On a recent weekend, the ESI teachers in Kazakhstan gathered in the country's capital, Astana, for a final retreat. We travelled by train, taking about three hours to get there from Karaganda. While there, we stayed in an unusual hotel (located inside a sports hall), discussed our upcoming return to the U.S., and did some sightseeing.
Heading to Astana Train travel begins here, at the Vokzal, or train station.
At the Astana Train Station The train visible here was coming from St. Petersburg! Fortunately, our journey took much less time.
Lunch at a Uighur Restaurant We lunched at a restaurant featuring Uighur food (a group that lives in western China). I tried their lagman, a noodle dish.
On the Streets of Astana We spent some time that evening enjoying the city at night.
A War Memorial in Astana This memorial is to the veterans of Kazakhstan who lost their lives in combat.
The Central Square To the left is the Presidential Palace, seat of the exectutive, and to the right is the Parliament building of Kazakhstan.
Me in front of the Parliament As you can see, the weather was beautiful this day, though there was a bit of wind.
The Riverfront As much as I like Karaganda, I wish we had a river like Astana's!
With the Three Biys Pam, Scott, Mary and I decided to pose in front of Astana's statue of the three famous judges.
