The first oil gush happened in 1961.
They built this monument in the spot where the first gusher was found. The tour guide was so embarrassed by all the broken glass around the monument. She said she is ashamed when she brings expats to see historic sites and there is broken glass and garbage around. The red structure on the top represents the yurts the nomads lived in and represents the unity of families.
Miles and miles of oil fields! In 1995 Kazakhstan didn't have enough money to develop, so they got grants from Europe. They got awards for doing such a good job. Aktau now has 3 sea docks for oil tankers to take the oil to other countries. They are huge opportunities for Aktau to grow. When the city was first built it was very primitive and they only built it to last for 10 years or so. The developers had no idea the city would grow so fast. That is why lots of buildings are already falling apart - because they were not made to last!
The land in Kazakhstan is called steppe. We went for 3 hours and saw nothing but dry brown steppe that is different from a desert. I need to look up the differences on the Internet, because it sure looks like a desert to me. (But not Jamara's Arizona desert with all the beautiful cactus)
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his is Dinara, the assistant in our classroom. She organized the trip and was a great Russian translator. She is so sweet and calls me Ms. Rachel.
his is Dinara, the assistant in our classroom. She organized the trip and was a great Russian translator. She is so sweet and calls me Ms. Rachel. 
Rachel, you look more beautiful each time you send a photo of yourself. Can't wait to see you again. Thanks for all the information about your city. It's so interesting. Love ya, RC
ReplyDeleteSo if this is the same area you were at...apparently it's the largest dry steppe region in the world. Cool!
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazakh_Steppe
Oh, you guys are too sweet.
ReplyDeleteJam, I answered your comment on the last blog, but you might not go back to read it. I didn't know KZ was the largest dry steppe region in the world. There are some green plants with tiny little flowers on them. I also found out that there are bushes in the steppe that have outlived the dinosaur age. Also, I have learned what kind of grass to look for if I ever need water. I would just need a shovel to start digging. Love, me
Hi I loved your blog. Maybe moving to Aktau. Years ago I lived in Almaty. I am American. Anyway, would love to get in touch with you.
ReplyDeleteMichele
www.micheledenise.blogspot.com