Chimbulak

Only a 30 mintue drive from Almaty is Chimbaluk, a ski area that tops up around 10,800 feet. I didn't ski/snowboard, but a friend and I rode up the ski lifts and had a coffee near the top. It was a beautiful Sunday and it wasn't even crowded! I think I'll go back next weekend if the weather cooperates and snowboard... it's been a long time (probably over 9 years or so) since I've skied or snowboarded, but the place looked really nice - good snow and small lift lines.

And spring is in the air - it's noticably warmer (it's been above freezing the last two days), and the snow is melting fast in Almaty! :)

Teachers

Here's me and two of the other 4 English teachers I work with - we're out for dinner to a Chinese restaurant - that's Feargus (from Ireland) on the left, and Suroush (from England).

Home sweet home

This is the restaurant in the lobby of my hotel, called the Yourt Cafe. While horribly overpriced (as you would expect in a 5-star hotel in an expensive city), the atmosphere is OK.

Here's what my room looks like - the lobby, the pool, and the gym may be 5-star, but the rooms are pretty ordinary, but they're comfortable and good enough for me.

Thailand photos

The people, the food, the atmosphere, the scenery... I love Thailand. Here are a few photos from my (too short) trip:

I long to return to Thailand, but I think for my next holiday trip on Air Astana I'll try somewhere new - I'm thinking India (Dehli), Turkey (Istanbul), Korea (Seoul), or UAE (Dubai). Decisions decisions...