‘I think I ate horse meat in Kazakhstan – yikes!’

I think I ate horse meat in Kazakhstan. I never expected to do either – eat one of my favourite animals or find myself in Central Asia – but life has a habit of sending us curved balls. Or, in this case, deliver a rich, unexpected travel experience of a people and place once only etched in the intrepid tales of my childhood.

Kazakhstan, home of the marauding Mongols and its heroic unifier Genghis Khan, is a cultural, culinary and scenically beautiful treat. (Yes, please go to Google maps now and track down this “stan”. By the way, “stan” means place).

The world’s largest landlocked country is exotic, accessible (in terms of flights and visas) and once there, is easy on the pocket. And there are surprises aplenty – ones that go well beyond my possible encounter with horse meat!

Our package tour* trip during the Eid break in late March was all too short, but I hope this blog post will, at the very least, give you a sense of what awaits (and some clarity as to how I managed to eat horse meat even though I had given up my carnivorous ways for Lent!)

So welcome to Kazakhstan, a land steeped in history – and surprises.

(PS. I usually only write about life in Doha, Qatar, but given the curiosity of friends about Kazakhstan, I thought it wise to put pen to paper. Besides, Qatar’s Hamad International Airport is less than five hours’ flight from 17 different countries, so in a way there is a link to my regular Doha Diaries.)

Snow, skiing and surprises in Kazakhstan

Snow-covered mountains are part of the Kazakhstan landscape, including that of Almaty, the former capital, in the south of the country. Here, the snow never completely melts, not even in Summer when temperatures can rise to about 30C.

The Shymbulak Ski Resort overlooking the city is just a 15-minute drive by car (30 minutes by bus) from downtown Almaty. Then its three cable lifts to the top – 3200m above sea level.

The resort is also home to the highest ice-skating rink in the world, Medeu.

Apples and tulips in Kazakhstan

Almaty (Alma Ata) means “full of apples” or the “grandfather of apples” because this region is where the origin of apples can be traced – dating back some 3500 years.

There are apple orchards everywhere, including back gardens within the city.

Another surprise is the tulips.

Kazakhstan is also considered the source of the world’s first tulips. The country is home to nearly 40 of the 100-plus wild species of tulips in the world, many of which are endangered, and grow naturally across the Steppes.

The Kazakhs give each other tulips to mark special occasions.

You can even go on special tulip tours during Spring. I am sorry we missed this.

Nature’s bounty in Kazakhstan

Visiting Kazakhstan is, in fact, much like going on an eco-tour. The scenery is outstanding. For us, and those from the dry desert climate of Qatar on the same five-day package tour, being surrounded by the first hints of spring is a tonic.

The mountains, the Steppes, lakes and rivers and fauna and flora is the stuff of picture postcards.

Hopefully, the supporting photographs will give you some idea as to how naturally beautiful the ninth largest country in the world is – regardless of the time of the year.

Seasons of Kazakhstan

We visited southern Kazakhstan in late March, a few weeks after the Nauryz, the traditional New Year of Central Asian countries, and a celebratory holiday for the country.

This is the time of re-awakening as the snow on the Steppes retreats and grasslands revive.

The first buds of spring appear as a forerunner to the abundant greenery of the summer months with its tulips and other wildflowers, followed by the glorious reds, yellows and oranges of Autumn leaves.

Original nomads of Kazakhstan

For those weaned on stories of the merchant trading routes and nomadic tribes roaming the Steppes of ancient Eurasia, Kazakhstan will bring all your Boy’s Own stories to life.

Remnants of the nomadic lifestyle are evident in the yurts, traditional collapsible felt tents, and the herds of horses still present in the rural areas. You’re likely to see more horses than cows and more shepherds on horseback than farm vehicles. In many ways, it is like stepping back in time.

But for a full immersion of yesteryear, consider a few hours at an “ethnographic” village. Ours was a 35-minute drive from Almaty to a village in the Talgar district. Yes, it’s a commercial venture, but it will give you a sense of what life was like when the Huns, Turks, Scythinans, Kushans, Mongols and the like established their empires across the Steppes of Central Asia.

Kazakh culture

Modern Kazakh culture is representative of the nomadic predecessors – with their music, clothing, jewellery, food, songs and sport.

But there’s the Soviet influence, too.

Soviet surprise

Kazakhstan was the last of the five Central Asian “stans” to gain independence from the USSR. Like Georgia, another country well worth visiting, this happened in 1991. From 1936 till 1991, Kazakhstan had been known as Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic.

And that Soviet influence is still present today.

It’s visible in the architecture of Almaty; the people (Russians make up 21% of the 20 million people in Kazakhstan), and food (there was borscht, so important in Russian cuisine, available for breakfast!)

Almaty sites

Almaty is a lovely green city of wide-open streets and numerous parks set below the Trans-Ili Mountains. It is easy to navigate as it is set in a grid pattern with many historic and modern sites worth visiting. But since it’s on undulating terrain, your 10 000-plus steps will feel like a workout. (But there’s plenty of good public transport if you’re not up to walking – see below).

Among the sites worth visiting are:

Kok-Tobe or Blue Hills

At 1100 metres above sea level, Kok-Tobe is one of the main landmarks of Almaty. You can get there by car, but it’s best reached by cable car. Apart from the views over the city, there’s the Almaty TV tower, one of the tallest in the world, at 371.5m and then activities and attractions to give it the feel of a fun fair, but not a particularly exciting one at that. There’s a Beatles Bench, an upside-down house, various fairground rides, some caged birds and animals, remote-controlled cars for young children and places to eat. Oh, and some souvenir shops that proved to the best in terms of variety and price during our time in Kazakhstan.

The Cathedral and Park

The Ascension Cathedral in Panfilov Park is a Russian Orthodox Cathedral. The 1907 church is made entirely of wood without using nails. At 56 metres, it is believed to be the second tallest wooden church in the world. Entry is free. Women are expected to cover their heads, while gents should remove their caps once inside the beautiful building.

Independence Square

This is a public square opposite the former presidential palace (now municipal offices) where you can get a sense of Kazakhstan’s rich history, thanks to the relief artwork around the focal Golden Warrior Monument.

Green Market

This is a busy, large fresh produce market, vibrant with traders and those seeking a reasonable price for their fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, and other non-perishable goods.

It’s in the centre of town, next to the Rahat Chocolate Factory, and is a magnet for foodies, since it offers an impressive range of produce from across Central Asia, including horse meat.

Various other outlets have attached themselves to the main 1970s building, including those selling clothing, shoes, household goods and souvenirs. There are even locals selling a hotchpotch of goods – from socks to Soviet souvenirs – on nearby pavements.

Be wary of the fast-talking, ever-smiling vendors who know just how to wheedle tenge from your wallet. Be prepared to bargain.

Food in Kazakhstan

Traditional Kazakhstan food is known for its dairy products, fresh breads and lamb, beef, camel – and yes, horse meat.

Eating horse meat is as normal and acceptable as eating beef or pork in Western countries. But since I have made a conscious decision not to eat anything that I can ride, both camel and horse meat are off my menu. And besides, meat is a no-no for me during the Christian period of Lent.

It would be a vegetarian holiday for us.

And so it was, with a wonderful array of fresh vegetables and local pastries. This was until I ordered Chuchvara soup, with its veggie dumplings, from a waitress whose English was only slightly better than my Kazakh from a popular local traditional restaurant food chain called Navat.

I was so focused on removing the coriander (yes, I am one of those who associate the herb with soap or to be more exact, dirty dish water) from my broth that I initially failed to acknowledge the tiny red blocks within …

When I finally realised these blocks were not cubes of carrot, turnip or beetroot, I tried to convince myself I had only accidentally eaten beef – just very, chewy bits of cow, but somehow, I think I ate horse meat …

I will never know … and it’s probably just as well!

Travel tips for Kazakhstan

Getting there
Visa
The visa policy for Kazakhstan varies. Neighbouring countries, all European Union member states and others like Qatar citizens, all qualify but unfortunately not South Africa. We paid $80.

Flights
Qatar is ideally situated to reach 17 different countries within five hours’ flight. Almaty isa four-hour flight there, and a four-and-a-half-hour return trip to Doha. It costs about R17 200 but joining a package tour brings overall costs down.

Transport
Almaty has good public transport – trams, buses, taxi, car-sharing (YandexGo and UberKZ) and a Metro.

As an aside, Almaty makes life easier for both motorists and pedestrians as there is a count-down system displayed at every set of traffic lights, so you know exactly how long you have to wait before you can cross the road or resume your journey.

Currency

The country’s currency is the tenge. While you can use a card most of the time, it is advisable to have cash for the markets and smaller villages.

You’ll feel like a millionaire when exchanging Qatar Riyals since QAR100 (R520) is worth 14 000 Tenge (KZT).

Yes, converting prices was challenging. We had to divide everything by 135, and then once we had the Qatar price, we’d multiply it by 5 to get an idea of the price in South African rands.

Generally, we found costs – restaurants, food, accommodation and souvenirs – to be on par with South African prices. Transport is far cheaper, since fuel costs USD 0.49. This is even less than Qatar’s R10 a litre price.

Inbuilt service fees
Please note that a service fee is built into restaurant bills – and sometimes this is as much as 15%.

Religion
While more than 80% of those who live in Kazakhstan are Muslim, but most appear to be secular, simply identifying with Islam due to family backgrounds and the environment in which they grew up. While there are mosques, there is no call to prayer as is common in the Middle Eastern countries.

Dress
A layered look complete with rain gear will serve you well while visiting Almaty. The city is much warmer than the bitterly cold temperatures of the northern and mountainous parts of Kazakhstan. It was between 8C and 18C during our 29 March to 4 April visit.

Souvenirs
There’s everything from tacky Chinese fridge magnets to handwoven carpets at prices acceptable to middle-class South Africans. In other words, Kazakhstan is not an overly expensive destination, and you can get great leather, felt, woolen goods and traditional handicrafts at good prices. Silver jewellery, pottery and Kazakh hats are also popular.

* We travelled with 30 other Qatar residents through Target Travel. I am particularly thankful to our English-speaking Kazakh guide, Assel, for her knowledge and passion of Kazakhstan.