NF..?? can't remember the acronym, but this is about Astana..
Curious,
Astana is expensive, very expensive. Uzbekistan is so cheap, and I should have not complained about it while I was there. Here, a bowl of tofu soup is $15, a pound of bell pepper is $3 compare to 40 cents in Tashkent. $15 per person(tips included) in a fast food restaurant, $40 in a semi Mexican food place.Very limited herbs here, but they do have coriander/spring onion.
No fresh fish, only pickled ones. It is so cold, below 40 degree and very windy. I am afraid to go out as I am not use to walking on ice. Here, if you fell down, nobody is going to help you, I do not understand this. This weather will continue until end of April, so people are drinking Vodka all the time. It is very dry here, so dry that I soak a thick towel and hang it dripping in the bed room and the next morning it will be dry and that is with a humidifier running. Pork/Beef/Lamb/Chicken are available but we have to be careful as a lot of them are stale. Horsemeat is the locals' favourite, I did try a sausage with horsemeat but with a guilty conscience.
There are a lot of americans coming here to adopt babies, one couple told me that they brought their can opener with them as it is not available here. If you have friends who fall in this category, pls do not hesitate to email me for info as I am most happy to give you more info on staying in Astana for a short time.
Carroll
kustiqa@hotmail.com