Today we got up for breakfast to an almost English breakfast of sausages and eggs, but the most exciting part was the palmier. We got onto our bus and drove towards the Dark Canyon, where we took a couple of photos before heading to the next canyon, the much more exciting Charyn Canyon.
There, we hiked down into the valley, which looked like it had come straight out of a Western, until we reached the river. We took a small break there before heading back, which was much more difficult considering it was now all uphill in 32-degree heat. It was a little bit more difficult for Ji, who is feeling better but is still recovering.
When we reached the top, we enjoyed some freshly made noodles and some ice cream. Next, we drove for four hours to finally reach Almaty. There, we arrived at our Russian-era hotel, still maintained by the Russian government agency that had once upon a time managed holidays in Russia.
After discovering our room, Ji stayed in while I went out on a city orientation walk around the hotel to get an idea of what we could eat. We walked through the streets around the hotel, finding local restaurants we could try as well as places where we could do some shopping.
After the walk, we went to a Georgian restaurant where Ji joined us, and we ate some delicious meats and dumplings.
After that delicious food, we walked around to get some medicine for Ji and some water before heading back to the hotel to rest.