We headed out in late September for an adventure on the Steppe. With no mountains to climb or forests in which we can forage for mushrooms, we are left to wandering on the flat and breath-taking plains together with the herders, cowboys, and ancient hand-made statues or
балбал. A day out in the countryside of Kazakhstan, about two hours outside of Astana, felt refreshing. Gorgeous blue skies and crisp fall weather -- a perfect day to get out of town. Out there, in the middle of nowhere, is the "real" Kazakhstan. Vistas of hundreds of miles, windswept hills, and lone cowboys working the land or livestock. Somehow, Kazakhstan still feels an awful lot like Wyoming.
 |
| Desperate to get outdoors on a beautiful fall day, the Outdoor Adventure Club convened before we journeyed out to our destination (3 hours outside of town). |
 |
| Our caravan of a dozen vehicles cruised off-road and onto the Steppe in search of Balbals. |
|
 |
| This lone Kazakh cowboy saw us walking and left his herd to come say hello. With pop music blaring from his motorcycle and a stylish skullcap, he seemed to be iconic and authentic. |
 |
| Our first Balbals -- statues from the Bronze age that are scattered throughout Central Asia (and Turkey and Romania and elsewhere) denote a leader who was buried in the same place. |
 |
| Add caption |
 |
| Our group had two leaders and amateur anthropologists who helped explain the significance of the half dozen balbals we visited. |
 |
| A man with pitchfork (but where is the hay?) |
 |
| Gorgeous outcropping of rocks offers some relief and a nice vantage point of the Steppe. |
