Found the Cafe

Monday, August 14, 2006
Tatyana and Igor took us to the baby-house today. We went earlier than our usual time because we were scheduled to meet Karen and Galina at the fabled American Grill and Café at 1 PM. Today Kristin was really happy to see us. We walked and played with her a bit, but our visit was only an hour because we arrived at about 11 and her scheduled nap time was at 12. Understandably, they maintain very strict schedules for the children. At least we didn’t have to feed her on this visit. On the way back from the baby house, Tatyana stopped at one of the rural markets where the locals were selling fresh cow’s milk, fresh cheeses, breads and meats.

We then met Karen and Galina at the American Grill. Gary and I were wondering if it really existed. Everytime we would ask someone where it was we would get blank stares. We were joking that maybe it was one of those urban legends and when Americans are traveling to Kazakhstan, they are told to visit there. Well turns out that it really exists, and as rumoured, they have great wireless connectivity. I was able to use my laptop without a problem. It is a pity that I probably could not find the place on my own. It is about a 30 minute walk, but with the language problem, I am a bit timid to venture out. All the street signs are in Russian (totally unrecognizable) and very few people speak English. The food was so-so and the prices were a bit on the high side. After returning to the flat, we spent the rest of the evening lounging around.