Borat country here I come! - Page 2

Cyclefrance · 03-23-2008, 06:32 AM

Although the view to the mountains was superb, not so the view back down to Almaty - pollution was rife - the petrol and diesel used is of low quanity and so the smog builds up daily.

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Cyclefrance · 03-23-2008, 06:36 AM

Seems to be a problem throughout the Soviet countries and throughout Asia. When you see pollution on this scale with such alarming regularity you begin to appreciate the scale of the problem to achieve reductions in emissions globally.

On a lighter note, it is possble to take the cable car up to the mountainside - although it looks to be a bit of a cramped journey...:

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Cyclefrance · 03-23-2008, 06:38 AM

And who would have expected to see the Beatles (albeit in bronze) on the Almaty mountainside...?

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Cyclefrance · 03-23-2008, 06:42 AM

The restaurant and food was nothing to write home about (current state of health confirms this!) but it did have an entertaining parakeet that insisted on being the centre of attraction ('awww' time for animal lovers), achieving this mainly by being in the upside-down position and flapping his wings!:

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Cyclefrance · 03-23-2008, 06:48 AM

A dawn taxi ride the following morning to take me back to Almaty airport. Overall impressions were of a place going through dramatic financial change with a noticeable difference between rich and poor amongst its inhabitaints. The style and attractions show a very relaxed approach to life, but that seems to be about to change as oil wealth brings construction and development of the place.

It will be interesting to see what the place is like in, say, 5 years time...:

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xoxoxoBruce · 03-23-2008, 01:33 PM

Excellent job, as usual, cf. Thank you.

TheMercenary · 03-23-2008, 01:42 PM

Great pics. Thanks for sharing.

Radar · 03-24-2008, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyclefrance

Yep, first training trip of 2008, and it's a no-holds-barred whopper of a journey to Almaty in Kazakhstan where I will be training around 50 or so oil industry people from the new and old Soviet block in the wonders of tanker shipping and operations plus (a new one for me) oil storage and pipelines (hey, you at the back, did I see you nodding off already? - well hold on a bit, when I travel things have a habit of going more than slightly askew!)

Leave lunchtime armed, as usual, with laptop and digital camera. So be ready for a blow-by-blow account of all things wonderful and otherwise about my journey and short-ish stay there (fly back on Friday - that's Good Friday as well - such dedication to the cause!)

I think it's going to be interesting......

Watch out for those shape-shifting Jews while you're there.

Radar · 03-24-2008, 04:23 PM

Oops, didn't realize you were already back. Interesting photos.

toranokaze · 03-25-2008, 11:37 AM

Did you get to see the running of the Jew?

Trilby · 03-25-2008, 03:54 PM

thanks, cf, those are great pics and I LOVE seeing pics of other lands. It's amazing how much the weather there is like the weather here in Ohio!

Cyclefrance · 03-25-2008, 05:57 PM

I only got to see the invisible jew - sorry a bit slow on the responses - so far as running goes, my gift from Kazakhstan is taking quite a while to run its course (and in fact I've had a few shifting shapes myself the past few days!)

toranokaze · 03-25-2008, 09:24 PM

All is well that ends well.
Perhaps you should try and get a wondering jew instead of an invisible one..

xoxoxoBruce · 03-26-2008, 12:15 AM

Sorry to hear you drank the water, cf.

We appreciate you suffering to bring us your wonderful pictures. Suffering for your art, so to speak.

Cyclefrance · 03-28-2008, 07:11 PM

Thanks Bruce, but 'suffering for my art'? - was that a mistype (even though the 's' is a little distance from the 't')?

03-23-2008, 06:32 AM	#1
Cyclefrance Pump my ride! Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Deep countryside of Surrey , England Posts: 1,890	Although the view to the mountains was superb, not so the view back down to Almaty - pollution was rife - the petrol and diesel used is of low quanity and so the smog builds up daily. . Attached Images __________________ Always sufficient hills - never sufficient gears

03-23-2008, 06:36 AM	#2
Cyclefrance Pump my ride! Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Deep countryside of Surrey , England Posts: 1,890	Seems to be a problem throughout the Soviet countries and throughout Asia. When you see pollution on this scale with such alarming regularity you begin to appreciate the scale of the problem to achieve reductions in emissions globally. On a lighter note, it is possble to take the cable car up to the mountainside - although it looks to be a bit of a cramped journey...: . Attached Images __________________ Always sufficient hills - never sufficient gears

03-23-2008, 06:38 AM	#3
Cyclefrance Pump my ride! Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Deep countryside of Surrey , England Posts: 1,890	And who would have expected to see the Beatles (albeit in bronze) on the Almaty mountainside...? . Attached Images __________________ Always sufficient hills - never sufficient gears

03-23-2008, 06:42 AM	#4
Cyclefrance Pump my ride! Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Deep countryside of Surrey , England Posts: 1,890	The restaurant and food was nothing to write home about (current state of health confirms this!) but it did have an entertaining parakeet that insisted on being the centre of attraction ('awww' time for animal lovers), achieving this mainly by being in the upside-down position and flapping his wings!: . Attached Images __________________ Always sufficient hills - never sufficient gears

03-23-2008, 06:48 AM	#5
Cyclefrance Pump my ride! Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Deep countryside of Surrey , England Posts: 1,890	A dawn taxi ride the following morning to take me back to Almaty airport. Overall impressions were of a place going through dramatic financial change with a noticeable difference between rich and poor amongst its inhabitaints. The style and attractions show a very relaxed approach to life, but that seems to be about to change as oil wealth brings construction and development of the place. It will be interesting to see what the place is like in, say, 5 years time...: . Attached Images __________________ Always sufficient hills - never sufficient gears

03-23-2008, 01:33 PM	#6
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Excellent job, as usual, cf. Thank you. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

03-23-2008, 01:42 PM	#7
TheMercenary “Hypocrisy: prejudice with a halo” Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Savannah, Georgia Posts: 21,393	Great pics. Thanks for sharing. __________________ Anyone but the this most fuked up President in History in 2012!

03-24-2008, 04:23 PM	#9
Radar Constitutional Scholar Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Ocala, FL Posts: 4,006	Oops, didn't realize you were already back. Interesting photos. __________________ "I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death." - George Carlin

03-25-2008, 11:37 AM	#10
toranokaze I'm still a jerk Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Little Mexico Posts: 1,817	Did you get to see the running of the Jew? __________________ "Without deviation from the norm progress is not possible." - Frank Zappa It is the ignorance of ignorance that lead to the death of knowledge The Virgin Mary does not weep for her son, for he is in paradise. She weeps for the world , for we are in suffering.

03-25-2008, 03:54 PM	#11
Trilby Slattern of the Swail Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 15,654	thanks, cf, those are great pics and I LOVE seeing pics of other lands. It's amazing how much the weather there is like the weather here in Ohio! __________________ In Barrie's play and novel, the roles of fairies are brief: they are allies to the Lost Boys, the source of fairy dust and ...They are portrayed as dangerous, whimsical and extremely clever but quite hedonistic. "Shall I give you a kiss?" Peter asked and, jerking an acorn button off his coat, solemnly presented it to her. —James Barrie Wimminfolk they be tricksy. - ZenGum

03-25-2008, 05:57 PM	#12
Cyclefrance Pump my ride! Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Deep countryside of Surrey , England Posts: 1,890	I only got to see the invisible jew - sorry a bit slow on the responses - so far as running goes, my gift from Kazakhstan is taking quite a while to run its course (and in fact I've had a few shifting shapes myself the past few days!) __________________ Always sufficient hills - never sufficient gears

03-25-2008, 09:24 PM	#13
toranokaze I'm still a jerk Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Little Mexico Posts: 1,817	All is well that ends well. Perhaps you should try and get a wondering jew instead of an invisible one.. __________________ "Without deviation from the norm progress is not possible." - Frank Zappa It is the ignorance of ignorance that lead to the death of knowledge The Virgin Mary does not weep for her son, for he is in paradise. She weeps for the world , for we are in suffering.

03-26-2008, 12:15 AM	#14
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Sorry to hear you drank the water, cf. We appreciate you suffering to bring us your wonderful pictures. Suffering for your art, so to speak. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

03-28-2008, 07:11 PM	#15
Cyclefrance Pump my ride! Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Deep countryside of Surrey , England Posts: 1,890	Thanks Bruce, but 'suffering for my art'? - was that a mistype (even though the 's' is a little distance from the 't')? __________________ Always sufficient hills - never sufficient gears

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