Toronto Pearson International Airport, Ontario, Canada
This year for my birthday trip I decided to goto Kazakhstan. I'd done four back to back Europe trips since my last birthday so wanted something different. I'd done bits of Central Asia in the past when I was living in Korea and it was closer, Xinjiang China in 2011, Inner Mongolia China in 2011, and Uzbekistan in 2013.
I have three separate blogs on each of those as well as an introduction to the 'Stans' and Central Asia (see blog entry http://v2.travelark.org/travel-blog-entry/londone7/23/1355501558)
Xinjiang Blog : http://v2.travelark.org/travel-blog/londone7/16
Inner Mongolia Blog : http://v2.travelark.org/travel-blog/londone7/17
Uzbekistan Blog : http://v2.travelark.org/travel-blog/londone7/23
I also remember during the Yeosu Expo 2012 in Korea there was an interesting exhibit on Kazakhstan with folk dancing (see entry - http://v2.travelark.org/travel-blog-entry/londone7/21/1340012654)
For this trip I would have to connect from Toronto via Frankfurt for a flight to Astana the new capital in the north of the country. The flight was about $1600 and I found one about $100 cheaper connecting via Copenhagen to Frankfurt, making it three legs. After selecting this flight I was paranoid the whole time leading up to the trip that there was only a 65 min connection in Copenhagen so if any delays I will miss the connection to Frankfurt and the one daily flight to Astana.
Selecting the back row on the plane I had two seats to myself and was able to sleep most of the way to Copenhagen. We arrived 30 mins early which gave me extra time to my relief for my flight to Frankfurt. I had to go thru passport control for the EU but luckily no security checks which would have wasted more time.
The airport was like a large shopping mall and I ran thru trying to find my gate to Frankfurt. It was a short hour flight to Frankfurt.
In Frankfurt I had to change from the A to B terminal and go thru a long underground walkway and slow elevators at either end. Waiting at the gate to board the flight to Astana was rather entertaining.
A lady had a phone call on speakerphone. The man was expressing his love, that she was so beautiful, he cant live without her, he was sorry, take him back. Was she watching some tv show or something on youtube. Turns out this was a live call with her Turkish lover who had been cheating on her.
He begged for forgiveness, that he will never look at another woman again, that he even bought a new phone to block the other woman. Svetlana the lady in question as he mentioned her name said very little and just kept shaking her head. It was all rather bizarre and everyone at the departure gate was hanging on every word to see if she would take him back like some scene from a movie.
Svetlana ended the call as it was time to board so their fate is unknown. Our flight to Astana was actually heading to the old capital Almaty in the south but would stop in Astana in the north first. I had a two seater again but a local Kazakh sitting next to me.
I tried to sleep for most of the 7 hour flight. On arrival at Astana at 11pm the airport was empty and it was easy going thru immigration for once. She asked where I was from even though I had a Canadian passport but she stamped me in with no problems, remarkably relaxed for a former Soviet country with visa free entry.
I exchanged $50 USD for 17,800T and my hotel had arranged for a driver to wait for me. Good choice as there were no other transport options except for taxis.
The driver didnt speak much English and seemed to be taking longer to get to the hotel then it seemed on the map.
It was a good night tour of the city which I would be exploring on foot tomorrow. At the hotel he wanted 4500T ($15). I wanted to pay by card which the hotel said I could so told him to come inside. They charged me 6000T ($20) due to 'one hour delay' but I didnt want to argue this late.
They also kept saying I had to pay for the room even though I'd paid Expedia but they didnt speak much English so left it till the morning to explain properly after I'd got some sleep.
Wendy
2018-10-17
Wow Asif, you were lucky with your connection in Copenhagen. I was feeling tense just reading your blog! Loved the story of the woman with the cheating lover. Looking forward to reading your next entry.