I think I’m bad at writing these reviews, because if I liked something I did, I tend to forget the bad parts. Considering this, you might be suspicious of the following review, because it consists solely of positive impressions. However, in this case, I have to say that this is an accurate depiction.
One of the most enjoyable things we have done in Qazaqstan so far was our trip to the NOMAD Ethnocenter, west of Almaty. We took a bus out in the morning, and a short drive later, we were in the bare, grassy foothills of the Tien Shan mountains. There, a whole day’s worth of activities had been planned out. We started the day by going into an authentic Qazaq yurt, which was richly decorated in brightly patterned fabric. A deeply passionate guide explained about the benefits of the structure of the yurt–how the wood ribbing could be wrapped up for easy packing when the inhabitants decided to move, how they stored everything in a series of wooden boxes which could easily be brought along with them on a horse’s back, and how they could open a hole in the top of the yurt to regulate the temperature. This hole in the top of the yurt has a name: the shanyrak. Now that I’ve learned about it, I see it everywhere–building roofs are shaped to evoke it, and images of it feature prominently in many posters celebrating the nauryz holidays. It is thought of as the entrance to heaven, and features in the center of the emblem of Qazaqstan. Little details like this, which might go unnoticed had someone experienced not pointed it out to me, are the building blocks of culture and tradition. Their value is unrelated to their perceived size, and so I’m very glad that it was mentioned here.
Us inside a yurt. Credit Teagan!
Next, we were taken out into the field, where five armored men on horseback were waiting to show us traditional Qazaq weaponry and equestrianism. Each rode up to our group and in turn presented their gear, while the guide explained the significance and usefulness of the various swords, chainmail suits and saddles that they had. Then, they demonstrated charging at each other, full gallop with spears pointed forwards. At the last moment they would veer off to the side, but only after I was sure that this time they were going to really hit each other. They demonstrated the impossibly hard horseback archery technique, hitting the targets an impressive number of times. When I tried the same test, I did worse than them, and I was standing still on two feet!
Now, it was our turn on the horses. As a child, I took horseback riding lessons, but all I remember is the frustration of falling off and disobedience from the horse. This time, I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though we were just slowly walking back and forth along the well-defined paths other tourists had taken. I had been watching how the riders controlled the horses, and I eventually felt confident enough to set my horse into a gallop. It was exhilarating–I could feel the four hooves thudding rhythmically as the horse shook and heaved under me. I stood fully up in the saddle and tried to keep my back straight like I saw in the movies. The field flew by way too fast, and when we reached the end I turned around and did it again! The fact that they simply let me do this was wonderful. This is how the entire program felt–less like a guided tour, and more like passionate people showing us the things they love.
Our professor on a horse
They let me put on an unbelievably heavy suit of armor and hop on a horse to see what it was like. I could barely lift the huge broadsword they gave me, and the twelve-foot-long spear was out of the question. One of the gentlemen made sure to emphasize that they wear this every day. I think they actually had fun showing off for us, because they organized a round of kokpar, an ancient game in which two groups of horseback riders compete to drag a goat carcass into a goal. It’s definitely a high-testosterone sport–apparently, if you eat the meat from the goat carcass and sleep with your wife that night, you will have a male child.
Us, as warriors on horseback
We had a huge lunch of traditional Qazaq food, complete with too much beshbarmak (“five fingers”, pasta and horse meat), and samsa (triangle-shaped pastry with meat). Then, we went outside to grind grain in a small stone milling wheel, which I found to be particularly appealing to use. We mixed it with sugar and ate it as dessert! We also made fresh baursaki (fried dough), which was deliciously hot and oily. All the time, we were accompanied by older ladies who looked like they had been doing this their whole life, and we were the next generation they were teaching. We went into a yurt to sew a carpet and one of them kept on grabbing my relatively clumsy hands, deftly showing me how to thread the yarn through dozens of strings at a time. In twenty minutes, I had managed to sew a tiny little brown square into one small corner of the rug. It drove home how long it must take to finish the whole thing.
Our day at the center may have ended there, but it hasn’t stopped coming back in my memories. It taught me just how much satisfaction I could get out of doing things that people might consider simple. Sitting at a milling wheel and turning it, pouring in more grain and sugar every couple minutes was as enthralling as watching most YouTube videos, and the result was edible! Overall, I would highly recommend visiting the Ethnocenter. Tours can be booked on many local Qazaq tourism operators, including Azimat Travel and Zhetsyu Travel.
