Episode 11 I've ridden on crowded busses and walked miles over the last couple of days, all to see the sights of Almati. Thank goodness there are plenty of large shady trees along all the streets otherwise I would be a very wilted stuffed toy. I did enjoy sitting of busses and I even made a friend today, his name is Bugsy,( a purple blow up bugs bunny), we sat next to each other on the long journey back to our hotel. I’m mighty glad I don’t have his ...

Episode 10 What a boring bloody trip that was. I had got used to trees and trucks, but now I had flat open treeless steppe and not quite so many trucks. Before we finally left Astana we went to look at the ''pyramid of Peace and Accord". It sits in several acres of unkempt parkland with many tarmac footpaths and plenty of scraggy looking shrubs. The parkland leads down to the river beyond which is some of the new government building and many of the large new c...

Episode 9 Phew! Have I had a busy couple of days: There is so much to write about that my arms will be warn up to my elbows, I think I need to employ a secretary, um! That sounds nice to me, what's a secretary, and would a secretary give me a cuddle? I like cuddles! D had decided that the car needed an oil change so as we were driving into the outskirts of Astana I was charged with the job of looking out for a place selling oil, my eyesight being at least on a...

Episode 8 David's foot had swollen up some days ago and he had been taking some antibiotics for it believing it to be Cellulitis that he has had previously. As we got near Ishim he decided, seeing as the leg was no better that he ought to see a doctor about it so we drove into Ishim for that purpose. The first person we saw to ask directions to the hospital was a fellow who told us to follow him as he was going there himself. That was real lucky because the hos...

We spent a while in Astrakhan. Just after crossing the Volga we saw this attractive new building occupying a full city block and not yet complete. We didn't find out what it was, perhaps a new city hall, in front of it is a kiddies playground and across the street some more modern looking buildings that could be some sort of administrative offices but all this is only conjuncture on Lyn’s part, she hasn’t a clue really, any more than I do and I’...