Almaty and nearby, Kazakhstan 阿拉木图和周边 5/2018 (1)

2-3/5/2018. Although I live most of my life in Asia, Central Asia is as remote to me as any other continent. I flew into Almaty from Kuala Lumpur. Pardon my ignorance, but I had never heard of Almaty before now, although it is the largest city and commercial center in Kazakhstan. I couldn’t wait to unveil it.

As I walked around, high above was a vast canopy of endless blue, traced with a little white. The ground was flatter than a pancake, carpeted with fresh green grass. Lanky luxuriant trees stood like pillars, to break the monotony of this vast spacious land. Streets and paths would occasionally find their way through the green landscape. Everywhere I walked, I felt like I was beating around the bush, always within a big park. Sometimes Russian-styled structures and low buildings made an appearance, but they hardly alter the theme of the park. Where were the people who should thrive and fill up this good Earth?

2-3/5/2018 一世在亚洲生活但从未踏足中亚，又是回教又跟俄罗斯藕断丝连关系，刺激我的好奇，再次踏上征程，吉隆坡空降到阿拉木图。

这是个绿化非常的城市，到处绿树，人在树林开出自己的路，车在其中穿行，又欣然与之共享；相互礼让，予以空间，少盖高楼，不挡视线，不遮阳光，二氧化碳交换氧气，这就是共生的写照。在这绿蓝的世界里流动着的是清新的空气，这是阿拉木图 (Almaty), 哈萨克斯坦最大城市和商务中心。

A land carpeted and wrapped in green 花草绿树全覆盖

Parklike environment everywhere 绿树陪伴的街道 — A land carpeted and wrapped in green 花草绿树全覆盖

Kazakhstan is a country with an Islamic background, but I saw no mosques nor heard azan from any towers. I didn’t see Arabic writings on the streets. The womenfolk were not wrapped in hijabs, and alcohol was consumed quite openly in the cafes. Is this because it was in the Russian sphere of influence for decades? I wondered.

哈萨克斯坦是回教国家，可是走了两天，还没碰到一所清真寺，也没听到播放朗诵经文，街上也没看到阿拉伯文标语，街上女孩女孩也不戴头纱，街边本地市民开怀喝酒，这是我见过其中最世俗化的回教国家，可能是多年俄罗斯治下结果。市内看到的剧院，大学，品味咖啡馆，好像都有俄罗斯的影子。

Abay Kazakh State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater 国家歌剧和芭蕾剧院 — Cafes surrounded by greens 公园环境咖啡馆

From the city center, I took the public bus to the Shymbulak cable car station 20 minutes away. It took me 45 minutes on the cable car to almost reach the top. It felt very high up. The ground was glaringly white, the sky pure blue, the air thin, the cloud feathery, and within reach. I couldn’t see human civilization below, only a few lost souls at the top. Any farther, I would have been in heavens, probably the closest I would ever be, now and in the hereafter.

从市中心我搭上公交到Shymbulak滑雪场。这天我又登上人生一高峰。有多高？滑雪缆车到顶端花了四十五分钟，眼前平视邻座山峰，薄云举手可触，纯蓝天空就在头顶上；皇帝远，人也少；三千两百米高山，往下看不到文明世界，脑子缺氧难使，就是觉得高高在上，身处九云霄外，该离天堂不远。

High up in the snow mountains 九云霄外雪山顶 — Foothill of the ski mountain 滑雪山脚

From Almaty city center, I took a taxi to Almaty Lake, 45 minutes away. When I arrived, voilà!—right in front of me, a lake almost embarrassed to be situated, almost out of place, among the partially snow-covered mountains. Thin ice covered the lake, but it was thawing. I stood on the hill overlooking the lake—summer grass still carpeted it. It could not decide whether it should dress up for winter or summer. Meanwhile, a large contingent of tourists from India joined me. They play their Bollywood music to give this almost fictional place an Indian flavor. I was totally lost in my imagination.

玩得心花怒放之际，打主意看周围有什么可开眼界的。结果决定打的士到三刻钟外的阿拉木图湖。抵达后，哇！眼前一盆湖水，湖面还见薄冰，雪山就在湖盆后面当靠山，雪山半裸露山皮。我们都在湖前山坡绿草皮上欣赏梦幻景观。今天这湖就几十位印度游客包了，只我代表华人，没白人捧场，印度朋友还大声播放着印度歌曲，今天我被印度包围了。湖的处境别扭，不知该夏装还是冬装出场。这场景真很奇特。

A big group of Indian tourists at Almaty Lake 阿拉木图湖的印度游客 — Almaty Lake 阿拉木图湖

As I chased my tail in the city center, two local youngsters recommended I go to Kok Tobe for a diversion. They ordered a taxi online for me, paid for it, and sent me on my way. I then took the cable car to the top, seeing on one side the view of Almaty city, and on the other rolling green hills very pleasant to the eyes.

在十字路口徘徊，偶遇两个在等朋友的年轻人，他们英语不错，畅谈起来，介绍我乘缆车到这市区山顶 (kok tobe) 观看阿拉马图全景。我说打车到缆车站较困难，他们毫不犹豫就帮我网约并帮我付了。缆车到了山顶，眼前脚下平坦的阿拉马图市景，高楼不多，一览无遗；往另一面看，眼前眼下尽是一浪又一浪，一坡又一坡起伏的绿毯群山。