Cultural in the South

So in March I went to the town of Shymkent to celebrate Nauryz. It was a great experience that almost didn't happen. It took me a while to decided if I would go. Not bc of the 22hr train ride or bc I didnt want to see the rest of Kazakhstan. But bc Im not really into the "party and drink everyday" thing. I mean, I like a lil sip of vodka and wine, but I havent gotten drunk in a very long time, and I dont plan to in the near future. Also, I didnt want to share an apartment with folks that would be drinking and partying all night. From what I had heard, this is what happened in the past in Shymkent, and I wasnt sure if I could share a room with folks who just wanted to have fun w/o getting drunk.

Anyway, long story short, it wasn't like that AT ALL. I had a great time. I forgot how much I missed the other volunteers.

It was so great to see almost all of the Kaz 21s again. For the most part, everyone seemed in great spirits. 

What did we do? Well, we wanted to see Kuk Par (its like a game of Polo, but with a dead goat instead of a ball), but the cancelled it this year. So we went to a bunch of cafes and ate delicious food, walked around town, went to a few clubs, and took a day trip to Turkistan to see a famous Mosque.
Enjoy the pics below!