Scenes in Taraz

Thought I would just post a few pictures of Taraz.  Just some places and things I thought were interesting and wanted to share.

This picture was taken early in the morning as I arrived at school.  The sun was shining off of the mountains.  Not as distinct as I would have liked them to be, but you get the idea.  That, I believe, is the border with Uzbekastan.

This is another picture taken at school.  This one from a window on the second floor.  A few days ago, it was so windy that there was a weather warning.  All day the dust blew around and clouded the air.  This was taken at around 1:00 in the afternoon.

The kids always ask me what I like about Taraz.  After I tell them that THEY are what I like about Taraz, I mention the beautiful parks.  The city is loaded with parks and green spaces.  This one is not too far from my apartment.  I like to walk through it when I can.  It's nothing fancy; just benches in this peaceful area loaded with trees, hibiscus, sumac and some flowers.  In the US, a park like this would be very manicured.  Here, it's much more natural.

This last one just shows how trees are planted all along the walkways -- especially in front of the older apartment buildings.  These tall, skinny trees create a canopy over the walkways, keeping the pedestrians in the shade.  It's a great idea considering how hot it is here much of the year.  The white stuff on the bottom is some kind of insect control.

That's it.  Just some scenes around Taraz.