It is not all work in Kazakhstan – In Nur Sultan – 22 August 2022

We get opportunities to thank God every day. When I woke up and saw the cloudy sky, drizzle and strong winds making it quite cold, I thanked Him for the lovely weather I had yesterday when it was bright, sunny and very pleasant. Most of the places I wanted to visit, stuff I wanted to do and sights I wanted to see were mostly done because of the superb weather the previous day. In fact, the sun was, at times, so harsh that I had to seek out the trees for shade.

I had the entire morning to do anything further I wanted to as my flight to Dubai was only at 3.15 pm. The cold and drab day was a bit of a dampener, though. I delayed the standard breakfast for a bit in the hope that the weather may turn for the better. It didn't, but, at the same time, didn't get worse either. Anyway, I decided that the weather wouldn't deter me from exploring the proximate neighbourhood for an hour or so. With that resolve I borrowed an umbrella from the reception and set forth for the final few hours on the streets of this lively city.

The people make the place, is what I feel wherever I go. In the cities of Kazakhstan people always use the assigned pedestrian paths and crossing markers. They never jay walk even when there is no traffic. They are prepared to walk any extent to get to the designated signal or zebra lines. Last evening, at the Independence Square, Akzhol made me walk a half kilometre to a zebra crossing to go over to the mosque despite there being no road traffic at all. Moreover, motorists give the pedestrian total respect. They will stop even if you have not stepped on to the zebra and they anticipate your intention to cross the road!

Secondly, they never discard garbage anywhere except in the bins and garbage collection cans. One doesn't find plastic and paper flying around. If they cannot find a bin they will carry the material to be discarded till they find one. The local authorities also ensure that the garbage is regularly and cleanly collected without inconveniencing general public. Such things make a huge difference to the way people live in a country. These are things that make the place and it is the people; it is only the people who live there that show the way to folks like us who visit.

Akzhol came much before the time he was supposed to. But, I had to make him wait. It is the system in Kazakhstan that the hotel registers a foreigner with the local authority to prove that one is resident there during the duration of one’s stay in that town or city. It helps them trace the person in case of any emergency. While that had been done without much fuss in Almaty and Atyrau it took on a whole new dimension in Nur Sultan. Assel had told me that, with the free visa regime, the immigration authorities at the airport may seek the registration proof. While the registration process is online, normally it does not take much time. However, due to a glitch in the system it took more time than thought it would and delayed my departure to the airport. I was not worried anyway because I had a whole lot of time in hand.

All is well that gets done eventually, I suppose. In light rain I reached the airport well in time and was the first at the check-in counter of Air Astana. Since there was no web check-in facility I had to complete all the formalities at the counter. I presented the passport and Covid vaccination certificate with which my seat allocation and luggage was booked. Once that was done all that remained was the printing of the boarding pass. The counter clerk hurried to the supervisor for some consultation and I waited at the counter. After a while he came over and told me that the system was preventing the printing of the boarding pass because I did not have a Dubai visa. I reiterated that I would be taking one on arrival in the basis of my valid US visa. He politely told me to grab some lunch from one of the restaurants and come back to the counter after a half hour, by when they would have the issue resolved. I was perplexed and a lot worried.

I bought some stuff from a bakery and sat worriedly ingesting them. I made my way to the counter yet again and was told that the matter was still hanging resolution from Dubai. That had me really worried. Seeing this the airline staff put my mind at ease and affirmed that they would put me on the flight. Finally, after much back and forth, they decided to bypass the system and print my ticket. I had just a few minutes to go before boarding was announced. The saving grace was that both security and immigration were gone through quickly. At the immigration I was not asked for the documents of hotel registration. Despite the drama at the check-in it was with a heavy heart that I said Dasvidaniya to my friends.