Ahhh Almaty!

We’ve made it to Almaty and it’s like coming to the big glittering city after camping in the boonies. It’s wonderful!

On our last Friday in Kokshetau we woke up early to get everyone ready and finish packing. Once we arrived at the airport we met up with the other families, got checked in, and paid $50 in overweight baggage charges. Although I was very happy to be moving on, it wasn’t easy to say farewell to Rada and Oleg. When we thanked him for all his help, Oleg gave me a hug and said “Now he (Owen) is with his parents and that is what’s important”. Rada cried when she said goodbye; we will certainly always remember these very special people and all they did to unite us with our son.

Three fairly uneventful hours later – Owen was very good and cried just a bit when he was fighting a nap - the Yak 40 touched down in Almaty (and I finally took a breath again). The guys unloaded our many bags from the plane and as a group we met up with our drivers and headed off. First our driver Kirill took us to get Owen’s visa picture taken, then we went to the Sisters office to complete some more paperwork. Next, a trip to the SOS medical clinic for Owen’s required physical. He got blood taken from his finger for an HIV test, and was weighed and measured, poked and prodded. Our boy is now 17.6 lbs and 26 inches long and the doctor said he looked fine. Owen didn’t like the finger prick at all but was a champ the rest of the day.

We made a quick stop to pick up some essential supplies (water, diapers, and Diet Coke) and finally arrived at our apartment for the next several days; a very nice one bedroom near the Ramstore (upscale mall and great grocery store). Yes, Scott and Susan – we are in THE apartment and having fond flashbacks of you guys! The view out our window here is of the Rolex building and a Marriott Residence Hotel; we have a kitchen with new cabinets, a full size frig, and a stove that works on all four burners; nice (fake) wood floors; a clean and stink-free bathroom; a kitchen table with four matching and sturdy chairs; and a bed that is somewhat more comfortable than a cardboard box. Quite a difference from Kokshetau.

Our second night in town the “Hamster Gang” met up at Mad Murphy’s for dinner. This Irish pub is a tradition among visiting American families offering an English menu and good “western style” food. Owen fell asleep in the car on the way there and took a nap before waking up and having some fun with his old buddy James. The next day we again met up with Maureen, Sean and James, plus Jill, and went to the Green Market to buy a stroller – perhaps the best purchase so far – and then on to the third floor of the Tsum (zoom) store for souvenir shopping. Having worked up quite an appetite we then headed to the American Bar and Grill for lunch where we tried to order cheeseburgers, only to be told they didn’t have them at the moment! But we were all pleased with our second choice and just as importantly Owen enjoyed his teething biscuit and bottle and was, once again, a very good baby. As you can probably surmise, we are enjoying the freedom of being able to take Owen out in public, and the weather here is warmer too so it’s great to go out and see some sights – like a giant red tulip!

Today we will buy Owen’s return airline ticket, and tomorrow we have our “interview” at the US Embassy for the rest of the paperwork he needs to come home. We’ll probably try to get the whole group together for a last dinner to celebrate our successful journey (and my birthday!) then we’ll pack everything up and head to the airport again around 1:30 am Wednesday morning.

So this is our last post from Kazakhstan . It’s been a long trip. Some days (and nights) were incredibly rough, but the amazing moments were worth any tears. It’s been frustrating, tiring, maddening, and confusing, but most of all it’s been a journey we will never forget for the people we’ve met, the things we’ve seen, and most of all for the little boy we are bringing home as our son. Owen is truly a joy – we can’t wait for you all to meet him!