KAZAKHSTAN

Okay, to be honest when I first heard of this country, in Borat some years ago, I thought it was somewhere in the Middle East/towards India. However, about 5 months ago, at my school's annual International Night, I learned it was in Central Asia...I was mind-blown!! It borders Eastern Europe and the Ural River of Russia.

Borat's native land's capital is Astana and the total population is almost at 17 million. The national language is Kazakh and Russian, however in recent years there have more and more native English speakers living and moving to Kazakhstan. In Astana, there are three districts: Almaty District, Yesil District and the Saryarka District. Several tourist must-sees in the country's capital include visits to: The Palace of Peace and Harmony, Baiterek, Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center, the Museum of Modern Art, the Nur-Astana Mosque, Durman Center and the Museum of the Presidential Center of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In Astana, the city that looks like it's from the year 2050, go out and explore what the future holds!

1. Relax at the Palace of Peace and Harmony...ommmmm.

2. Explore the City Center/Islamic Center.

3. Save a cowboy and ride a horse at the Tulpar Horse Club.

4. Go in the winter to do some cross country skiing or visit the Ice City.

5. Take an evening stroll along the Ishim River.

6. Relax and breathe easy at the Laelia Spa or the Rixos Royal Spa.

7. Bet big money on the horse races at Altyn Taga.

8. Bring out your inner nature-man/woman at the Burabay National Nature Park.

9. Play in the pools at the Suntana Aquapark.

For the foodies visiting Astana, get your bellies hungry and try: 

1. Arablet-- a 24 hour restaurant with great food and Viking decorations...my kind of place, seeing as I am half Danish, therefore, half 'Viking'. 

2. Assorti-- a popular chain restaurant in Kazakhstan...so, Americans, think Wendys, Carl's Jr., etc. etc.

3. Arystan Restaurant-- food for the backpackers and students visiting Astana.

4. Astana Nury-- a beautiful river-side restaurant with many different ethnic foods and Kazakh favorites.

5. Chilli Peppers- for you Westerners visiting Astana, this serves an all around favorite: pizza...and for cheap prices.

6. Europe-Asia-- like it sounds, dishes from Europe and Kazakh specialities.

7. Capital Music and Pub Restaurant-- blends both entertainment and food in one.

8. Fusion-- grab a quick bite before partying below at Fashion night club, a popular nightclub in the city.

9. Epoch-- Soviet flags and decor served with wide varieties of bold dishes.

10. Kishlak-- Uzbek foods and decor that changes into a party spot on weekends.

11. La Riviere-- get your fancy clothes on and wallets out, this is one of the city's most expensive restaurants, all inclusive with live piano music and incredible food.

12. Line Hall-- a medieval inspired beer hall that serves 'Kazakhstan's best steak and barbecue sauce'. 

13. Samovar- traditional Russian food with a quaint feel, vine draped ceilings and beautifully painted walls. 

14. Most Restaurant-- you cook the food but the staff cleans it all up for you...a win-win situation! Almost like The Melting Pot for you Americans reading this.

15. Pivovaroff-- get your drink on with German beer and satisfy those drunchies with traditional German cuisine. Danke!

16. Princess Turandot-- if you are CRAVING Chinese food in this Asian country, satisfy your craving here for authentic Chinese food prepared by Chinese chefs.

17. Vaquero-- tengo hambre! Latin American cuisine makes for the perfect lunch or dinner in the city.

18. TGI Fridays-- yes, there is a Fridays here...are you surprised? 

19. Muller-- for European cuisine and beer...who wouldn't miss that when traveling?

20. Tiflis-- looking for delicious Georgian food in Astana? Look no further, this place also does not have a closing time, it's just whenever the last customer leaves. So, if you are having a late-night craving and you are the second to last or even the last person there, no worries, no pressure, take your time. 

If you are visiting the more southern region of Kazakhstan, the city of Almaty (borders with Kyrgyzstan  is another popular destination for tourists. If you make it here, maybe before going to Kyrgyzstan, be sure to: 

1. Make a trip to the beautiful Bolshoe Almatinskoe Lake.

2. Take a gander at the Alma-Ata Tower.

3. Enjoy some mountain time at the Kok Tube...let's be mature here people...

4. Grab a snack at the Zelyony Bazaar (also known as the Green Market). 

5. Get holy at the Zenkov Cathedral...it's a Russian Orthodox cathedral made only of wood...and no nails, hmm.

6. Walk around Republic Square aimlessly and act like you know exactly where you are going.

7. Take a bath with fellow Kazakhs at the Arasan Baths house. 

8. Get holy, yet again, at The Cathedral of the Holy Ascension. 

9. Take a ride in a cable car to the tippy top of several surrounding mountains. 

10. Snap some background worthy pictures of the snow-capped Tien-Shan Mountains. 

11. Skate and bruise your knees at the Medeu Skating Rink.

12. Go back in time by visiting the Abylay Khan statue. 

13. Spend a rainy day at the Central State Museum. 

14. Take a walk through the park, literally, at Park Panfilov. 

15. Grand Canyon? Nah, its the Charyn Canyon here in Kazakhstan.

16. Visit the ceremonial square of Respublika Alanghy. 

17. See the mythical bird legend of Kazakhstan, the Bayterek Monument. 

18. Grab some lunch or dinner at either Zheti Qazyna, Samovar (Russian cuisine), Kishlak, Printsessa Turandot, Yubileyny, Namaste or Biskvit.

19. Be a hipster at the Kazakhstan Museum of Arts. 

20. Drop your jaw at the Kol-Say Lakes.

21. Enjoy a night full of live music at Cuba.

22. Drink the best coffee in all of Almaty at Coffeedelia.

23. Climb some rocks at Kan Tengri.

24. Spend some tenges (Kazakh currency) at TsUM department store-there are smaller boutiques within it).

I hope you won't go hungry when you visit after this list...if you do, you got to give things a try, that's all part of the 'traveling to new places' experience! 

The next post will be on: Estonia in Europe!

Travel on wanderlusters!

A LATE SPRING

Will spring ever come? I'm sitting in my bed, eating yummy chocolate that my co-worker got for me one late night shift last weekend, listening to Helena by Foster the People and just staring out my window, wondering: Will spring ever come?

I really hope it starts next week because it would be lovely to have a mid-day picnic on Kampa island...and a perfect picture opportunity for you wanderlusters to see some of the hidden beauties in Prague.

My last few days have been filled with utter nothing because my friends are home for spring break or just simply busy so I have been going solo the past few days. I miss my friends and actually interacting with people...I feel somewhat of a grinch up in an isolated mountain.
Only a few more days though. I've been working on my book, which is the greatest fun for me but also very, very tedious. You start writing then read over what you wrote and decide to change it to something better, then the process starts over. This happens about 15 times, so now I am only on chapter 4 after about 2 weeks. I keep reminding myself that progress takes times.

Other than that, just me, some movies, bad Indian food that I ate last night and copious amounts of coffee and tea...oh, and work. Which I have in a few hours...can't I just not work and focus on writing a book and blog? I wish.

I know that I wrote about having a meeting with a travel editor, but it was rescheduled for next week due to my hearing issues so news on that will come shortly! I also want to start doing vlogs every once in awhile. I just need to find the time to do it! I'm hoping that by the end of this year, I will have started a vlog and have also broadened the horizons of Traveling with Wanderlust.

Lastly, I know travels have been dry but I promise, pinky promise, that once May comes, there will be plenty of good travel posts coming your way. From May-June, expect posts from: Switzerland, Budapest (Hungary), Paris (France), Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Barcelona (Spain). When I get back to the States in June, I plan to make some summer trips: Chicago, Canada, down South, Arizona and hopefully California- that all is still to be determined. When August comes around, my family will be coming to Prague for a few weeks so we will be traveling around the Czech Republic then for my birthday trip in following weeks we are looking at either going to Morocco or St. Petersburg.

Before moving to Uruguay in March 2014, I am really pushing to visit either Thailand, China or Japan. We shall see though and that my friends is the beauty of traveling- anything is subject to change, making the experience even more interesting.

Well, I'm off to start writing the New Zealand post now....so, travel on wanderlusters! I want to thank each and every one of you amazing readers, from all over the world for taking the time to read what I have to say and share. The readership numbers have skyrocketed in just one month and readership has expanded from just two main countries to so many different places, it's mind-boggling to think that someone in a far, far away country, big or small, is reading what I am writing. Amazing and thank you so much! It's appreciated to know that people like what I have to say and come back :)

A Full Plate

Again, I have been MIA...apologies, apologies! 

This semester of uni with a side of a big girl job, an internship, reporter for student newspaper, new gym commitment, friends and the need of sleep has my plate almost as full as a Thanksgiving dinner plate...maybe even a little more filled. I find myself super exhausted and in the few moments I have to myself in a week I catch up on my TV shows or have True Blood and Sex and the City marathons in my bed with a hot cup of peppermint tea. Being sick on top of everything has also been the cherry on top.

So, that's why I have been MIA. I have been meaning to write a post but I always end up passing out face down on my key board when I get home from uni or work. I'm starting to get into the routine of things again so more posts will be coming again. I never wrote my Berlin post....ahhh! Still need to do that and I will...soon....

It's such a beautiful, warm-ish, sunny day in Prague but I am stuck inside doing uni work and a research paper. The only good thing is that I am also applying to my dream internship (other than the one I currently have) which is at the National Geographic headquarters this summer. So excited and my fingers are triple crossed! I also applied for a spring 2014 study abroad in Seoul, South Korea; Montevideo, Uruguay and in California. I should find out if I was accepted in the next week or two. 

I'm trying to set up some travel plans with friends and so far we have a list of places we WILL go before 2013 ends: Thailand, Hong Kong or China, St. Petersburg in Russia and Egypt. Still in the works though. Looking at the time between August and December since I have university and work until the end of May then my best friend from the States is coming for a 3-4 week 'euro-trip' as I mentioned in previous posts. Can it be the end of May already? Oh!! We are also looking at attending the World Cup in Brazil next summer- about 95% that we are going, just need to buy the plane tickets and find somewhere to stay.

Have any of you wanderlusters been to Brazil? I've always wanted to go and especially to Rio de Janeiro. 

Happy Tuesday and travel on wanderlusters!

P.S. I found this on Pinterest the other morning, I thought it was so cute and relatable! 

My Online Jewelry Boutique: Mixed Signals

As of this afternoon, I opened up an online jewelry boutique called 'Mixed Signals'. Check it out!

https://mixedsignals.kitsylane.com/index.php

Travel...and shop...on wanderlusters!