Almaty was the former capital before they moved it to Astana ten years ago. The backdrop of the city is a spur of the Tian Shan mountains that borders the entire southern edge of Almaty. You can see the snow capped mountains from almost anywhere in the city.
It's pretty easy to get around by bus or foot, eventhough there is not one single sign in English. The streets are laid out in a grid and if you've got the Lonely Planet guide with you it's really simple.
I saw the Monument to Independence. Considering the amount of "independence" in Kazakhstan the crappiness of the monument is probably warranted. I went to Paniflov Park and saw a graduation ceremony for military graduates or something. All the soldiers, each with a girl, took part in a procession then an organized dance while the military band played. When it was finished they all through their caps in the air like they had just graduated. All this took place next to the War Memorial.
I'm going to Turkistan by bus (15 hrs) Saturday evening to check out the best Timur era architecture in Kazakhstan and should be back in Almaty Monday to pick up my Uzbek visa.
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