Kok Tobe and MEGA

We are starting to venture out and about.  Driving is becoming less stressful as we get used to it.  I kind of like it because I approach it like a puzzle.  I pretend that I am a puzzle piece and I need to keep fitting between cars until I make it to my destination.  :)  It's fun and challenging.  The only part I don't like is the crosswalks.  There are crosswalks everywhere, even on Al Farabi, which is a road I liken to a freeway.  Pedestrians in crosswalks always have the right of way, and they know it.  They will walk out without any warning, even if cars are going 80 km an hour (my speedometer is in kilometers)!  They give me a lot of anxiety because I am paranoid I am going to run right into someone crossing the street!

Friday we went up to Kok Tobe with a group from church to celebrate the 10th year of the LDS Church in Kazakhstan.  It was a few church members, the Branch President, Mission President, Area Authority, and a senior missionary couple from Astana.  One member who has been here all 10 years shared her experience of when Kazakhstan was opened to the church.  It was really pretty up there with great views of the mountains and the city, even though it was an overcast day.  They even had all these animals up there like a mini-zoo with food for sale to feed to the animals.  There were shops and rides that we will have to come back and try sometime.  Afterwards we went back to the church for some food and celebrations.

A view of the overcast city.

A view of the mountains from Kok Tobe

Some beautiful male and female pheasants.

The main area up at Kok Tobe.  Almaty is the city of apples, so there are apples everywhere!

On our way home we stopped by the MEGA mall.  It is a large mall that even has an ice skating rink and rock wall right in the middle!  It was fun to walk around.  Besides everything being in Russian, we felt like we were right back in the USA.

A great view of the mountains from MEGA mall.

The mall's ice skating rink and rock wall (all the way at the back).

There was this awesome glass statue of a snow leopard, which just happens to be our school mascot at AIS!

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