Meeting my Kazakh Host Sisters Aktau, Kazakhstan
It had been 16 years since I met with my Kazakh host sisters.
In April 2015, my host sister, Gulzhan, helped me make arrangements to meet some of my Kazakh host sisters during a holiday weekend in May 2015. The last time I saw them was back in November 1999, when I visited them in Karatau. Sixteen years is a long time.
Our plane is flying over the desert and into Aktau. After crossing the Aral Sea, it was just desert and sand until we landed. Then more sand.
Control Tower at the Aktau International Airport.
I was surprised to see a couple of Sukhoi SU-30SMs at the airport. My Air Astana flight in Aktau.
My Air Astana flight in Aktau.
I got this view of the Caspian Sea from my hotel window in Aktau.
I got a better view of the Caspian Sea from the beach.
A view of Aktau.
Seaside and cityscape of Aktau.
Aktau's sidewalks look very similar to the ones in Almaty.
Many small shops in Aktau.
Outside of my hotel is a Mig fighter.
Yes, I saw camels on my taxi ride back to the airport. For some reason, my phone could not zoom in.
Reflection
I hope I can meet with my Kazakh host sisters again.
Map of the places
- Aktau, Kazakhstan
The map is from OpenStreetMap. If you load it, OpenStreetMap may set cookies and may see your IP address. The places are listed above as text.
Use the arrow keys to move the map. Use the plus and minus keys to zoom. The numbered markers are for mouse and touch. The same places, with the same numbers, are in the list above.