Una giornata a Venezia

My first glimpse of Venice, as we rounded the bend, was this. Pretty cool, huh? 

When you first arrive at the airport, you have endless options for transportation: taxi, water bus, bus, or a combination of those three. We decided to take a taxi to Piazzale Roma, a transportation hub of sorts for Venetians and visitors, and then continue our search for our hotel by water bus, the vaporetto.

Yeah, don't bother with those overpriced gondola rides. Take a picture of one like I did and move on. Plus you get the same experience (close enough, at least) on the vaporetto, for only 7 Euro at that!

Teeny tiny alleyway ristorante. NOT trattoria, as we were grumpily reminded.

Step into any shop in Venice and you will find Murano glass, made on the nearby island of Murano. This world-famous glass is a great souvenir idea. Don't settle for the cheap bracelets some shops sell, though. I don't believe that was true Murano glass. If you want the real thing, just make a short trip to the island itself. It's not too far away!

St. Mark's Square. To Venetians it is simply known as "the square" or la piazza because it is the only "square" in the city. The rest of Venice's open areas are campi (and piazzale for Piazzale Roma).

Unfortunately if you get tired then a cafe's gonna be your best bet, because anyone sitting on the edge of the water will be shooed away by Venetian police. They look quite unhappy that they have to do this each and every day so just know ahead of time. 

Ending on a good note, as always!

Almaty: Bits and Pieces

Look at this city. Isn't it too bad it lost its Olympic bid to Beijing? 

In the mountains behind me there is snow galore in the winter and early spring months, even some left over in the summer on the highest peaks. 

Specifically, the view above is from Kok Tobe, a touristy yet necessary attraction that Almaty offers in the summer months. Right now it is under renovation; it looks like they're adding a Ferris wheel along with many more modern attractions. For now, however, all you have to enjoy is the view, the mini zoo, and the random Beatles statue at the current edge of the park. 

On any typical walk to Mega Center Almaty along the canal carrying water from the mountains down into the city is this amazing spectacle. Young people jogging alongside old couples taking their evening stroll converge with dog walkers and shoppers.

There is no regret in stopping by the Park of the First President (the president of course being N. Nazarbayev), in which views such as the one above are most common. 

The above view, however, is only accessible if you trudge all the way to the back of the park and up some stairs, where the ground starts gradually rising as you get closer to the mountains.

The stench of horse meat is like a cloud here at the Green Bazaar (above). But there's other stuff, too. Cheese, veggies, fruits, anddd... Korean food (see below). 

There it is! 

In addition to this, there has been a boom in Korean fast food stands everywhere.