Zaisan

Somehow I completely and totally failed to ask for the picture with everyone. Ah well, this is the best I can do. Eight students came on our Friday trip to Zaisan, which just might be a record. It was an absolutely lovely day, made even more so by the graduation parties which swarmed all over the hillsides like flocks of fairies in fluttery silk... flocks of fairies tailed by troglodyte males. Do I show bias?

On top of that there was a Kazakh man there with his eagle. I'm usually not one for blatantly touristy things, but I made an exception for the eagle. I paid him T1,000 (80 cents) for a picture or two. The bird was ridiculously heavy, it must have weighed almost 10 pounds. The tears in the leather of the glove made me believe the things I had heard about the eagles the Kazakh's use. Supposedly they have been known to take down wolves. The Kazakh's are the only people who have tamed any species of eagle for hunting.

I've made a hobby of editing with paint. I find it to be a downright artistic pursuit. I removed something from this picture.

Same spot. I removed something from this one too :)

After walking around Zaisan taking pictures we went down to the river. The day was absolutely beautiful.


In this picture you can see the new golden Buddha, the river (and the trees that grow along it) and the west end of the city (with its three power plants).

Huh. Never mind, I guess it was 9 students. They complained that I didn't bring a blanket. Who needs a blanket?!

...besides, I didn't a blanket like that, and other suck lame excuses. At least I brought lots of soda!