A short drive away from Karaganda was
the capital city of Kazakhstan, Astana, which we blessed with our presence around
lunchtime. A few days previously we had pinpointed a recommended hostel right
in the city centre but when we arrived it was nowhere to be seen. Stumped by
the lies of the maps.me app, a helpful lady proceeded to guide us to a nearby
elevator. It was here that we realised the hostel was on the 19th
floor of a tower block with stunning panoramic views over the city. For only $6
a night each we were treated to a bed, an unbelievable shower and a rooftop
terrace bathed in sunshine all day long. It was the perfect vantage spot to
relax, sip an ice-cold beer and observe the ebb and flow of Astana’s ant-sized
population below.
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| On the rooftop sun terrace |
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| View over Astana from the hostel |
Astana had always been scheduled as
the main pit stop of the trip as Alf had to hotfoot it back to the UK for a big
Alford wedding. Congratulations Glenn and Sarah in tying the knot and thanks
for taking him off our hands for a few days, it was bliss. With Alf’s flight
due to depart the following morning, we headed to a restaurant, broke the bread
and enjoyed our last supper together.
Posted by: Rich