The starting point of space exploration: Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is a Central Asian country bordering China, but there is always a So close, yet so far a feeling of.

Whether it is an important transit point on the "Silk Road" or the starting point for human exploration of the universe .

Kazakhstan, despite its obscurity, has still written its place in history.

Despite being a landlocked country, Kazakhstan still has its own "coastline". The Caspian Sea, the largest inland saltwater lake in Central Asia and the largest in the world, brings infinite scenery here. Of course, it also brought almost unimaginable wealth to the once poor Kazakhstan - huge oil and gas fields .

Almost overnight, Kazakhstan became rich with money. The country began to vigorously develop infrastructure and promote better welfare policies, so that the Kazakh people, who are good at singing and dancing, can still live a leisurely life.

Ready? Let’s set foot on the peaceful land of Kazakhstan together.

Keywords: consumer guide

Kazakhstan’s consumption level is not high. Prices have risen since the 21st century and are basically on par with second- and third-tier cities in China. Most of the basic necessities of life are very close to the people. This is also due to the fact that the country’s tourism industry has just started and is still in a tepid state.

 

The currency in circulation in Kazakhstan is the Kazakhstani Tenge (Kazakhstani Tenge), with the currency code KZT. Among them, the denominations of banknotes are 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000, and 500. The coins are 200, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, 1.

 

Special reminder: Tourists entering Kazakhstan need to bring US dollars or euros to exchange for tenge locally. There are ATMs in big cities that accept MasterCard and VISA cards. But cash is your best friend.

MasterCard®

International Travel Platinum Card

 

average daily consumption price

Coffee – 1000 Tenge (Regular Cappuccino)

Bottled water – 15 tenge (330ml small bottle)

Beer – 1200 tenge (330ml bottle)

Lunch – 2000 tenge (roast mutton buns or beef soup?)

Dinner – 15000 tenge (appetizer+main course+dessert+wine)

Taxi – 4000 tenge (Astana International Airport to city center)

Big Mac Meal – 2500 Tenge (McDonald’s or Burger King, your choice)

 

Travel budget per person

Economical – 80 Australian dollars per person per day (brunch, light restaurant, dinner, public transportation and 1 attraction fee)

Normal – AUD 100 per person per day (simple breakfast, ordinary restaurant for lunch and dinner, taxi fare and 1-2 attraction fees)

Deluxe – 140 Australian dollars per person per day (breakfast, lunch and dinner at ordinary restaurant, taxi fare and 1-2 attraction fees)

 

Voltage and power sockets

The voltage in Kazakhstan is 220-230V/50Hz. Most new chargers basically have a wide voltage range and can be used directly. For slightly older small appliances, please check the corresponding voltage in the manual in advance and consider whether you need to bring a transformer.

 

 

The power socket is as shown in the picture, German standard double round head Type F. If you do not use this type of charger, you need to purchase a converter in advance.

 

Disclaimer: The above information is for reference only. Sydney Currency Services summarizes the "average daily consumption price" information through the Internet and has been committed to ensuring the authenticity and accuracy of the information. Specific prices, services and specific information may change and cause deviations. "Travel budget per person" is an estimate and does not include air tickets and accommodation costs. Actual expenditures may vary depending on the consumption location, time, and specific content. Sydney Currency Services does not assume any responsibility or loss arising from the discrepancy between the above information and the actual situation.

Name the capital of Kazakhstan,

3, 2, 1...

Almaty?

Right or wrong.

Almaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan and, until 1997, it was indeed the capital.

But in 1992, Kazakhstan began to develop the city "Chelinograd" and changed its name to "Akmola".

("Akmola" means white place, because it is very cold here.)

In 1997, the Kazakh government moved the capital to Akmola and renamed it "Astana" again.

Therefore, the current capital of Kazakhstan is Astana.

(In Kazakh, "Astana" means "capital".)

Therefore, if translated directly, the name of the capital of Kazakhstan is called "Capital".

I admire it, it’s simple and crude enough.

Maybe he felt that changing his name was a big deal.

In 2019, the Kazakhstan government once again renamed "Astana" to "Nur-Sultan" to commemorate former President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

So willful~~

Closer to home, it is impossible to go to Kazakhstan without visiting the "capital Astana" (the capital named the capital)...sorry...Nur-Sultan.

With the strong support of the government, Nur-Sultan has rapidly developed urban infrastructure. As the supreme leader of Kazakhstan in the past 20 years, Nur-Sultan Nazarbayev has taken over the urban planning and design of the new capital in a very "down-to-earth" manner.

The emerging city has also attracted a large number of designers from all over the world, making the entire city dotted with buildings of different styles throughout the capital.

Either avant-garde or modern,

Or avant-garde tradition, or modern tradition.

If you have traveled to many countries and have some exposure to the architectural styles displayed by different cultural backgrounds. Then you will find that Kazakhs have creatively "constructed" many representative buildings around the world.

Of course, signs with a strong local flavor of Kazakhstan are also everywhere.

The city symbol of Nur-Sultan, the Bayterek Observation Tower (Bayterek), known as the "Tree of Life", is 97 meters high. This represents the official move of the capital here in 1997.

Its design is inspired by the mythical story of Kazakhstan: Samruk, the sacred bird that represents happiness, lays an egg in the branches of the poplar tree every year.

The shape of the Bayterek Observation Tower is composed of a "golden egg" at the top and branches symbolizing "poplar trees".

(Yes, it’s the egg in the previous title picture)

It’s just that this is the first thing I thought of.

Since the divine bird Samluk has "left" eggs in the capital, it is natural that he will also leave his body.

Located in Independence Square at the eastern end of Nur-Sultan city, stands the pure white monumental column - Kazakh Eli.

(Kazakh Eli is Kazakh, meaning "the country of the Kazakhs")

There is a relief of Nazarbayev on the base of the memorial column, and there is a golden sacred bird on the top.

What do you think this bird is called?

The sacred bird above Astana’s Independence Square

Kazakhstan believes in Islam and Christianity. So whether it is a mosque or a church, one is indispensable.

The largest building in the north of Independence Square is the Hazrat Sultan Mosque. This is not only the largest mosque in Kazakhstan, but also the largest mosque in Central Asia. Its huge circular dome and four 77-meter-high minarets at the four corners are its famous symbols.

Compared with the Central Mosque of Almaty, which was once the largest in Kazakhstan, the Hazrat Sultan Mosque is simply gorgeous.

To be honest, Astana...sorry, Nur-Sultan is the first mirror for Kazakhstan to show itself, and it is definitely worthy of being the first stop for global visitors.

It's just that this "nouveau riche" general aesthetic always has an indescribable "awkwardness".

Do you still remember the "fighting nation" Russian cuisine we once introduced?

They are that nation that can add sour cream to everything they eat.

“Hardcore” fighting nation: Russia

From an overall perspective, the local specialties of Kazakhstan have a typical grassland national style - heroic.

Kazakhstani people have a special liking for horses. As early as 5,500 years ago, the history of horse breeding, horse training and riding appeared on the grasslands.

Horses are also called "the most loyal friends" by locals. But what is puzzling is that Kazakhstan people do not shy away from eating horse meat at all.

But just eating meat is not enough. Due to Kazakhstan’s historical and cultural background, dairy products also occupy an extremely important position in the food culture. And during the fruit-rich season, sweet and delicious watermelon, cantaloupe, cherries, etc. are not to be missed.

But if there is one fruit that Kazakhstan is most famous for, it must be the apple.

Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, means “the place rich in apples” in Kazakh language.

Although Kazakhstan is a landlocked country, it is rich in products and people's pursuit of delicious food has also formed local characteristics.

Let’s take a look at what can make you excited?

Beshbarmak is a must-eat dish in Kazakhstan.

The locals like this dish as much as our roast duck.

Beshbarmak means "five fingers" in Kazakh, which means that this is a hard dish that is eaten with hands.

Its characteristics are similar to Xinjiang's large plate of chicken noodles. The only difference is that the main ingredient of authentic Beshbarmak is horse meat (of course, beef, mutton, etc. are also available, depending on your mood) ~).

Due to the special taste of horse meat, the preparation time of Beshbarmak is also quite long - basically 4 hours - in order to cook the horse meat until it is tender.

The fragrant broth is absorbed by the lasagna, and the fishy smell of horse meat is neutralized by the onions. This time-consuming dish leaves you with endless aftertaste in every bite.

Beshbarmak is something that almost every flavor restaurant offers. What's even more valuable is that to this day, this dish is still cooked according to the original ancient method, and the taste has not been erased by time at all.

Samsa is a baked bread-shaped meat patty from Kazakhstan, similar to the baked buns from Xinjiang.

Beef or lamb wrapped in pastry, plus onions, cheese and various flavorings. Bake it in the oven until golden brown, and when you bite it, it will be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the meat will be fragrant.

Samusa is so popular that it reaches almost every street corner and is loved by everyone.

It is really a must-have product for home travel.

Once, Dilraba Dilraba successfully became a hot topic with a less than 30-second video of eating snacks on the set, which led to a sales boom of the snacks.

But after a group of fans of Fatty tried it, they immediately shouted "heavy taste " and "can't stand it" .

The Xinjiang cheese snack, known as "yoghurt pimples", has been enshrined as a new "dark cuisine" due to its taste that is completely opposite to expectations (sour and salty).

The people of Kazakhstan also have a similar snack - Kurut .

The difference is that as opposed to the hard and salty cheese balls, kuruut is made from goat's milk.

The taste of cream, paired with vegetables and fruits, an authentic grassland flavor.

The dumplings on the Chinese table are presented in different ways in different regions. But you may never have imagined that Kazakhstan also has a strong "dumpling" culture - Mantai dumplings.

Manti dumplings are a very popular delicacy in Western and Central Asia, especially Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkey (please pay attention to our follow-up articles) .

Different from Chinese dumplings, Mantai dumplings are cooked in a pot and steamed (steamed dumplings: what did you ask me to do?). The fillings are horse meat, beef, mutton, etc., and are seasoned with pepper and tomato sauce before serving.

There is a saying in northern China: Dumplings are not as delicious as dumplings.

Friends who have the opportunity to go to Kazakhstan, remember to order one to try.

By the way, don’t forget to add that versatile one

sour cream.

Human beings live on the earth, but they do not have the basic nature of any species on the earth. But he is full of infinite desire to explore the universe beyond the earth.

From the moment of birth,

Humans do not eat on their own,

Humans cannot walk on their own,

Humans do not form language systems autonomously.

This all depends on nurture, which is obviously contrary to the natural growth law of survival of the fittest.

Maybe humans are the alien visitors, with the obsession to find a way home flowing in their bones.

receive! ~~

The time goes back to April 12, 1961, 9:07 am Moscow time. A spacecraft named "Vostok-1" was launched and flew for 1 hour and 48 minutes in an orbit 301 kilometers from the earth's apogee.

Former Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Alexeevich Gagarin completed the first space flight in human history and took the first step in human exploration of space.

The rest of history is recorded. The space race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War continued until the moon landing , and now has flown by Neptune and is about to enter the Kuiper Belt the Voyager 1 man-made mission aircraft.

Time flies, and the pace of human exploration of the universe has never stopped.

Today, the Baikonur Cosmodrome (Kosmodrom Baykonur) located in Kazakhstan is the world’s first and the largest space launch center title, still tirelessly fulfilling its launch mission and promoting the pace of human exploration of space.

Decades later,in 2015, the Russian Space Agency finally opened this strategic location that was once closed to the public. The Baikonur Cosmodrome has opened visiting licenses to several tour operators.

It quickly became a popular attraction.

Drooling? Wipe it quickly...

We talked about the price.

The tour business is basically run by Russians, so the methods of "rip off customers" have not changed at all (go and read our Russian article again).

The tour lasts about 3-4 days, and the price for foreign tourists is basically US$4,000-5,000 per person. Russian citizens only need about $1,500.

But unlike other space centers, there are strict limits on the number of tourists.

It is precisely because of this that every visitor who comes to visit will have a detailed and unparalleled experience.

Visiting the Baikonur Cosmodrome is like going back to the Cold War era. Being in it, everything goes back to 1959, when the dream began.

Special reminder: Foreigners going to the Baikonur Cosmodrome need to apply at least 50 days in advance. Friends, please contact travel companies with operating licenses as early as possible.

Also note:

The real Baikonur region of Kazakhstan is a mining town in the Karaganda region. The Baikonur Cosmodrome is located in Kyzylorda Oblast in southwestern Kazakhstan.

The two are far apart, so don’t order the wrong one.

Why, you ask?

In a strategic location, it is necessary to cover up others' deception.