian. It doesn't matter: they're the discovery of the trip! They're simple buns filled with a kind of poppy seed jam. We ate them every morning!
- Praniqs: the Russian influence that Kazakhstan has been under for many decades has spread these little cakes throughout the country. They are small, round, soft cakes, sometimes filled, sometimes flavoured with spices. Our favourites are the spiced ones with chocolate filling, or the plain ones with whole peanuts! In general, cakes are very popular in Kazakhstan, and all the bazaars have a number of stalls specialising in sweets, where you can buy cakes in bulk.
- Potato ravioli with fresh cream. It's very simple, but the potatoes are meltingly sweet, which makes all the difference!
After a radical change of scenery in China, Kazakhstan almost feels like home. The faces of the Kazakhs, their culture and their scenery are a real mix of East and West, Asia and Europe. Between entering and leaving the country, we covered a great many kilometres, like a transition in our journey. Without even realising it, we were getting closer to home.
join us on our journey!
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