Almaty is known for its nature, after all, it is known as the birthplace of apples. Even its name means something akin to “forefather of apple,” referring to this interesting fun fact. Thankfully, it is not only the mountains, which surround the city, that are green, but also the city itself with its numerous wonderful […]
Green Almaty: Where Apples Meet Parks Read More »
Almaty is a very well urbanized city. Its metro acts as its spine and connects its two faraway sides together, its grid layout enables you to not get lost easily as you walk around town, and its tree lined pavements turn every simple walk into an enjoyable urban adventure. In this article, I will first
Urban Almaty: A City of Wonky Architecture and Intriguing Museums Read More »
Visiting Pavlodar was a last-minute decision for me. Temperatures were going down, things were becoming a bit tougher back in the university day by day, and our “free time” until some “real work” began was coming to an end. I knew I had to do one more trip, but I did not know where to
An Oasis in the Steppes for Foodies: Dining Scene in Pavlodar Read More »
An almost unexpected (and thus poorly planned) trip turning into a remarkable adventure is a rare occurrence. Thankfully, that is exactly what I can say about my trip to Pavlodar during the first weekend of last September. It was an exceptionally enjoyable journey, full to the brim with very lucky details that made it all
Pavlodar: Golden Sandy Beaches in Siberia? Read More »
Good food does not immediately come to one’s mind when one thinks about Karaganda. In fact, it is often the images of chimneys blasting toxic fumes that come to mind, which is, in a manner of speaking, the opposite of good food… Good news is, the food scene in Karaganda will surprise you for the
Karaganda’s Surprisingly Varied Food Scene Read More »
It is no secret that Karaganda, despite its cheerfulness today, had a rather murky past. Soviet Gulags made their way to this remote part of the Union, as they often did. This radically changed the landscape and the demographics of the region. All sorts of people ended up here, some who shared the worst fates
KarLag Museum: Brilliant Curatorship Meets a Dark Past Read More »
Anyone that has heard of the Soviet Union likely also heard about Gulags. They are the bread and butter of all anti-communist/Soviet propaganda for many generations now, and frankly, they deserve their notoriety as one of the worst parts of the whole Soviet experiment… These were extremely scary penal colonies (of sorts) that contained the
Karaganda: A Gulag You Want to Visit Read More »
After all my more “organized” trips, I try my best to share all the details of them with my readers. It is one thing to say that a country is beautiful, or that it is budget friendly, and it is another to literally tell people every single thing that you did during your trip there,
My Georgian Itinerary and Budgetary Notes (July 2023) Read More »
Kutaisi surprised us immensely, purely positively. This was helped in no small way by its superb dining scene. I do not enjoy hyperboles, and some restraint can go a long way especially in more subjective issues like this, but from my own perspective, despite its much smaller size, the eateries here in Kutaisi offer the
A Guide to Eating Well in Kutaisi: A Case of Quality over Quantity Read More »
When it comes to caves, nothing can come close to what Prometheus has to offer, at least within Georgia. It is huge, the biggest I have been to so far, though that sadly does not mean much on its own. As was the case with Sataplia, you have to go in with a group of
Prometheus Cave: Spelunking Meets Classical Music Read More »