Saturday, April 20, 2013

Taukum Desert Camping

A few weekends ago Nic and I kicked off the camping season with a solo trip into the desert. We went to an area we had gone last year, about 2 hours outside of Almaty. Turning off the main highway for a bit, then onto a dirt road that cut through empty land, we found a nice flat spot to settle for the night. 
 As we drove the dirt road, I was seeing these bright yellow flowers everywhere. I didn't realize until we stopped that they were tiny tulips!

 As good a spot as any...
 Nic took up on the latest fitness fad...camel track desert running. 



 I spotted this fat little guy, and he posed for me while I got pretty near him. 

 After Nic's run, I set out on a photo-wander. When I came back this is what I saw. A hole in the ground and Nic lounging and reading in the back of the Subaru. 

 The evening was nice so we set up the tent without the rain fly. Around 2 am we began to feel the drops on our faces and threw on the rain fly. Falling back asleep to the fresh smell of the newly-wetted desert was heavenly. 
 Along the drive back to Almaty there were more patches of yellow tulips. 
A typical scene on the steppe: old Soviet tractors and a shepherd and his sheep. 

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