Day 69: Apples are from Kazakhstan

Before coming to Kazakhstan, I read Apples are from Kazakhstan by Christopher Robbins. It was a gentle, positive read about my new home and I quite enjoyed it. The title itself is memorable and seems to ring true. Check out this story and pictures from the BBC.


View Larger Map

Today, we drove about four hours between Shymkent and Taraz (about 180 kilometers) over and through some mountainous terrain. We passed many stands of fresh fruit and apples, and I couldn't resist stopping to buy some from someone along the road.

For three dollars a bucket, we bought one of the red and one of the yellow. The seller assured me they were domestic apples, and that the presence of imperfections or worms only means that they are truly natural. The red apples were huge, crisp, and a little bit sour. The small yellow ones called лимонки (lemonki) were my favorites - sweet and fragrant. It made for a delicious journey between cities.