Vera from Shymkent
Vera # 2 
Residence of the president of Kazakhstan when he visits Shymkent
Mall across the street from out apartment
January 18, 2011
We decided to take a last minute mini get away and went to Shymkent for a couple of days. We left early on Tuesday the 18th and came back on Friday the 21st. Medet took us to the bus station in the morning and we paid 2000 Tenge which is equivalent to about $14.00. We travelled with a mini van and it was a very comfortable drive and it took us almost 3 hours to get there.
Once we arrived in Shymkent we were welcomed by Vera #2. Vera #2 is a co-ordinator in the city of Shymkent and Kyzylorda that works for the Agency in Montreal and also has the same name as our co-ordinator in Taraz. She picked us up at the bus station and took us to her apartment that she rents out for her families that adopt in Shymkent. We were really impressed and very happy that she offered us to stay in her apartment. She lives in a house with her mom in a village 30 minutes from our apartment. We dropped off our luggage and then went to eat at an Uzbek restaurant which was delicious. After our meal Vera gave us a tour of Shymkent and showed us different micro regions and visited the National Park. The national park is where the President has a house which he stays when he visits Shymkent. It is huge a mansion. After touring a little of Shymkent we then headed to the Madeleine restaurant for coffee and dessert.
Shymkent is the second largest city of Kazakhstan after Almaty and has a population of 1.2 million people. It’s a much bigger city than Taraz and it’s a very interesting city to visit. We find very good restaurants, malls and many historical buildings, churches and mosques and huge lead plant.
We decided to take a last minute mini get away and went to Shymkent for a couple of days. We left early on Tuesday the 18th and came back on Friday the 21st. Medet took us to the bus station in the morning and we paid 2000 Tenge which is equivalent to about $14.00. We travelled with a mini van and it was a very comfortable drive and it took us almost 3 hours to get there.
Once we arrived in Shymkent we were welcomed by Vera #2. Vera #2 is a co-ordinator in the city of Shymkent and Kyzylorda that works for the Agency in Montreal and also has the same name as our co-ordinator in Taraz. She picked us up at the bus station and took us to her apartment that she rents out for her families that adopt in Shymkent. We were really impressed and very happy that she offered us to stay in her apartment. She lives in a house with her mom in a village 30 minutes from our apartment. We dropped off our luggage and then went to eat at an Uzbek restaurant which was delicious. After our meal Vera gave us a tour of Shymkent and showed us different micro regions and visited the National Park. The national park is where the President has a house which he stays when he visits Shymkent. It is huge a mansion. After touring a little of Shymkent we then headed to the Madeleine restaurant for coffee and dessert.
Shymkent is the second largest city of Kazakhstan after Almaty and has a population of 1.2 million people. It’s a much bigger city than Taraz and it’s a very interesting city to visit. We find very good restaurants, malls and many historical buildings, churches and mosques and huge lead plant.
Hello. I am an adoptive parent of a child from Shymkent, and Vera was my translator when I was there in 2005. I have been trying to get in touch with her.
ReplyDeleteIf you are still in Shymkent, would you ask Vera if she would be willing to email me, Alison McLean? My email is mcleana@si.edu.
Thanks very much, and good luck to you!
Best,
Alison
It is nice that you guys take a little bit of time to travel, you will have alots of story to tell Dylan.
ReplyDeleteLove Linda