Big Almaty Lake

Sveta (Diana and Joanne’s friend from couch surfing), Dilya (Sveta’s friend), Diana and Joanne (my couchsurfing hosts) and myself all head out for some hiking towards Big Almaty Lake, the reservoir from where all of Almaty gets its water supply.

Left to Right: Dilya, Sveta, myself, Joanne and Diana.

As Sveta explains, we drive to the bottom and then walk up a pipe until we’ve reached the lake.

The infamous pipe.

Entry Forbidden! Regime zone for water collection for supply of drinking water to the city of Almaty.

Within a few minutes we’re approached by police who ask to see our documents. Sveta jokes about living in a passport regime. The police tell us that we are forbidden from touching the water and lighting camp fires. Too many locals come to the lake and litter, ruining the town’s water supply. We don’t ask about whether we can swim.

We walk some distance away and have a picnic.

Some swimming may or may not have taken place, all I can say is that the water was incredibly cold. As we do or don’t finish drying off and getting changed, the police approach. We’ve done nothing wrong but we prepare our stories anyway. The police walk past us and go to scold a nearby family for lighting a fire to cook shashlyk. I have a feeling the police might be fed while the family goes hungry.

Another soviet icon bites the dust.

Panorama of Big Almaty Lake.

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