Karakalpakstan and Kazakhstan

Asia-Uzbekistan-Karakalpakstan-Nukus  Karakalpakstan is in the west of Uzbekistan. It even has its own flag and language. The main tourist attraction here is the Karakalpakstan State Museum of Art. It houses the Savitsky Collection. This is the second largest collection of Soviet avant garde paintings . I guess because the museum was in the wilderness and away from Moscow it was left alone. These type of paintings were banned from display in Soviet times. A fascinating Gallery . 

Mailed this at a friendly post office in Nukus. 

Asia-Kazakhstan-Astana  Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan. The commercial capital is Almaty. As you can see it is very modern and in effect a new city. I was here to see Kazakhstan V Ireland in Football. Astana is not very charming as it looks like it just came of a computer drawing. However saying that some of the buildings are pretty amazing. In this part of Kazakhstan Russian language is used more than the local language. Outside Astana spend a interesting day visiting a Gulag from the old soviet days which is now a museum. 

I had a lot of fun the the main post office in Astana trying to purchase interesting stamps. I had gone into the building without any guide. In the first place trying to find out where to purchase stamps was difficult. The post office is modern and very busy. But the stamp counter consisted of a lady in a doorway sitting at a table and not behind a counter like everyone else. I tried to explain that yes I did want stamps but no I did not want the plain definitive stamps on offer to me. Luckily I found someone in the Post office that understood English. I was then brought into the inner sanction of the Post office . There was one room with some stamps in a drawer. I was able to select from the latest stamps. Apparently that the Philatelic section is in Almaty and that is the place to buy the stamps. It was all fun and smiles all around , especially when I apologised for Ireland winning the football match.