Off day and excursion tour of Almaty (Alma Ata)

Friday, February 3rd - Off day and excursion tour
Despite being our off day, we decide to get up early to explore the city, and then meet up with the referees for an excursion tour . We wander to the west from our hotel to find the Metro station. We walk right past, and end up circling around a couple of blocks. Finally, we ask directions, and find the station with the obvious 'M' symbol. The underground subway was under construction for over 25 years (Soviet Union), and was completed, finally, in 2011. We're in the station at 10:45, and pay the T80 (US$0.54). I buy th e yellow tokens (one for my friend, AJ). We take and incredibly long escalator deep below the city.

The station is virtually empty, however, we come upon the Japanese bandy team leaders with their volunteer. They get off after one stop, and we continue for one more to the station for Republic Square. 

The country of Kazakhstan became independent about 20 years abo, and there are monuments and a tall statue like at Trafalgar Square. We're working on a timeline in order to get back to hotel for excursion with a large majority of the referees. Eric has done a lot of research, and our plan is to comlete a portion of a walking tour (we had already done much of the last part of the tour). We trudge off to the east toward the Hotel Kazakhstan, and more of the cultural sights in Almaty including the Academy of Science and 28 Heroes Park (across from our hotel). As I had already been into the cathedral, I decided that I needed to visit the Monument to the 28 Heroes. This massive sculptural monument represents all of the Russian Republics, and the heroes who valiently defended Moscow from the Nazi. I took several moments of contemplation next to the eternal flame.

I tried to get some close up images of the faces that are a part of the monument.

While visiting the monument, the Kirgiz team arrive, and we all enjoy taking some photos together.

As time is running short to get back to the hotel, wander back toward the Cathedral in the park, and encounter several grandmothers with their children playing amongst a flock of pigeons. I see a great opportunity for a video capture, so I take out my camera and hold it low and approach the hoard. The children have been given small bag of seed or maybe some sort of grain, and they are attracting the birds. Some of the birds are perched upon their shoulders and/or eating out of their hands. The youngest infants are truely gleeful with having all the birds flocking around them.

The referee teams gather at the hotel lobby, while the drivers of two mini-buses wash the windows so we have better view for the excursion about the city. We start out from the hotel, and the first stop is in the park of 28 Heroes where we get out of the busses and are shown one of the oldest wooded buildings in the city.

From there we walk a very short distance where our tour guides, two of the ever present volunteers, give us a short history about the Cathedral. During the Soviet times, the church was used as a radio station, the only one in Almaty (Alma Ata, by its other name). We then move to the Monument to the Heroes, where we are also given a short history. We then board the transport and head south where we are driven past the drama theater, the library and the Republic square. We then head to the Central stadium where we will pick up the referee crew who have just finished their game, so that they may join us for the rest of the tour.
Next stop is the Park of the first President Nazzerbaev. This park is very new (as is this independent country), and it is obvious by the small size of the trees that are spread out from the monumental entrance and fountains. This must be just amazing in the lush summer season, however, in winter, it is stark and gray (aside from the gleaming gold ornament on the white hemi-spherical edifice).
We then board the transport again, and head to the ski-jump, which is also very new and modern design right among the development at the edge of the city just blocks from the towering skyscraper that is the JW Marriot hotel. I believe the ski-jump was built for the 2011 Asian Winter Games and is a truely world-class facility.
Our ultimate destination for the day is to take the gondola up and over the Medeu stadium and dam/reservoir to the ski area, Shimbulak (spelling?). The gondola ride cost T2000 (US$13.50), and will take us right above the stadium where the A-Pool games have been played, it is truely a spectacular view. The gondola continues to the top of the dam and over the reservoir. There is a pit in your stomach as the ground drops away to the valley floor far below.
The dam has been built to prevent floods and their disasterous mudslides that had previously destroyed much of the city of Almaty some one hundred years ago. It is most interesting to see from this vantage as Kevin, Eric and I had climbed the stairs just a few long days ago.
The aerial ride carries us further up into the Tien Shan mountain range toward the ski resort. Below there is an amazingly steep mountain road switching back and forth to climb up the wall of the valley. The steep mountain valley is strewn with downed trees, the result of a freak tornado that tore down the valley this spring. There are trees down all around, and some of the tops have been sheared clear off. Finally we cross a ridge line, and the base of the ski area comes into view. There is some development of private residences and lodging for the ski area below.
Our group will go into the chalet and enjoy a nice meal and cameraderie with our bandy referee family. As it is mostly an off (rest) day for the tournament, there are other bandy teams who have taken the rest day to visit. We had seen the USA team in several gondola cars crossing on our way up the mountain, and the Norwegian team occupy several tables across the restaurant. The Finland referees are looking forward to ordering pizza. I, however, am more interested in the Shaslik, a local Kazakh traditional kabob T1590 (US$10.75). There are several options ranging from beef, chicken, and salmon, but I opt for the Kazakh traditional fare. It is called horse clippings, and amounts to four rather large medalions of marinated and charcoal grilled tenderloin, served with a flour tortilla and garnished with grilled onion and red peppers. It is absolutely fantastic, and I offer to share with my Norwegian table mates (and Eric, who anxiously, races from another table to try the fare). We began the meal with a 0.33 litre of Stella Artois for T1200 (US$8.10). The wonderful excursion is coming to an end, for we must board the gondola for the ride down the mountain before it is shut down for the evening. It was, indeed, a very nice day that we were able to enjoy with our bandy referee family.
We end the day ends with our daily meeting at 20:00, where the previous days games are reviewed and the assignments for the upcoming most important Semi-Finals and Qualification games are revealed. There are only a few games remaining in the tournament, and I do not expect an assignment at this late stage of the tournament. I do, however, look forward to my duty as 4th Official tomorrow at the majestic Medeu stadium featuring Japan vs Kirgystan.
Eric and I walk down the street about 500 meters to the grocery store (very German influenced) to stock up on some beer. With our internal clocks completely upside down (12 hour time difference from home) it is most helpful to have a few beers to make the sleep come easy. As usual, I also enjoy tasting the local brews, and we are excited to find a small vendor in the store who is selling 'live beer' that is filled individually from a keg into one liter or 1.5 l bottles. I choose one type, and Eric another among a plethora of other Kazakh varieties. We retire to my room as a crew to relax, chat, and enjoy a running commentary along with the local TV programming. Unfortunately, the selections of programming among the almost 100 chanels is not very entertaining. The actual selection of programs is about half, for most stations are duplicated in both Russian and Kazakh language. Tomorrow is a big day for all of us, for we have qualification games. Kevin and I will have transport at 08:00 to Medeu (JAP vs KAZ), while Eric will be working the Latvia vs Netherlands match which will relegate one team to the lower, C-Pool for next years tournament.