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| Beshbarmek |
The alarm on the mobile rang.
It was 9 am in the morning. I woke up as a fresh warrior after the long dream of Alexander looking over the land of India.
After the fresh-up concluded with a fresh shower in the cosy bath tub, I started to boil the eggs. Indrani started to butter the toasted pieces of bread. We had managed to get some stuff like packaged drinking water, fruit juice, butter, sliced bread, iced tea, potato chips and some snacks from the store on the ground floor of the residential complex, last night. This obviously saves not only money, time, too. Because going out for just a breakfast will cost us at least an hour and a half. And things would not be in our hand early in the morning. So, this was better, at least that we had our own choices and we could bulldoze on time too. After having a healthy English Breakfast, we went off to the famous park of the city Panfilov Park.
Temperature was near 15 degrees. The sun was a little blur. Wind was low. Still, since we were out for the entire day, we did take ample protection to shield the cold. The cold was dry and chilling.
The city roads near the locality where we had boarded was moderately busy. The public transport was more than sufficient and cheap enough. Mostly buses of different routes join together the different corners of the city. Calling Cabs are pocket friendly too, compared to Indian standards. Here one will need 'Yandex go' app to book a cab.
The whole world started to appear strange when we started interacting with people to know little things. Thanks to Google Translate and the local SIM availed free from and activated at the airport!! We had a tough time to realize that Panfilov Park was located bang opposite to the road of our temporary residence. To realize that we walked half a kilometer and entered it from a different gate.
Panfilov Park has its own history and pride. We were stunned by the visual beauty of the place which had started taking its attire of the season of fall -- the background of the spotless blue firmament was an apt backdrop to highlight the sunlit basics of the pale green, yellow, brown and red. The play of the peep-through sunlight managing to extend its rays to the ground make the entire place look like a stage.
There is a stage and auditorium. We could see many people clad in dramatic make up outside it. They were up to some classic presentation, we could guess that.
Then we reached an art gallery where some beautiful paintings were hanging with their promises under the highlight against all darkness around to win some spectator who will have some time to appreciate them, at least, if not the painter.
Out of the cove now we confronted the historical monuments which showed clear marks of dedication, patriotism, chivalry and martyrdom. Those are clearly stated in the Vlog attached -- when, how and why this park was named "Panfilov Park".
After exploring the tanks used in the first and second world war, we came out of the park. started to walk down the city roads and streets to reach Arbat Street for finding a decent place to have our lunch. The map was showing that Arbat Street was just 10 minute walk from Panfilov Park.
After we reached Arbat Street our only lookout was for a decent restaurant. Since Indrani is an ardent researcher of different travel locations over internet, she suggested that Degirmen is a very good option.
There we had the fortune to enjoy a full meal and it was so late a lunch. We had our first experience of tasting horse meat. Yes! No wonder that 'Beshbarmek', a complete platter full of boiled wide noodles (an inch square and thin), vegetables and horse meat. The platter is soupy and must be taken hot. The large plate of Beshbarmek at Degirmen is sufficient for three.
After lunch we headed for Green Bazar to have a feel of the ambience of the place. The green bazar is quite like a big super market. A close association may be drawn to our Kolkata New Market. Actually, the place is a conglomeration of both Chandni Chowk and New Market. For the first time we could see some poor old people are selling things outside the main market.
Dry fruits and dried fruits are very famous in Almaty. Like-wise Tashkent tea and Moroccan tea are available there at reasonable price. Another speciality of Almaty is big apples which are available in Green Bazar.
FYI Green Bazar keeps its SHUTTERS DOWN ON MONDAYS.
We grabbed some stuff as samples to taste and confirm the real reason of they being so very famous. We tried them afterwards and all of the myths proved to be true.
The last part of the day's travel needed to have an end with a dinner. We went back again to Arbat Street to see the night-life there. People throng around the place in the evening till night. There are joints to have coffee, snacks and meals along the road. Sophisticated garment shops overlook Arbat Street. Young singers with monotony of their tunes keep on buzzing around the place incessantly. A crowd of passing people stop in front of them. Rarely, some put a formidable coin in the music-instrument box.
After being bored to the songs in Kazakh languages We went in to Degirmen again to have our dinner.
Paying the cheque when we were again on the street to walk back to our apartment, the mercury was drastically falling. We needed to put our hands in the pockets of our puffed jackets as the cold had started to prick any open space on skin.
We fell asleep early because the next two days will be the most exquisite days of our trip with the Viator in Almaty and we needed to catch the bus as early as 8 in the next morning.
….Continued
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