greetings from Kashgar. no pictures for you.

Yesterday Lige and I returned Lake Karakul, home to Kyrgyz mountain nomads
who raise sheep, drink Yak milk tea, charge $1.25/10 minutes to Han
tourists to sit on a camel or horse, and make the most disgusting hardened
yogurt cakes you have ever tasted.

Of course, getting there, as with everywhere in China was an ordeal. The day
before we arranged our trip, we agreed on a Y180 (US$23) for the round trip
bus ticket and entrance fee. My old boss, Nury, introduced me to a travel
agent who was a good friend of his. We decided to go with him because we
thought it would be trustworthy. Of course, it wasn't--not that it was his
fault, but the company he arranged our trip through tried to rip us off at
everyturn.

As the bus pulled up, we heard: "Good newsItoday you're receiving a
discount! it's only Y300!"
After hearing this, we called Nury's friend. They called him and then they
agreed to Y200. No way, it's 180 we both said. Then the guy told us to not
say any groundless stuff (bu yao shuo hushuobadao) and that we had to
behave ourselves (guai guai de zuo), otherwise he wouldn't take us. Lige
and I did not take this well, and Lige let him have it...complaining that
as a Chinese person, it sucks to watch other chinese try to trick and cheat
foreigners and overseas Chinese.,.. Fortunately the boss settled the
matter...and we payed 100 upfront, and were told to pay 80 the next day.

The bus ride was rocky, through the kunlun mountains, and four hours + hours
later we arrived at the lake, which is beautiful. Of course, this does not
include the hour we spent at the gas station, as a group of chinese
tourists refused to sit in a bus that was so crowded. To a man, each took
his turn squatting, smoking, and arguing with their helpless tour guide. I
offered to remove their luggage from the bus and at one point it looked
like I would be allowed to do so, but after an hour the company caved in
and sent another bus. As they boarded, i shouted, "You owe me and my friend
an hour of our lives!"

The lake was beautiful, stunning, and geographically diverse. Snow capped
mountains in the background, desert hills in the foreground, and the bluest
water I've ever seen. This scene was somewhat diminished by the hordes of
Tourists complaining about the prices of the nearby Chinese restaurant and
taking pictures. Of course, the locals shouting "Camel ride, okay?" and
"Horse! Horse! Okay? Okay? good!" didn't help. we quickly made arrangements
for a home stay in a village and an hour horse trek to said village, which
was awesome. My horse was quite fast and it hit its stride easily. Lige's
was a clunker, and couldn't gallop well. Or at least neither of us knew how
to ride horses well enough to ride it properly at a quick pace. anyway,
nothing beats leaving a bunch of tourists in the dust, with a Kyrgyz 12
year old boy running behind me in broken Chinese to slow down. Of course, I
did not spare the lash. "Qi! Qi! Qi!"

The village stay was nice but I had a horrible bout of altitude sickness.
either that or caffeine withdrawl (headache) and I got sick on the Yak milk
tea. Lige watched them sing, dance, watch tv and I layed hunched over in the
corner.

I was worried I would not be able to go on our arranged trek to "Ice
Mountain" but I woke up in the morning without worries. Lige, knowing the
horse she rode wasn't too comfortable, decided to ride a motorscooter which
would take 1 hour. I was to ride a horse for two hours each way.
by myself.

I left about 45 minutes before they did, and I was the only person on the
road. Quickly finding I was unable to gallop with the horse, I settled on a
quick trot, which was very bumpy and i felt like my ass was going through a
tenderizer. the stirrup also began to break the skin on the side of my
calfs. not fun. But riding alone was amazing. exactly what I had wanted to
do all along.

eventually Lige and her new Kyrgyz bofriend rode along and we made it to a
set of hills near Ice Mountain, which is also refered to as "?" We visited
a Kyrgyz women who tried to sell Lige ugly earrings. We had milk tea and
nan (for the 4th time in less tHan 24 hours) and were also given the
disgusting Yougurt balls. I spit mine out behind her house and covered it
with dirt. Sorry, granny, but this american doesn't eat crap, no matter
what quaint ethnic name you give it!

The surrounding area was beatiful, though it randomly started to hail even
though the nearest clouds were miles away. The air was difficult to breath
(10,000 feet at this point) and we turned away in defeat. I was quickly
alone again, and I think i took a detour b/c i started not recognizing
things. Lige and BF were no where to be seen. I knew the general direction,
as there is a dirt path for motor bikes, horses, etc.
I wasn't worried, though I was slightly annoyed that I could no longer go
fast because my legs were getting rope burn. some blood, but not too bad.

We returned to the lake on time. Of course, we had to deal with another tour
guide who insisted we pay $100 each instead of $80. After much argument, and
Lige threatening to sue the company if they leave us behind, we secretly
boarded the bus.

The same angry men, from yesterday, were there. Apparently, they turned back
the day before, and made the trip today. They were complaining about how
crappy the place is..."how is this considered a scenic area?" Of course,
they never bothered to venture more tHan 100 feet from the bus.
This "tour groupthink" behavior seems to be pervasive in China and has been
discussed in earlier posts that I am too lazy to link to.

anyway, luckily the group didn't hear my "you owe me an hour" comment
because they all started to complain in our favor. The tour guide
eventually relented that we would pay 80 then and go back to the office to
settle the matter. Not surprisingly, the bus driver tried to close the door
on me after I tried to get off randomly in the middle of kashgar to go to
the bathroom. While the tourguide told me we were going to their office,
lige tells me they dropped everyone off, including a trip to the airport!

After releiving myself, I went back to the travel agency and we settled the
matter--in our favor of course--with dispatch.

we leave for the taklamakan desert tomorrow, god willing.

So I never thought I'd be so glad to come back to China, but after my rough
time in Kazakhstan, I was ready to head back. Waking up on time at 6am
local time Saturday, I made it to the bus station in time to buy a ticket,
though not without drenching my shoes in 2 inch high rain puddles.
Everything was smooth sailing, until we reached the border.
The bus driver had to pay off two different sets of border guards which
wasn't a big deal, but it did not augur well for the rest of the day.

Customs Inspected consisted of a small office which we could not see, and a
hallway about 4 feet wide and, at most, 10 feet long. Of course I waited
outside the building. Being the nice guy (read: sucker) I am, I offered to
stand infront of the stairway leading to the door with my umbrella, because
this was the one area not covered by an awning. Of course, after a half hour
once the line began to move, an old Kazakh or Russian women sublty pushed me
off the stair so she could secure her place in line. I responded by slight
moving the umbrella so that its run off would land on her head.

After I enter the small hallway another 45 minutes pass. More people come
into the hallway and try to pass me. The person behind me is pushing me
slightly so that i can't stand straight. Eventually we are allowed to pass
into immigration. What was the point of customs? There was no form, no
questions. I'm pretty sure it was a holding pen for the melee that awaited
me.

Have you ever seen one of those vietnam movies where the hordes of
Vietnamese are desperately trying to enter the US embassy, with the Marines
using force to keep them back? Immigration was pretty much like that. Using
a flanking manouver, I was able to get about halfway through the crowd.
Everytime the door opened to let a guard in or out, or likewise a "paying
customer" panic ensued. Waiting a half hour, I worried that my bus would
leave without me. Then my passport was confiscated for 20 minutes. However,
I was in luck. The guard then proceeded to escort me through the crowd. By
escort, I should say he told people to let me through. But they didn't. I
had to assert myself as a White american male and push my way through the
crowd. I even asked a Chinese man, who was trying to prevent me from going
through, if he was a dog. I could imagine myself running over them in my
carriage, complaining that they had delayed my tea date. Tipping my pith
hat and giving the natives a thrashing with my cane, I made it through the
door, and eventually through customs.

Realizing that I would not make it to the museum I wished to patron, I
decided to change buses and go directly to Urumqi, so that I might meet my
friend and classmate Lige on time. She is joining me for my journey to
Kashgar. I do not regret switching buses.

Perhaps because of the particularly sociable indian British young man and
his Danish wife, or perhaps as an expression of relief of passing through
the border safe and sound, the bus errupted in song and dance in the
aisles. Never seen anything like it. The whole bus clapping and dancing.
Pictures are not available yet but I think I am engaged to a very large
Kazakh Women. I am sorry, Mei, but seriously, she could crush you!

We danced and clapped and cheered for over an hour until the road got so bad
we couldn't dance anymore.

Anyway, I never thought I would think of China as orderly, uncorrupt. but
now I do.

The Kazakh, once the proud, nomadic master of the steppe. The Kazakh, proud
ancestor of the Golden Horde. Sovietization, industralization,
independence....what is the Kazakh up to nowadays?

Graft. I've entered a new world of tricksters, liars and drunks. Everyone
wants a piece of my sweet American largess. "He's an American, he can afford
it. Otherwise what does he do (said with an oomlat) in Kazakhstan?" My 15
year old has translated for me seeveral times. Yesterday a cab driver tried
to charge me 1000Tenge (8 bucks) for a drive that should have cost 1.50.
Several people at the chinese embassy...actually Guards, not people...lied
to me telling me i would be unable to get a visa but they oculd help for
140US, 150US, 170US respectively. "They don't do visas tomorrow" I'm told.
Of course, a chinese official could not be reached for comment.

So more delays with my research, but it should start tomorrow. My classmate
and friend LIGE SHAO is meeting me in Urumqi to go to Kashgar with me on
Sunday, and I reckon I will make it by then but there is little room for
foul ups.

nothing more interesting to report, except that kids here like to spray
graffiti....random rock band and video game names "Eminem. Slipknot. NBA
live." Oh, and then there was: "RAD SEX FREEDOM!"

If you were to tell me that i would be spending a large amount of my time in
Almaty Kazakhstan with a 15 year old Kazakh brat watching Michael Jackson
music videos than I would have spit in your face, called you a liar, and fed
you to the dogs. But here I am, and that's what i've been doing. As yet, I
haven't started my reserach, as i've been busy dealing with visa and
passport issues.

What issues?
I lost my passport. it was stolen, i swear. anyway, the american embassy
gave me a new one within 80 minutes. i wish it was that easy, though. before
they allowed me to give up on obtaining a police report, i had to go to five
different policia stations. "No, we don't do that here, go to this place
(across town)." "But all i need is a police report stating that i lost my
passport." "Nyet, bye bye." Chalk up the frustration to a language problem?
no siree. why do you think i'm hanging out with the 15 year old jock wanna
be? He's my translator. As he is Kazakh from CHina, he can speak chinese
(though with an accent). Now I simply ahve to get a new Chinese visa and
Kazakh visa and i'm good to go. But anyway, cheers to the American embassy
for not only taking care of my passport with dispatch, but also Not giving
me any shit for having it stolen. or lost. Well, i'm pretty sure it was
stolen. I've managed to keep the thing for 7 years.

Research begins tomorrow. (hopefully.)

Greetings from kazakhstan. Jakshimusiz.
I am now in Almaty. Getting here was half the fun.

Leaving Urumqi Friday at 5PM, I tried to leave myself enough time to buy
food for the journey, eat, and take my time. Between leaving my memory card
at the printer's to having my buns (baozi, not butt) stepped on by the
bearded bread salesman, I was rushed. all for no reason, as you, the gentle
reader will soon discover.

The bus I was soon to discover was something out of one of those refugee ads
you see on tv asking for donations. Or maybe the sad movie about 1970s
cambodia/Afria. No AC. Dirtier than the floor of a jiffy lube. The bus, i
was told was to arrive by 730 in Yining/Ghoulja. just in time for me to
take the bus to almaty. The next bus wouldn't leave until monday.

About three hours into the ride, I quickly discovered that we would not make
it in time. "No No No, we'll be lucky to get there by 11am," I was told.
"Then why are we stopping here for an hour?" "The bus needs fixing." "But
i've been watching the bus for the whole time, and no one's worked on it.
Now we're ready to go...what gives?" "Uh, time to get on the bus."
But the dear driver's words turned out to be prophetic. The bus would need
work. But first allow me to issue a complaint. Maybe i'm the only one, but
I would certainly be willing to pay an extra 50 cents so we wouldn't have
to drive down a bumpy dirt road that is meant for mules to avoid a $5 toll
booth. Seriously, I think the driver was just hoping to pocket the extra
money, which is equivalent to maybe 2-3hrs of his salary. It wouldn't have
been so bad, had we not been met with a traffic jam in the rice paddy or
whatever.

So a few hours later the bus breaks down, and it breaks down about every 30
minutes, causing us to wait 40 minutes or so each time. The last time the
bus breaks down, I try to get off but the driver wants people to stay on
the bus. "I can't stand the smell, i need to get off," as the bus filled up
with a putrid smell emenating from the engine, which of course is only
serviceable from INSIDE the cabin of the bus. "don't american buses ahve
the same set up?" "No, American buses WORK" to which everyone one on the
bus, now fed up by constant delays, starts laughing.

i'm so pissed because i could have taken a 7pm bus with AC and arrived
before the crappy bus did. but things improve as I make friends with a
Kazak mother and son. Together, with a Han guy we hire a taxi...a three
hour ride for about US$40. Divided by four people, it's not too bad.

We arrived at the border town, and the Han Chinese guy parted ways. The
Kazakhs have a friend at the border town, and he takes us to lunch and lets
us crash at his...crash pad because "They aren't accepting people right
now."

I made friends with the guy "Erjan" who was a Kazak that looks like a
Russian or an overweight american. We talked about my research and he was
quite interested to know my opinions about: 1. Han Chinese 2. Uyghurs 3.
George Bush. 4. Xinjiang. 5. Islam 6. Food. 7. Marriage. etc.

Getting through Chinese customs,etc. was okay but I was kind of nervous when
the Kazakh mother started bragging that I could speak Uyghur. I'm ont sure
why she thinks it would be a good idea to tell the Chinese that I speak
some rare language. I mean, pretty much everyone I've met here makes a
crack about how i'm some terrorist or CIA agent on a secret mission.

Kazakhstan was straight up check point charlie style. barbed wire fences,
guys with really big hats a la soviet union stylee. With approximately 10
people in front of me, I waited in line for literally 2.5 hours. We were
told to switch lines twice. Occassionally, they would allow some Kazakhs to
cut infront of us. At one point, they took a 70 minute break. Finally, I
heard the term "Americanski"? and they separated me from the line. IS this
where I get shot? my passport stolen? hit up for money? pictures of Carly
Simon? I was nervous when someone said "Come wid me" but the process was
actually pretty quick. I was nervous b/c I didn't have a chinese visa any
more and if i wasn't accepted i guess i would have had to just hang out in
the border area or be sent to work the radiation contaminated fields.

We, along with another Chinese Kazakh who i am now staying with, made it
almaty around 11pm.

Tomorrow I begin my research.

check out the picture of the turpan watermelon seller. as mei said, her
"search for tommy lee jone's brother is finally over."
also, if you get bored with the kaz info found below. skip it. doesn't mean
there's not plenty of exciting info.
now leave some comments about how ugly and boring i am.

"love the nation's flag, sing the national anthem, and speak mandarin (the common language)"!

seen ont hte campus of xinjiang unveristy. professors are not allowed to speak uyghur to students in class and are strongly discouraged to do so out of class.

here i go off to kazakhstan leaving from urumqi. i'll get to yining around
730 just in time to catch the bus to kaz. hopefully. i mean, if there are
tickets. i was very happy to get my passport back today, though a mean cab
driver tried to rip me off. "do you want me to use the meter ? i could just
take you there for 30 kuai!" "it takes at most 15 kuai to get there." "Oh
you've been there before. i was just kidding."
Upon arrival, with the meter at 12 kuai, i give him 15. he gives me the
motion to leave the cab. i ask about my change, he says "You said 15" "I
pay what the meter says. now give me my change." "I was kidding." Then he
only gave me 2 kuai back. I get the last kuai back. Yesterday wasn't any
better, though. I stopped the cab after he over shot the plac e iwanted to
go. while i was getting my change the metter went up .5 kuai (6 cents). He
wanted me to pay it. "You should have stopped the meter when we stopped the
car." "no, you should have hurried with the money." Of course i didn't pay.

anyway, cheers to mei and henna for helping me with kazakhstan info. me i
looked up a bunch of info on the web. Henna went to borders, took pictures
of the central asia book, and emailed them to me. and even created a small
webpage for me.seriously, tahnks guys.

i still can't upload pictures...hopefully things will look up for me in
Kazakhstan.
i will be reachable by email. send me a line if you like. or leave a
comment.

read what mei sent me on kaz.
PROFILE

OFFICIAL NAME:
Republic of Kazakhstan

Geography
Area: 2.7 million sq. km. (1.56 million sq. mi.); ninth-largest nation in
the world; the size of Western Europe.
Major cities: Astana (capital, June 1998), Almaty (former capital),
Karaganda, and Shymkent.
Terrain: Extends east to west from the Caspian Sea to the Altay Mountains
and north to south from the plains of Western Siberia to the oasis and
desert of Central Asia.
Climate: Continental, cold winters and hot summers; arid and semi-arid.
Border lengths: Russia 6,846 km., Uzbekistan 2,203 km., China 1,533 km.,
Kyrgyzstan 1,051 km., and Turkmenistan 379 km.

People
Nationality: Kazakhstani.
Population (2002): 14.8 million--down from 16.2 million in 1989; second
most-populated country in Central Asia.
Population distribution: 56.4% of population lives in urban areas.
Twenty-six cities had approximate populations of more than 50,000 in
1999--Astana (capital) more than 450,000, Almaty (former capital) 1.2
million, Karaganda 440,000, Shymkent 370,000, Taraz 340,000, Ust-Kamenogorsk

310,000, Pavlodar 300,000.
Population growth rate (2002 est.): Large scale emigration of ethnic
Russians, Germans, and Ukrainians accounts for most of the population
decrease since 1989.
Population density: 9.3 people per sq. mi. (U.S. density 1990: 70.3 people
per sq. mi.).
Ethnic groups (2002): Kazakh 55.8%, Russian 28.3%, Ukrainian 3.3%, Uzbek
2.6%, German 1.8%, Uyghur 1.5%, other 5.0%.
Religion: Sunni Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%.
Language: Kazakhstan is a bilingual country. Kazakh language has the status
of the "state" language, while Russian is declared the "official" language.
Russian is used routinely in business; 64.4% of population speaks the Kazakh

language.
Health (2001): Infant mortality rate--19.6/1,000. Life expectancy--65.6
years (male 60.2 yrs.; female 71.1 yrs.). Health care--34.6 doctors and 74.4

hospital beds per 10,000 persons.
Education: Mandatory universal secondary education. School system consists
of kindergarten, primary school (grades 1-4), secondary school (grades 5-9),

and high school (grades 10-11). Literacy rate--98.8%.
Work force (2001, 8.85 million): Industry--30%; agriculture--20%;
services--50%.

Government
Type: Republic.
Independence: December 16, 1991 (from the Soviet Union).
Declaration of sovereignty: October 25, 1990.
Constitution: August 30, 1995 constitution adopted by referendum replaced a
1993 constitution.
Branches: Executive--president, prime minister, Council of Ministers.
Legislative--Senate and Mazhilis. Judicial--Supreme Court.
Administrative subdivisions: 17; 14 oblasts plus 3 cities--Almaty, the
former capital; Astana, the current capital; and the territory of Baykonur,
which contains the space launch center that the Russians built and now
lease. Political parties: As of August 2004, there were twelve political
parties registered by the Ministry of Justice. They are the Agrarian Party,
Ak Zhol (Bright Path), Asar (All Together), Ayul (Farmers), the Civil Party,

the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, the Communist People�s Party, DVK
(Democratic Choice), the Democratic Party of Kazakhstan, Otan (Fatherland),
The Party of Patriots, and Rukhaniyat (Spirituality)
Suffrage: Universal, 18 years of age.

Economy
GDP (2003): $29.7 billion. (At average exchange rate of 149.6 KZT/USD in
2003, GDP in 2003 was KZT 4449.8 billion.)
GDP growth rate: 13.2% (2001); 9.5% (2002); 9.2% (2003); 9.7% (forecast
2004).
GDP per capita (2003): Purchasing power parity--$8,117.
Inflation rate: 6.4% (2001); 6.6% (2002); 6.8% (2003); 5-7% (forecast 2004).
Trade: Exports (2003)--$12.9 billion: oil products (65%), base metals (20%),

food and agricultural goods (6%), chemicals (4%). Imports (2003)--$8.3
billion: machinery (43%), chemicals (15%), energy (12%), base metals (12%),
food (8%).
Gross external debt: $18.2 billion (2002); $22.9 billion (2003).
Central Bank's foreign exchange reserves: $3.1 billion (2002); $4.96 billion

(2003).
National (oil) fund reserves: $1.9 billion (2002); $3.6 billion (2003); $3.7

billion (Jan.-March 2004).
Officially recognized unemployment rate: 9.3% (2002); 8.7% (2003).
Exchange rate: 146.6 tenge/U.S. $1 (2003); 133.04 tenge/US $1 (October
2004).

PEOPLE AND HISTORY
The majority of Kazakhstanis are ethnic Kazakh; other ethnic groups include
Russian, Ukrainian, Uzbek, German, and Uyghur. Religions are Sunni Muslim,
Russian Orthodox, Protestant, and other. Kazakhstan is a bilingual country.
The Kazakh language has the status of the "state" language, while Russian is

declared the "official" language. Russian is used routinely in business;
64.4% of the population speaks the Kazakh language. Education is universal
and mandatory through the secondary level, and the literacy rate is 98.8%.

Nomadic tribes have been living in the region that is now Kazakhstan since
the first century BC. From the fourth century AD through the beginning of
the 13th century, the territory of Kazakhstan was ruled by a series of
nomadic nations. Following the Mongolian invasion in the early 13th century,

administrative districts were established under the Mongol Empire, which
eventually became the territories of the Kazakh Khanate. The major medieval
cities of Taraz and Turkestan were founded along the northern route of the
Great Silk Road during this period.

Traditional nomadic life on the vast steppe and semi-desert lands was
characterized by a constant search for new pasture to support the
livestock-based economy. The Kazakhs emerged from a mixture of tribes living

in the region in about the 15th century and by the middle of the 16th
century had developed a common language, culture, and economy. In the early
1600s, the Kazakh Khanate separated into the Great, Middle and Little (or
Small) Hordes--confederations based on extended family networks. Political
disunion, competition among the hordes, and a lack of an internal market
weakened the Kazakh Khanate. The beginning of the 18th century marked the
zenith of the Kazakh Khanate. The following 150 years saw the gradual
colonization of the Kazakh-controlled territories by tsarist Russia.

The process of colonization was a combination of voluntary integration into
the Russian Empire and outright seizure. The Little Horde and part of the
Middle Horde signed treaties of protection with Russia in the 1730s and
1740s. Major parts of the northeast and central Kazakh territories were
incorporated into the Russian Empire by 1840. With the Russian seizure of
territories belonging to the Senior Horde in the 1860s, the tsars
effectively ruled over most of the territory belonging to what is now the
Republic of Kazakhstan.

The Russian Empire introduced a system of administration and built military
garrisons in its effort to establish a presence in Central Asia in the
so-called "Great Game" between it and Great Britain. Russian efforts to
impose its system aroused the resentment of the Kazakh people, and by the
1860s, most Kazakhs resisted Russia's annexation largely because of the
disruption it wrought upon the traditional nomadic lifestyle and
livestock-based economy. The Kazakh national movement, which began in the
late 1800s, sought to preserve the Kazakh language and identity. There were
uprisings against colonial rule during the final years of tsarist Russia,
with the most serious occurring in 1916.

Although there was a brief period of autonomy during the tumultuous period
following the collapse of the Russian Empire, the Kazakhs eventually
succumbed to Soviet rule. In 1920, the area of present-day Kazakhstan became

an autonomous republic within Russia and, in 1936, a Soviet republic.

Soviet repression of the traditional elites, along with forced
collectivization in late 1920s-1930s, brought about mass hunger and led to
unrest. Soviet rule, however, took hold, and a communist apparatus steadily
worked to fully integrate Kazakhstan into the Soviet system. Kazakhstan
experienced population inflows of thousands exiled from other parts of the
Soviet Union during the 1930s and later became home for hundreds of
thousands evacuated from the Second World War battlefields. The Kazakh
Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) contributed five national divisions to the
Soviet Union's World War II effort.

The period of the Second World War marked an increase in industrialization
and increased mineral extraction in support of the war effort. At the time
of Soviet leader Josif Stalin's death, however, Kazakhstan still had an
overwhelmingly agricultural-based economy. In 1953, Soviet leader Nikita
Khrushchev initiated the ambitious "Virgin Lands" program to turn the
traditional pasturelands of Kazakhstan into a major grain-producing region
for the Soviet Union. The Virgin Lands policy, along with later
modernizations under Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, sped up the development
of the agricultural sector, which to this day remains the source of
livelihood for a large percentage of Kazakhstan's population.

Growing tensions within Soviet society led to a demand for political and
economic reforms, which came to a head in the 1980s. In December 1986, mass
demonstrations by young ethnic Kazakhs took place in Almaty to protest the
methods of the communist system. Soviet troops suppressed the unrest, and
dozens of demonstrators were jailed. In the waning days of Soviet rule,
discontent continued to grow and find expression under Soviet leader Mikhail

Gorbachev's policy of glasnost. Caught up in the groundswell of Soviet
republics seeking greater autonomy, Kazakhstan declared its sovereignty as a

republic within the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) in
October 1990. Following the August 1991 abortive coup attempt in Moscow and
the subsequent dissolution of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan declared
independence on December 16, 1991.

The years following independence have been marked by significant reforms to
the Soviet command-economy and political monopoly on power. Under Nursultan
Nazarbayev, who initially came to power in 1989 as the head of the Kazakh
Communist Party and was eventually elected President in 1991, Kazakhstan has

made significant progress toward developing a market economy, for which it
was recognized by the United States in 2002. The country has enjoyed
significant economic growth since 2000, partly due to its large oil, gas,
and mineral reserves.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Kazakhstan is a constitutional republic with a strong presidency. The
president is the head of state. The president also is the commander in chief

of the armed forces and may veto legislation that has been passed by the
Parliament. President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has been in office since
Kazakhstan became independent, won a new 7-year term in the 1999 election
that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said fell short

of international standards. The prime minister, who serves at the pleasure
of the president, chairs the Cabinet of Ministers and serves as Kazakhstan's

head of government. There are three deputy prime ministers and 16 ministers
in the Cabinet. Daniyal K. Akhmetov became Prime Minister in June 2003.

Kazakhstan has a bicameral Parliament, comprised of a lower house (the
Mazhilis) and upper house (the Senate). Single mandate districts popularly
elect 67 seats in the Mazhilis; there also are 10 members elected by
party-list vote rather than by single mandate districts. The Senate has 39
members. Two senators are selected by each of the elected assemblies
(Maslikhats) of Kazakhstan's 16 principal administrative divisions (14
regions, or oblasts, plus the cities of Astana and Almaty). The president
appoints the remaining seven senators. Mazhilis deputies and the government
both have the right of legislative initiative, though the government
proposes most legislation considered by the Parliament.

Elections to the Mazhilis in September 2004 yielded a lower house dominated
by the pro-government Otan party, headed by President Nazarbayev. Two other
parties considered sympathetic to the president, including the
agrarian-industrial bloc AIST and the Asar party, founded by President
Nazarbayev�s daughter, won most of the remaining seats. Opposition parties,
which were officially registered and competed in the elections, won a single

seat during elections that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe said fell short of international standards.

Kazakhstan is divided into 14 oblasts and the two municipal districts of
Almaty and Astana. Each is headed by an akim (provincial governor) appointed

by the president. Municipal akims are appointed by oblast akims. The
Government of Kazakhstan transferred its capital from Almaty to Astana on
June 10, 1998.

Principal Government Officials
President--Nursultan Nazarbayev
Head of Presidential Administration-Adilbek Dzhaksybekov
Prosecutor General--Rashid Tusupbekov
National Security Committee (KNB) Chairman-Lieutenant General Nartay
Dutbayev
Prime Minister--Daniyal K. Akhmetov
Deputy Prime Minister--Sauat Mynbayev (also Minister of Industry and Trade)
Deputy Prime Minister--Akhmetzhan Yesimov
State Secretary--Oralbay Abdykarimov
Minister of Agriculture--Serik Umbetov
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Kasymzhomart Tokayev
Minister of Culture, Information and Sports--Yesetzhan Kosubayev
Minister of Defense--General of the Army Mukhtar Altynbayev
Minister of Economy and Budget Planning--Kairat Kelimbetov
Minister of Education and Science-Byrganym Aytimova
Minister of Environmental Protection--Aitkul Samakova
Minister of Finance--Arman Dunayev
Minister of Health Care--Yerbolat Dosayev
Minister of Industry and Trade-Sauat Mynbayev
Minister of Interior--Zautbek Turisbekov
Minister of Justice--Zagipa Baliyeva
Minister of Labor and Social Protection--Gulzhana Karagusova
Minister of Transport and Communication--Kazhmurat Nagmanov
Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources--Vladimir Shkolnik
Minister of Emergency Situations--Mukhambet Kopey

ECONOMY
Kazakhstan's economy grew by 9.2% in 2003, buoyed by high world oil prices.
Gross domestic product (GDP) grew 9.5% in 2002; it grew 13.2% in 2001, up
from 9.8% in 2000.
Kazakhstan's monetary policy has been well managed. Its principal challenges

in 2002 were to manage strong foreign currency inflows without sparking
inflation. In 2003 inflation did not remain under control, registering at
6.8% instead of forecast level of 5.3%-6.0%. In 2002 inflation was 6.6%,
compared to 6.4% in 2001. Because of its strong macroeconomic performance
and financial health, Kazakhstan became the first former Soviet republic to
repay all of its debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2000, 7
years ahead of schedule. In March 2002, the U.S. Department of Commerce
graduated Kazakhstan to market economy status under U.S. trade law. The
change in status recognized substantive market economy reforms in the areas
of currency convertibility, wage rate determination, openness to foreign
investment, and government control over the means of production and
allocation of resources.

In September 2002, Kazakhstan became the first country in the former Soviet
Union to receive an investment-grade credit rating from a major
international credit rating agency. As of late December 2003, Kazakhstan's
gross foreign debt was about $22.9 billion. Total governmental debt was $4.2

billion. This amounts to 14% of GDP. There has been a noticeable reduction
in the ratio of debt to GDP observed in past years; the ratio of total
governmental debt to GDP in 2000 was 21.7%, in 2001 it was 17.5%, and in
2002 it was 15.4%.

The upturn in economic growth, combined with the results of earlier tax and
financial sector reforms, dramatically improved government finances from the

1999 budget deficit level of 3.5% of GDP to a deficit of 1.2% of GDP in
2003. Government revenues grew from 19.8% of GDP in 1999 to 22.6% of GDP in
2001, but decreased to 16.2% of GDP in 2003. In 2000, Kazakhstan adopted a
new tax code in an effort to consolidate these gains. On November 29, 2003
the Law on Changes to Tax Code was adopted, which reduced tax rates-- value
added tax from 16% to 15%, social tax from 21% to 20%, and personal income
tax from 30% to 20%. Kazakhstan furthered its reforms by adopting a new land

code on June 20, 2003 and a customs code on April 5, 2003.

Oil and gas is the leading economic sector. Production of oil and gas
condensate in Kazakhstan amounted to 51.2 million tons in 2003, which was
8.6% more than in 2002. Kazakhstan raised oil and gas condensate exports to
44.3 million tons in 2003, 13% higher compared to 2002. Gas production in
Kazakhstan in 2003 amounted to 13.9 billion cubic meters, up 22.7% compared
to 2002, including natural gas production of 7.3 billion cubic meters,
Kazakhstan holds about 4 billion tons of proven recoverable oil reserves and

2 trillion cubic meters of gas. Industry analysts believe that planned
expansion of oil production, coupled with the development of new fields,
will enable the country to produce as much as 3 million barrels per day by
2015, lifting Kazakhstan into the ranks of the world's top 10 oil-producing
nations. Kazakhstan's 2003 oil exports were valued at more than $7 billion,
representing 65% of overall exports and 24% of GDP. Major oil and gas fields

and their recoverable oil reserves are Tengiz (7 billion barrels);
Karachaganak (8 billion barrels and 1,350 billion cubic meters of natural
gas); and Kashagan (7-9 billion barrels).

Kazakhstan instituted an ambitious pension reform program in 1998. As of
January 1, 2003 the pension assets were about $2.6 billion. There are 16
saving pension funds in the republic. State Accumulating Pension Fund is the

only state fund, which is planned to be privatized in 2004. The National
Bank oversees and regulates the pension funds. The pension funds' growing
demand for quality investment outlets triggered rapid development of the
debt securities market. Pension fund capital is being invested almost
exclusively in corporate and government bonds, including Government of
Kazakhstan Eurobonds. The Kazakhstani banking system is developing rapidly.
The banking system's capitalization now exceeds $1 billion. The National
Bank has introduced deposit insurance in its campaign to strengthen the
banking sector. Several major foreign banks have branches in Kazakhstan,
including ABN-AMRO, Citibank, and HSBC.

Agriculture
Agriculture accounted for 13.6% of Kazakhstan's GDP in 2003. Grain
(Kazakhstan is the sixth-largest producer in the world) and livestock are
the most important agricultural commodities. Agricultural land occupies more

than 84.6 million hectares. The available agricultural land consists of 20.5

million hectares of arable land and 61.1 million hectares of pasture and hay

land. Chief livestock products are dairy goods, leather, meat, and wool. The

country's major crops include wheat, barley, cotton, and rice. Wheat
exports, a major source of hard currency, rank among the leading commodities

in Kazakhstan's export trade. In 2003 Kazakhstan harvested 17.6 million tons

of grain in gross, 2.8% higher compared to 2002.

Natural Resources
Oil, gas, and mineral exports are key to Kazakhstan's economic success and
have attracted most of the over $18.4 billion in foreign investment in
Kazakhstan since 1993. Kazakhstan has significant deposits of coal, iron,
copper, zinc, uranium, and gold.

FOREIGN RELATIONS
Kazakhstan has stable relationships with all of its neighbors. Kazakhstan is

a member of the United Nations, Organization for Security and Cooperation in

Europe, and North Atlantic Cooperation Council. It also is an active
participant in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Partnership
for Peace program. Kazakhstan also is a member of the Commonwealth of
Independent States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization along with
Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan, Russia,
Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan established the Eurasian Economic
Community in 2000 to re-energize earlier efforts at harmonizing trade
tariffs and the creation of a free trade zone under a customs union.

U.S.-KAZAKHSTAN RELATIONS
The United States was the first country to recognize Kazakhstan, on December

25, 1991, and opened its Embassy in Almaty in January 1992. In the years
since Kazakhstan's independence, the two countries have developed a
wide-ranging bilateral relationship. The current Ambassador is John Ordway,
who assumed his post in September 2004.

U.S.-Kazakhstani cooperation in security and non-proliferation has been a
cornerstone of the relationship. Kazakhstan showed leadership when it
renounced nuclear weapons in 1993. The United States has assisted Kazakhstan

in the removal of nuclear warheads, weapons-grade materials, and their
supporting infrastructure. In 1994, Kazakhstan transferred more than a
half-ton of weapons-grade uranium to the United States. In 1995 Kazakhstan
removed its last nuclear warheads and, with U.S. assistance, completed the
sealing of 181 nuclear test tunnels in May 2000. Kazakhstan has signed the
Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty (1992), the START Treaty (1992),
the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (1993), the Chemical Weapons
Convention, and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (2001). Under the
Cooperative Threat Reduction program, the United States has spent $188
million to assist Kazakhstan in eliminating weapons of mass destruction and
weapons of mass destruction-related infrastructure.

Economic Relations
American companies have invested more than $6 billion in Kazakhstan since
1993. These companies are concentrated in the oil and gas, business
services, telecommunications, and electrical energy sectors. Kazakhstan has
made progress in creating a favorable investment climate although serious
problems, including arbitrary enforcement of laws, remain. A U.S.-Kazakhstan

Bilateral Investment Treaty and a Treaty on the Avoidance of Dual Taxation
have been in place since 1994 and 1996, respectively. In 2001, Kazakhstan
and the United States established the U.S.-Kazakhstan Energy Partnership. In

2002, the two governments entered into the U.S.-Kazakhstan Business
Development Partnership, otherwise known as the "Houston Initiative."

Sections 402 and 409 of the United States 1974 Trade Act require that the
President submit semi-annually a report to the Congress on continued
compliance with the Act's freedom of emigration provisions by those
countries, including Kazakhstan, that have been determined to satisfy the
criteria of the Trade Act's Jackson-Vanik Amendment. Bilateral trade
increased by 87% to $939.3 million in 2002, boosted significantly by U.S.
exports of civilian aircraft and telecommunications equipment.

U.S. Assistance
Between 1992 and 2001, the United States has provided roughly $874.3 million

in technical assistance and investment support in Kazakhstan. The programs
were designed to promote market reform and to establish a foundation for an
open, prosperous, and democratic society.

Since 1993, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has
administered technical assistance programs to support Kazakhstan's
transition to a market economy, fully integrated into the world trade
system. These programs include cooperation in privatization, fiscal, and
financial policy; commercial law; energy; health care; and environmental
protection. The U.S. Commercial Service provides U.S. business internships
for Kazakhstanis, supports Kazakhstani businesses through a matchmaker
program, disseminates information on U.S. goods and services, and has
recently implemented a good governance program. The Peace Corps has more
than 120 volunteers working throughout Kazakhstan in business education,
English teaching, and the development of environmental non-governmental
organizations.

The United States supports increased citizen participation in the public
arena through support for non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Dozens of
grants have been provided to support NGOs that promote an independent media,

legal reform, women's rights, civic education, and legislative oversight.
USAID also has provided training courses for leaders and professionals.

[Fact sheet on FY 2004 U.S. Assistance to Kazakhstan.]

Military Cooperation
Kazakhstan's military participates in the U.S.'s International Military
Education and Training program, Foreign Military Financing, as well as
NATO's Partnership for Peace program. The U.S. Central Command conducted 22
joint military-to-military engagement events in 2002 with Kazakhstan. These
events ranged from information exchanges to military exercises.

Environmental Issues
Kazakhstan has identified a number of major ecological problems within its
borders--desiccation of the Aral Sea, protection of the fragile Caspian
ecosystem, remediation of the Semipalatinsk nuclear testing range, cleanup
of the Baykonur launching facility, extremely polluted cities,
desertification, and development of mechanisms for regional transboundary
water management.

To address the water management problem of the Syr Darya River, Kazakhstan
and other basin states, with technical assistance from USAID/Central Asia,
established the 1998 Framework Agreement on the Use of Water and Energy
Resources of the Syr Darya Basin. Kazakhstan became a signatory to the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in 1999.

The United States and the European Union worked together with the Ministry
of Environmental Protection to establish an independent, nonprofit, and
nonpolitical Regional Environmental Center (REC) in Almaty in 2001. The
mission of the REC is to strengthen civil society and support sustainable
development by promoting public awareness and participation in environmental

decisionmaking among the countries of Central Asia. In 2002, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Embassy, and Ministry of Environmental

Protection signed a memorandum of understanding to provide the REC with
funding for its grants program.

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
Ambassador--John M. Ordway
Secretary--Jan van der Zalm
Deputy Chief of Mission--Mark Asquino
Political-Economic Officer--Deborah Mennuti
Public Affairs Officer--Ann Welden
Senior Commercial Officer--Mitch Auerbach
Management Counselor--Russell Jones
Astana Embassy Branch Office Principal Officer--Lynne Tracy
Consul--Jeffrey Lodinsky
Regional Security Officer--Elizabeth Murphy
Defense Attach?-COL Matthew Brand
USAID Mission Director--George Deikun
Peace Corps Director--Kristin Besch
Security Assistance Officer--MAJ Ted Donelly
Centers for Disease Control Director--Dr. Michael Favorov
Regional Medical Officer--Dr. Kim Ottwell

U.S. Embassy Contact Information
U.S. Embassy Almaty (Chancery)
99/97A Furmanova St.
Almaty, Kazakhstan 480091
Tel: 7-(3272) 50-48-02; Fax: 7-(3272) 50-24-77
U.S. Commercial Service / Public Affairs Section
Samal 2, 97 Zholdasbekov St., 11th Floor
Almaty, Kazakhstan 480099
Tel: 7-(3272) 50-49-50; Fax: 7-(3272) 50-49-67, 50-48-74
E-mail: almaty.office.box@mail.doc.gov

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
41 Kazybek Street
Almaty, Kazakhstan 480100
Tel: 7-(3272) 50-76-12, 50-76-17; Fax: 7-(3272)50-76-36

Peace Corps
100 Shevchenko St., 5th floor
Almaty, Kazakhstan 480072
Tel: 7-(3272) 69-29-84; Fax: 7-(3272) 58-23-15

Business Customs
In terms of business customs, Kazakhstan is more European than Asian. It is
customary to shake hands and call people by their first names at business
meetings, as well as at informal get-togethers. However, men generally do
not shake women's hands in company. Business attire is generally a suit and
tie for men and a suit or business dress for women. Small gifts--pens,
company logo pins, memo, and books--are frequently given at the end of an
initial meeting as a token of appreciation. Business cards are the norm,
often in both Russian and English.

Kazakhstani business people are generally less direct than American business

people, and what can be accomplished in a few meetings in the United States
might take more in Kazakhstan, requiring patience and discipline on the part

of the U.S. business people. An experienced and competent interpreter can
add invaluable context to your business meetings.

It is common in Kazakhstan to have dinner with business contacts, but
usually only after establishing business contacts in a more formal setting.
Business attire is worn. Usually diners share a bottle of vodka or cognac
and offer toasts, stating their desire for a fruitful business relationship
and warm personal relations between partners. After-hours informal meetings,

dinners and toasts, as well as weekend hunting and barbecues can be very
important to forge business relations.

More Information
Entry requirements. A valid passport and visa are required. The Kazakhstani
Embassy in Washington, DC and the Kazakhstani Consulate in New York issue
visas. As of February 2004, an invitation is no longer required for
single-entry business and tourist visas, but multiple-entry visas require an

invitation from an individual or organizational sponsor in Kazakhstan. The
U.S. Embassy in Almaty does not issue letters of invitation to citizens
interested in private travel to Kazakhstan. All travelers, even those simply

transiting Kazakhstan for less than 72 hours, must obtain a Kazakhstani visa

before entering the country. Travelers should be aware that overstaying the
validity period of a visa will result in fines and delays upon exit.
Travelers may be asked to provide proof at the border of their onward travel

arrangements. Travelers transiting through Kazakhstan are reminded to check
that their visas allow for sufficient number of entries to cover each
transit trip and to check the length of validity of the visa. Crossing the
land border to and from the neighboring Kyrgyz Republic can result in delays

or demands from border officials to pay fines. For complete information
concerning entry requirements, U.S. citizens should contact the Kazakhstani
Embassy at 1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC, 20036, tel. (202) 232-5488,
fax (202) 232-5845, e-mail kazakh.consul@verizon.net, or homepage
http://www.kazakhembus.com. Contact also the Kazakhstani Consulate at 866
United Nations Plaza, Suite 586, New York, NY 10017, tel. (212) 888-3024,
fax (212) 888-3025, e-mail kzconsulny@un.int, or see the homepage
http://www.kazconsulny.org.

In an effort to prevent international child abduction, many governments have

initiated procedures at entry/exit points. These often include requiring
documentary evidence of relationship and permission for the child's travel
from the parent(s) or legal guardian not present. Having such documentation
on hand, even if not required, may facilitate entry/departure. All children
adopted in Kazakhstan after May 2003 must obtain exit stamps from both the
Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Foreign Affairs before departing.

OVIR registration. There are local Kazakhstani registration requirements.
All travelers staying for more than 5 calendar days must register with the
Office of Visas and Registration (OVIR) within that time period. OVIR
offices are located in Almaty, Astana, and all other major cities. Visitors
who do not register may have to pay fines upon departure and their departure

may be delayed. All visitors who plan to stay more than 30 days also must
present to the OVIR office within 30 days of arrival a certificate
indicating a negative HIV test conducted no more than 1 month before
registration. Evidence of an HIV test performed abroad is acceptable.
Testing also may be done at the Center for the Prevention and Control of
AIDS (7 Talgarskaya Street, Almaty).

Registration/embassy location. Americans living in or visiting Kazakhstan
are encouraged to register at the U.S. Embassy Consular Section in Almaty
and obtain updated information on travel and security within Kazakhstan.
Registration with the Embassy is different from Kazakhstani OVIR
registration. It can help the U.S. Embassy contact you in case of an
emergency, and it can streamline replacement of a lost or stolen passport.
The U.S. Embassy in Almaty is 11 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time.
The Embassy Consular Section is located at 97 Zholdasbekova, Samal-2, Almaty

480099, tel. 7-3272- 50-48-02, fax 7-3272-50 -48-84, e-mail
ConsularAlmaty@state.gov or web site
http://www.usembassy-kazakhstan.freenet.kz/consular/index.html.

TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION
The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program provides
Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements.
Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include information
on entry requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, areas of
instability, crime and security, political disturbances, and the addresses
of the U.S. posts in the country. Travel Warnings are issued when the State
Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country.
Public Announcements are issued as a means to disseminate information
quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions
overseas that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers.
Free copies of this information are available by calling the Bureau of
Consular Affairs at 202-647-5225 or via the fax-on-demand system:
202-647-3000. Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings also are
available on the Consular Affairs Internet home page:
http://travel.state.gov. Consular Affairs Tips for Travelers publication
series, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a safe

trip abroad, are on the Internet and hard copies can be purchased from the
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, telephone:
202-512-1800; fax 202-512-2250.

Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained
from the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at (202) 647-5225. For
after-hours emergencies, Sundays and holidays, call 202-647-4000.

The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department of
State's single, centralized public contact center for U.S. passport
information. Telephone: 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778). Customer service
representatives and operators for TDD/TTY are available Monday-Friday, 8:00
a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays.

Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at
877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) and a web site at
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm give the most recent health advisories,
immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and
drinking water safety for regions and countries. A booklet entitled Health
Information for International Travel (HHS publication number CDC-95-8280) is

available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402,
tel. (202) 512-1800.

Information on travel conditions, visa requirements, currency and customs
regulations, legal holidays, and other items of interest to travelers also
may be obtained before your departure from a country's embassy and/or
consulates in the U.S. (for this country, see "Principal Government
Officials" listing in this publication).

U.S. citizens who are long-term visitors or traveling in dangerous areas are

encouraged to register their travel via the State Department�s travel
registration web site at https://travelregistration.state.gov or at the
Consular section of the U.S. embassy upon arrival in a country by filling
out a short form and sending in a copy of their passports. This may help
family members contact you in case of an emergency.

Background Note: Kazakhstan

PROFILE

OFFICIAL NAME:
Republic of Kazakhstan

Geography
Area: 2.7 million sq. km. (1.56 million sq. mi.); ninth-largest nation in
the world; the size of Western Europe.
Major cities: Astana (capital, June 1998), Almaty (former capital),
Karaganda, and Shymkent.
Terrain: Extends east to west from the Caspian Sea to the Altay Mountains
and north to south from the plains of Western Siberia to the oasis and
desert of Central Asia.
Climate: Continental, cold winters and hot summers; arid and semi-arid.
Border lengths: Russia 6,846 km., Uzbekistan 2,203 km., China 1,533 km.,
Kyrgyzstan 1,051 km., and Turkmenistan 379 km.

People
Nationality: Kazakhstani.
Population (2002): 14.8 million--down from 16.2 million in 1989; second
most-populated country in Central Asia.
Population distribution: 56.4% of population lives in urban areas.
Twenty-six cities had approximate populations of more than 50,000 in
1999--Astana (capital) more than 450,000, Almaty (former capital) 1.2
million, Karaganda 440,000, Shymkent 370,000, Taraz 340,000, Ust-Kamenogorsk

310,000, Pavlodar 300,000.
Population growth rate (2002 est.): Large scale emigration of ethnic
Russians, Germans, and Ukrainians accounts for most of the population
decrease since 1989.
Population density: 9.3 people per sq. mi. (U.S. density 1990: 70.3 people
per sq. mi.).
Ethnic groups (2002): Kazakh 55.8%, Russian 28.3%, Ukrainian 3.3%, Uzbek
2.6%, German 1.8%, Uyghur 1.5%, other 5.0%.
Religion: Sunni Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%.
Language: Kazakhstan is a bilingual country. Kazakh language has the status
of the "state" language, while Russian is declared the "official" language.
Russian is used routinely in business; 64.4% of population speaks the Kazakh

language.
Health (2001): Infant mortality rate--19.6/1,000. Life expectancy--65.6
years (male 60.2 yrs.; female 71.1 yrs.). Health care--34.6 doctors and 74.4

hospital beds per 10,000 persons.
Education: Mandatory universal secondary education. School system consists
of kindergarten, primary school (grades 1-4), secondary school (grades 5-9),

and high school (grades 10-11). Literacy rate--98.8%.
Work force (2001, 8.85 million): Industry--30%; agriculture--20%;
services--50%.

Government
Type: Republic.
Independence: December 16, 1991 (from the Soviet Union).
Declaration of sovereignty: October 25, 1990.
Constitution: August 30, 1995 constitution adopted by referendum replaced a
1993 constitution.
Branches: Executive--president, prime minister, Council of Ministers.
Legislative--Senate and Mazhilis. Judicial--Supreme Court.
Administrative subdivisions: 17; 14 oblasts plus 3 cities--Almaty, the
former capital; Astana, the current capital; and the territory of Baykonur,
which contains the space launch center that the Russians built and now
lease. Political parties: As of August 2004, there were twelve political
parties registered by the Ministry of Justice. They are the Agrarian Party,
Ak Zhol (Bright Path), Asar (All Together), Ayul (Farmers), the Civil Party,

the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, the Communist People�s Party, DVK
(Democratic Choice), the Democratic Party of Kazakhstan, Otan (Fatherland),
The Party of Patriots, and Rukhaniyat (Spirituality)
Suffrage: Universal, 18 years of age.

Economy
GDP (2003): $29.7 billion. (At average exchange rate of 149.6 KZT/USD in
2003, GDP in 2003 was KZT 4449.8 billion.)
GDP growth rate: 13.2% (2001); 9.5% (2002); 9.2% (2003); 9.7% (forecast
2004).
GDP per capita (2003): Purchasing power parity--$8,117.
Inflation rate: 6.4% (2001); 6.6% (2002); 6.8% (2003); 5-7% (forecast 2004).
Trade: Exports (2003)--$12.9 billion: oil products (65%), base metals (20%),

food and agricultural goods (6%), chemicals (4%). Imports (2003)--$8.3
billion: machinery (43%), chemicals (15%), energy (12%), base metals (12%),
food (8%).
Gross external debt: $18.2 billion (2002); $22.9 billion (2003).
Central Bank's foreign exchange reserves: $3.1 billion (2002); $4.96 billion

(2003).
National (oil) fund reserves: $1.9 billion (2002); $3.6 billion (2003); $3.7

billion (Jan.-March 2004).
Officially recognized unemployment rate: 9.3% (2002); 8.7% (2003).
Exchange rate: 146.6 tenge/U.S. $1 (2003); 133.04 tenge/US $1 (October
2004).

PEOPLE AND HISTORY
The majority of Kazakhstanis are ethnic Kazakh; other ethnic groups include
Russian, Ukrainian, Uzbek, German, and Uyghur. Religions are Sunni Muslim,
Russian Orthodox, Protestant, and other. Kazakhstan is a bilingual country.
The Kazakh language has the status of the "state" language, while Russian is

declared the "official" language. Russian is used routinely in business;
64.4% of the population speaks the Kazakh language. Education is universal
and mandatory through the secondary level, and the literacy rate is 98.8%.

Nomadic tribes have been living in the region that is now Kazakhstan since
the first century BC. From the fourth century AD through the beginning of
the 13th century, the territory of Kazakhstan was ruled by a series of
nomadic nations. Following the Mongolian invasion in the early 13th century,

administrative districts were established under the Mongol Empire, which
eventually became the territories of the Kazakh Khanate. The major medieval
cities of Taraz and Turkestan were founded along the northern route of the
Great Silk Road during this period.

Traditional nomadic life on the vast steppe and semi-desert lands was
characterized by a constant search for new pasture to support the
livestock-based economy. The Kazakhs emerged from a mixture of tribes living

in the region in about the 15th century and by the middle of the 16th
century had developed a common language, culture, and economy. In the early
1600s, the Kazakh Khanate separated into the Great, Middle and Little (or
Small) Hordes--confederations based on extended family networks. Political
disunion, competition among the hordes, and a lack of an internal market
weakened the Kazakh Khanate. The beginning of the 18th century marked the
zenith of the Kazakh Khanate. The following 150 years saw the gradual
colonization of the Kazakh-controlled territories by tsarist Russia.

The process of colonization was a combination of voluntary integration into
the Russian Empire and outright seizure. The Little Horde and part of the
Middle Horde signed treaties of protection with Russia in the 1730s and
1740s. Major parts of the northeast and central Kazakh territories were
incorporated into the Russian Empire by 1840. With the Russian seizure of
territories belonging to the Senior Horde in the 1860s, the tsars
effectively ruled over most of the territory belonging to what is now the
Republic of Kazakhstan.

The Russian Empire introduced a system of administration and built military
garrisons in its effort to establish a presence in Central Asia in the
so-called "Great Game" between it and Great Britain. Russian efforts to
impose its system aroused the resentment of the Kazakh people, and by the
1860s, most Kazakhs resisted Russia's annexation largely because of the
disruption it wrought upon the traditional nomadic lifestyle and
livestock-based economy. The Kazakh national movement, which began in the
late 1800s, sought to preserve the Kazakh language and identity. There were
uprisings against colonial rule during the final years of tsarist Russia,
with the most serious occurring in 1916.

Although there was a brief period of autonomy during the tumultuous period
following the collapse of the Russian Empire, the Kazakhs eventually
succumbed to Soviet rule. In 1920, the area of present-day Kazakhstan became

an autonomous republic within Russia and, in 1936, a Soviet republic.

Soviet repression of the traditional elites, along with forced
collectivization in late 1920s-1930s, brought about mass hunger and led to
unrest. Soviet rule, however, took hold, and a communist apparatus steadily
worked to fully integrate Kazakhstan into the Soviet system. Kazakhstan
experienced population inflows of thousands exiled from other parts of the
Soviet Union during the 1930s and later became home for hundreds of
thousands evacuated from the Second World War battlefields. The Kazakh
Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) contributed five national divisions to the
Soviet Union's World War II effort.

The period of the Second World War marked an increase in industrialization
and increased mineral extraction in support of the war effort. At the time
of Soviet leader Josif Stalin's death, however, Kazakhstan still had an
overwhelmingly agricultural-based economy. In 1953, Soviet leader Nikita
Khrushchev initiated the ambitious "Virgin Lands" program to turn the
traditional pasturelands of Kazakhstan into a major grain-producing region
for the Soviet Union. The Virgin Lands policy, along with later
modernizations under Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, sped up the development
of the agricultural sector, which to this day remains the source of
livelihood for a large percentage of Kazakhstan's population.

Growing tensions within Soviet society led to a demand for political and
economic reforms, which came to a head in the 1980s. In December 1986, mass
demonstrations by young ethnic Kazakhs took place in Almaty to protest the
methods of the communist system. Soviet troops suppressed the unrest, and
dozens of demonstrators were jailed. In the waning days of Soviet rule,
discontent continued to grow and find expression under Soviet leader Mikhail

Gorbachev's policy of glasnost. Caught up in the groundswell of Soviet
republics seeking greater autonomy, Kazakhstan declared its sovereignty as a

republic within the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) in
October 1990. Following the August 1991 abortive coup attempt in Moscow and
the subsequent dissolution of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan declared
independence on December 16, 1991.

The years following independence have been marked by significant reforms to
the Soviet command-economy and political monopoly on power. Under Nursultan
Nazarbayev, who initially came to power in 1989 as the head of the Kazakh
Communist Party and was eventually elected President in 1991, Kazakhstan has

made significant progress toward developing a market economy, for which it
was recognized by the United States in 2002. The country has enjoyed
significant economic growth since 2000, partly due to its large oil, gas,
and mineral reserves.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Kazakhstan is a constitutional republic with a strong presidency. The
president is the head of state. The president also is the commander in chief

of the armed forces and may veto legislation that has been passed by the
Parliament. President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has been in office since
Kazakhstan became independent, won a new 7-year term in the 1999 election
that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said fell short

of international standards. The prime minister, who serves at the pleasure
of the president, chairs the Cabinet of Ministers and serves as Kazakhstan's

head of government. There are three deputy prime ministers and 16 ministers
in the Cabinet. Daniyal K. Akhmetov became Prime Minister in June 2003.

Kazakhstan has a bicameral Parliament, comprised of a lower house (the
Mazhilis) and upper house (the Senate). Single mandate districts popularly
elect 67 seats in the Mazhilis; there also are 10 members elected by
party-list vote rather than by single mandate districts. The Senate has 39
members. Two senators are selected by each of the elected assemblies
(Maslikhats) of Kazakhstan's 16 principal administrative divisions (14
regions, or oblasts, plus the cities of Astana and Almaty). The president
appoints the remaining seven senators. Mazhilis deputies and the government
both have the right of legislative initiative, though the government
proposes most legislation considered by the Parliament.

Elections to the Mazhilis in September 2004 yielded a lower house dominated
by the pro-government Otan party, headed by President Nazarbayev. Two other
parties considered sympathetic to the president, including the
agrarian-industrial bloc AIST and the Asar party, founded by President
Nazarbayev�s daughter, won most of the remaining seats. Opposition parties,
which were officially registered and competed in the elections, won a single

seat during elections that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe said fell short of international standards.

Kazakhstan is divided into 14 oblasts and the two municipal districts of
Almaty and Astana. Each is headed by an akim (provincial governor) appointed

by the president. Municipal akims are appointed by oblast akims. The
Government of Kazakhstan transferred its capital from Almaty to Astana on
June 10, 1998.

Lonely PLanet Notes (places to stay still to come)

Travel Tips
ATMs in Central Asia are pretty fickle. I was fortunate to carry a number of

cards and when one didn't work, usually another one did. There are now ATMs
all over the place in Kazakhstan. Check the ATM locater on Mastercard and
Visa sites. Most will dispense either tenge or US dollars.
Jason Man-Kai Yeung, Canada (Oct 03)

At the House of Mercy in Petropavlovsk, there is a free restaurant on
Sundays, a soup kitchen, sponsored by Peace Corps USA volunteers and local
English students. We serve 50 meals every Sunday from 11 am to 1 pm to
anyone who arrives, including travellers (we had two travellers from Alaska
just this past Sunday). The red brick building is behind the main North
Kazakhstan University building with the round light blue dome.

Also at the House of Mercy is Peace Corps' 1000 book English language
library with several copies of Lonely Planet Central Asia, Lonely Planet
Mongolia, and Lonely Planet Russia for travellers who may need those
resources as well as other travel books and reference materials useful for
travellers. It is open to the public 7-days per week, normally afternoons
but all morning and afternoon on Sundays.
John Leathers, USA (Oct 03)

Unexpected 'fees': If you are suddenly asked for an unexpected 'entrance
fee' or 'tax' (eg. at border crossings, nature parks, etc.), there's a quick

way to see if it's a legal one or merely a bribe: ask for a receipt.
Normally, an official receipt (which is 'kvi-TAN-tsia' in Russian) should be

printed and stamped by the concerned authority, not merely hand-written on a

grotty piece of paper. Of course, if they're reluctant to give you one it's
more likely that they're just out for backsheesh.

Taxi scams: It has already happened, especially with more sleazy taxi types
around the large hotels, airports and railway stations, that the driver only

releases you bags from the trunk after you pay up to double the agreed
price. The best way to avoid this, is not to put your luggage in the trunk.
If there is no other option and it happens, one possible way to deal with it

is to conspicuously write down his license plate number and the number of
his technical passport (which mostly appears on the front window) and
threaten to call the police ('militsia' or 'politsia'). That usually works.
Bruno De Cordier, Belgium (Sep 03)

When I visited southern Kazakhstan with its many mausoleums, I felt more
comfortable after I had bought a white scarf just to cover my head/hair when

visiting the holy places. All of the places I went were very low key
(Sayram, Arystan Bab and even Turkestan) not at all like the tourist places,

and I felt very much like an invited guest and that it was important to show

respect, which was very easily done by just wearing a white scarf near and
in the mausoleums. I know it was appreciated by my hosts.

Also important, by the way, is to show respect when people are praying -
which they do a lot, in particular at the smaller places - preferably sit
down and don't talk until the prayer has finished. You will know people are
praying by the way they hold their hands out in front of them like an open
book - unless of course you understand Kazakh or Russian.
Annette Magnusson, Sweden (Jul 02)

Moneychangers take both US $ and Euro.
Marlies Kriegenherdt, Germany (Jun 02)

Central Asia has a big problem with change, mostly because the only cash
reserve available in shops, markets, caf�s etc... is the income of the day
and if you're one of the first customers there might be none at all.
Sometimes it can take up to half an hour before change is found. Pretending
to have no change is also a common scam by taxi drivers and waiters to keep
the change. Have enough small denominations all the time.
Bruno De Cordier (Belgium, Jun 02)

If you plan to explore the countryside, avoid the winter. We visited in
October, and were confined to Almaty because of snow and fog.
Vio Barco and Andrew Dier, Colombia (Feb 02)

Almaty:
Email and Internet Access: The cheapest access that I found was the Fight
Club chain, filled with young men playing war with each other on video
screens. The cost was 250 tenge an hour -- cheaper than the Stalker Caf?
Fight Club 3 is at Shevchenko and Dostyk; Fight Club 2 is north of Tole Bi,
(although I couldn't tell you exactly where).
Cheryl Collins, USA (Dec 01)

Moving About
Instead of taking the 69-hour train ride to Moscow via Astana (which is
south of Pavlodar), it's better to fly for US $170 one-way or take a bus to
Omsk, Russia (8 hours) and catch the Trans-Siberian Express, which is only
38 hours to Moscow. You'll cut your train time in half for about the same
price (US $100). If possible, check the Omsk/Moscow train schedule (every
other day, I think) before departing from Pavlodar.
Sue Kennedy, Kazakhstan (Feb 03)

Once you cross the border from China, taxis can take you to Almaty within 3
hours. A taxi will cost around US10 shared between four. A warning though,
the drivers at the border are experts at driving between the border and
Almaty - but once you get into the city they don't know where anything is,
so best to get out of the car near the train station or the bus station.
Ryan Pyle, Canada (Jan 03)

The train Almaty - Bukhara has just recently been cancelled. Mind it.
Larissa Pak (Apr 02)

Scams & Warnings
Almaty and Bishkek airports - There is an occasional scam whereby customs
officers won't let you pass if they see that you have computer disks or
videotapes with you. Typically, they'll pretend that the materials could
contain 'propaganda footage' and 'state secrets' and have to be cleared by
the KGB first. It happened to me and to a Turkish acquaintance who was
forced to leave his Turkish folk music CDs behind! All nonsense of course.
Just an attempt to squeeze money out of you when you are about to catch your

flight. Should it happen, ask to see the law or instruction in writing.
Matthieu Kravos, Canada (Jul 03)

I was in Almaty and I was rushing for my train to Chimkent. A few blocks
from the station on Ablay Khan street I saw some militsia. Obviously they
noticed me as I was probably the only person the had seen that day with a
large backpack on. They asked to see my passport and they told me to follow
them. There were three of them in all. I know I should have asked their
names and ID numbers but all I could think about was making my train. I
presumed they were taking me to the station. But they didn't. That was me
being optimistic. I tried to defuse any possible tension by offering my
salaam aleikums. That went down well with the two Kazaks. However I didn't
offer them to the Russian officer who seemed to be their leader. They
eventually stopped beside some benches behind some houses in a backstreet.
Now I had quite a lot of cash on me as I am going to be travelling through
Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Turkey in an attempt to make it home for
Christmas. So I had wads of dollars stashed in different places. One of
those many places was in a kind of front waist pocket (I'm not sure what the

technical term for that is). Anyway they got me to take out the contents of
my pockets and hand them to them. After one officer had examined each of the

contents in detail he would pass it on to the next one to do the same. Then
they got me to empty my waist pocket. Each of them had to count the number
of dollars there were in the envelope where I had hidden them. To start out
with there had been USD500. While they were counting individually they
distracted me by getting me to take out the contents of my bag. If had had
time I would have told them to wait as I watched them go though the things
they already had in their hands. After about fifteen minutes they seemed to
have had enough, gave me back my things and let me go. So I rushed off to
the station. In order to get there I had to go though an underpass. In the
underpass, you've guessed it, I met some more militsia. I kinda reckonned at

this stage that a backpack makes you stand out on the streets of Almaty.
However these guys were much more professional and asked about drugs and
arms (using sign language). They checked some of my things including the
same envelope of dollars. After five minutes they let me go and I made a
dash to the station and managed to catch my train. While on the train I had
a chance to check my things. I found out that they had taken 300 Tenge and
150 Dollars. If I had to do it again I would have caught a taxi in order to
be inconspicious (as I'm doing here in Tashkent). I would also have avoided
any underpasses just in case the militsia may have been lurking. But above
all I would have walked the other way as soon as I saw anything that looked
remotely like a uniform. Oh and of course I would have put the cash that was

in my waist pocket into my hidden pocket. I hope this advice can help others

in the future. I'd just like to add that apart from that I found Almaty a
beautiful and charming town.
Brian Connellan, Ireland (Aug 02)

There exists a taxi scam at Almaty airport, which goes as follows: the taxi
drivers involved drive ignorant passengers (naturally, always foreigners and

westerners) from late night flights out of the city in the complete opposite

direction than the one they were asked to go. Then, they offer the passenger

the 'choice' to come up with an additional fee of $100 or more, or be left
behind in the middle of nowhere.

If you arrive at 3 or 4 am, like several international flights do, and are
on your own or/and don't have someone to pick you up, you could consider
waiting inside the airport until regular taxis and public transport start
running again around 7 am.
Ilja Fedoruk, Slovakia (Apr 02)

Gems, Highlights & Attractions
Train journeys are an essential part of the Kazakhstan adventure. One
possibility is the historical Turksib (Turkistan-Siberia) Railway between
Almaty, Semipalatinsk, and Novosibirsk in Russia. Good stopovers en route
are the Zhungar Alatau (east of Taldykurgan and Tekely) and the Kazakh Altaj

(near Ust-Kamenogorsk). Information and timetables of the Turksib are on the

web at http://turksib.com/
Bruno De Cordier, Belgium (Apr 02)

By all means try to go to a performance at the Opera and Ballet Theatre. We
saw wonderful ballet and classic music performances there. The building is
very beautiful and the interior is decorated with Scythian motifs. It is a
dressy affair: the lady selling tickets advised us not to wear jeans or
sneakers.
Vio Barco and Andrew Dier, Colombia (Feb 02)

Yarns, Fables & Anecdotes
In the markets of Almaty and Bishkek, you have a big chance of bumping into
colourfully dressed and quite South Asian-looking women and children who are

begging or working as fortune-tellers. In case you wonder, most are not
Afghan refugees (as some believe) but Central Asian gypsies. Called 'luli'
(loo-LEE) or 'chuki' (choo-KEY), they originally come from the surroundings
of Samarkand, the Vaksh valley in southern Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
They number 20,000 to 30,000 in the region and mostly speak Tajik (Persian).
Bruno De Cordier, Belgium (Oct 03)

So tomorrow will mark trip number three to the Kazakhstan consulate. Today i
was greeted with "Why you come so late? no. you come back tomorrow. 9am.
don't be late!" Apparently, according to the secretary, they "get off work"
at 11:30. pleas regarding my difficulties finding a cash machine went
unheard. actually, i was quite lucky, the lonely planet stated i that there
were no international atms in all of xinjiang. i found one that worked just
fine (some random bank across the street from the bank of china)....near my
$7/night hotel.

I am pretty excited becuase i have through Uyghur friends made contact with
the old men i wish to talk to in Kazakhstan. the old guard, WWII vetrans
..sort of. but today was excellent because I went to XJ university and
managed to get the contact infor for a lot of the professors who teach
xinjiang history. aparently, it's a recquired subject.

do i get bragging rights for going to kazakhstan, or "is kevin some sort of
terrorist" points? i'm not sure, but i am excited. several have gone before
me, it's not like i'm going to shanghrila. but it's no disneyland either.
but i don't have my visa yet, so all of this talk amounts to doodley squat.

I'm having a problem uploading pictures. i can get them off my camera but
not on to flickr. for now you'll have to trust me about these things:

1. there are frequent army and policy patrols in small groups.
2. there's a lot of propaganda around XJ university, including many signs
telling students to speak Chinese, to renounce separatism.
3. there's just something cool about a uyghur and his melons.
4. Uyghur food looks and tastes good.
5. My hair is long and unruly, my second chin is still there.
6. Urumqi is a very chinese city, but is somehow a bit nicer than beijing on
some levels. a bit like denver.

Early monday morning, and i'm in Urumqi. It's 11:29 official time, 9:30
local time. You see, China does not have time zones. All of China, which is
pretty much the size of the US, is set to Beijing time. So here the sun goes
down at about 10:30 PM in the summer. Of course, this is a point of
contention between the Han and the Uyghur. Uyghurs and other minorities
often use local time.

Anyway, i'm getting ready to go to the Public Security Bureau and Kazakhstan
consulate in preparation for my possible trip to Almaty Kazakhstan to do
research. pretty excited about it, though I'm not sure how the whole thing
will work out what with my Uyghur limited to sentences like "That book is
red. i like it."

Last night was awesome. i almost got into a fight, but ended up talking for
several hours (till 3:30am beijing time) with the people i almost got into a
fight with.

After a long productive evening studying uyghur at the "taibei cafe" which
sported a picture of the taipei 101 building, I decided to go to the bar
next door, not having a drink in several days. Before I was given my first
beer, I was beset upon by what i thought was a language leech. However as it
turns out, the guy was just being nice and invited me to his table. A han
who was born in Urumqi, he was very interested in history and was very glad
to tell me his thoughts about pre-"liberation" XJ/ET. A great source for my
research (i'm interested in the historiography of the three districts
rebellion, and how the history is contested). we're to meet sometime this
week so we can conduct a proper interview.

Yet he and his friends left soon afterwards, and I soon found myself alone.
No problem. So i order another beer. It is opened for me and I take a sip
only to find it is at room temperature. "When the waiter suggested I order a
"Carlsburg Ice" I had no idea that the regular carlsburg would not be cold.
This is not acceptable, beer should be served cold. please give me a cold
one," I say in a very polite tone. The manager says that they are out of
cold beer, and when I ask him to exchange for any other brand, even
something that's cheaper than a Carlsburg, he replies that the beer was
already opened, and that I already have taken a sip. We exchange fairly
pleasant arguments, and concedes that the staff should have told me that
they didn't have cold Carlsburg, but that he can do nothing because the beer
was already opened. "But I didn't open it, and I grabbed it by the top of
the neck when taking my first sip. I've been to many bars across china, and
I have never ever been served a warm beer. it's always been cold, even in
the most backwater of places. you should give me a new one." He informs me
that his manager is not there to approve the comp beer. but he suggests he
can still give me a new one. However, after a moment he comes back and says
he actually can't help me. He seriously suggests that i should order another
beer! i tell him that he is "Hei!" which literally means black, but better
translates as "corrupt" or "shady." He doesn't like that, and suggests it is
okay to drink warm beer. "not for Y25 a bottle it isn't!"

Here's where it gets a little harry. I suggest that since he concedes the
fuwuyuan should of said something, i say, well, do you need a top manager's
approval if a waiter spills a beer? To emphasize this trenchant point, I
move my hand in a horizontal karate chop motion toward the
table...accidentally hit the beer and spill it all over the table. uh-oh. he
gets angry and suggests that while i'm in China i need to be more respectful
of people. I try to calm things down by telling him I don't want to yell or
get angry, that I just want to understand why they won't give me a new
beer...I also suggest that he should know in his heart (xin li you shu) he
knows that they should respect the customers. Joking, I also add that my
father is from scotland (lie!) and that they are manipulating and using my
culture (The bar was scottish themed).

Finally, another manager comes by and suggests that drinking warm beer is
okay. no. He suggests i should come back tomorrow, and that he will buy me
several beers. No way, why would i want to come back? I don't want special
treatment, just a cold beer. The guy decides to buy me a beer, and we talk
about Chinese history, and why Japanese are not to be trusted (again with
this anti Japan stuff...cuz you know, chinese textbooks are paragons of
objectivity).

the second manager turns out to have come to Xinjiang by way of the PLA. We
bore the other manager and his friend who also comes to join us to tears by
talking history. He has an "excellent understanding of history" (his own
words) and informs me how 1. it was okay to crack down on tiananmen becuase
fang lizhi was manipulating the students (!). 2. Taiwanese want to return to
the mainland, it's America that prevents them from returning to the
motherland. 3. China can do whatever it wants becuase it has a long history
of feudalism. 4. Invading Vietnam in 1979 was Vietnam's own damn fault. of
course, I agreed with everything he said.

On the train to xj/et i met a nice family who's father works for the foreign ministry. and then i met their friend, a police officer...train cop. Now considering my background it's pretty amusing that i would befriend these people.
now when i talked to them they said...you should stay with us. but, as I got out of the cab to great them, and they asked "why did you bring all your stuff, is everything okay? where are you planning to stay tonight," they were saying "sit" in our house, as in "Zuo ke" or be a guest for a short period of time. Now, why would i make the mistake? in taiwan,t hey say "zu women jia" instead of "zhu women jia" for stay at our house. "zu" and "zuo" are similar, especially if someone has an accent, or if the listener is a stupid american. Fortunately, i didn't show my hand, and played aloof.

I had a great time with them, and we had a nice feast. pictures will be available once i get to a non sensitive area. apparently it's not kosher to make int'l phone calls except from the post office, which i was informed was all "recorded." anyway, dinner was a great experience, one where I was the guest of honor, and the host, the foreign ministry guy, knocked glasses with me first. He had invited a lot of his classmates (he now lives in beijing). Among the guests where a Public security officer, the dreaded PSB/Gong'an Ju, whose job description also includes fighting separatism and illegal thought. But man, we had great food and good times. I had to give a toast to everyone. everyone. it was pretty funny considering i had just met most of them that day. "Uh, how do you say, i hope we can be friends because i like the cut of your jib"

The host, mr. cui kept on making jokes about me being in the cia, or fbi. I guess he thinks it is weird that i would be going about xinjiang on my own.


they were concerned about my travels and gave me lots of tips. and they also taught me some chengyus.

so, after spending the night watching falling stars in the desert, me and my compadres returned to turpan. I was hoping to go back the next night, as the 12th is the peak of an annual meteor shower, but as is my lot in life, i was rained out. I felt pretty dejected, especially after wasting an afternoon helping my uyghur friend take pictures for his "korean girlfriend." I also had to write a love email for him.

Anyway, I decided to go to Urumqi that night. Mistake. Arriving at 11pm, i compounded my mistake by going directly to the internet cafe to check and write emails. after wandering around a bit, i discovered that many of the local hotels ietehr were booked, too expensive, or did not accept foreigners. pain in the ass.
so i finally find one that's 260kuai, or 35 dollars. hoping to find something cheaper, i started to wonder around the neighborhood with my bags. of course, i find nothing. defeated, i returned to the hotel resigned to pay their blood money, when loe and behold, i see they have an additional sign on the otherside of the desk that represents the prices of the hotel "behind the hotel." I quickly arrange for a Y60 (8 dollars) room.
of course, the women at the reception counter, said nothing of these rooms when i asked if they had anything cheaper. welcome to china, yakshimusiz.
I was thankful, however, to get the sand out of my hair (see picture)

I am now in Turpan, in the eastern part of XJ/ET. It's climate and geography is very similar to Las Vegas, except instead of all you can eat seafood buffets there is just a lot of dirty dusty greasy chopstick cafes. The tension between Uyghurs and han is palpable, having witnessed a scuffle near the "grape valley." Before arriving in Turpan,I endured a two day train ride from Beijing that was actually I lot better than I had anticipated. In the canteen, within two hours of departure, I was able to secure a much coveted hard seat.
I also met a police officer and another family, both were willing to put me up in Urumqi. it would be great to get the officer drunk, but he is a teetotaler...so i'm going to have to soften him up some other way.


Yesterday, i went to a abunch of different tourist spots, some nice, some not so nice. I got ripped off on the camel ride but decided to pay the fee rather than be cut. But last night, I spent the night on a sand dune with a couple of chinese tourists and two uyghur guides. we planned to only stay there an hour or so but we all fell asleep. i saw a lot of falling stars. it was pretty nice, but now i have a lot of sand in my hair.

well, now that this post is veering toward the descriptive (I had food. it was good). I'll cut it short.

feel free to look at my pictures here.

I bought my ticket to Turfan, which is about 2 hours east of Urumqi in
Eastern (Truckistan) Xinjiang. This is my story.

Yesterday was the fourth time going to the train station to buy tickets.
First a classmate and I were considering going to Inner Mongolia but we
could not buy tickets. No grasslands for us. So the third time I went to get
tickets to go to XUAR, I could not get a soft sleeper or a hard sleeper
ticket. Nor a seat. The lady behind the counter, tired of my incessant
queries, did offer me a "standing ticket." Fuckin' a!

You see tickets go on sale for the four days in advance everyday at 7pm. So
if you want a ticket for the 7th, you have to buy on the third, after 7pm.
For most destinations, you can usually get tickets the day before, or even
the day of. BUt Xinjiang is different. There's so many stops along the way
(it is a 51 hour ride to Urumqi) that the tickets go quickly.
very quickly. like within minutes. or as