In a gem of a country on China’s far western border and off the radar for many, we felt like intrepid travellers as we set off for a week to visit Almaty, Kazakhstan, conveniently located on the Silk Road. This we combined with an overnight return train journey to the freshly-renamed capital city Nur Sultan.
在中国遥远的西部边境，在许多人的雷达上，我们觉得自己像无畏的旅行者一样，因为我们出发一周，参观位于丝绸之路上的哈萨克斯坦阿拉木图，交通便利。 我们将此与前往新改名的首都努尔苏丹的过夜回程列车相结合。
Like many of the former-USSR countries in the region, Kazakhstan has seen GDP sky rocket in the last 15 years. A cocky student confided that his county has within its rich soils every item on the Periodic Table save only two. Sadly, my poor science performances at school meant that I missed out on finding out which are the missing couplet.
与该地区的许多前苏联国家一样，哈萨克斯坦在过去15年里，国内生产总值飙升。 一个自大的学生坦言，他的县在其肥沃的土壤中，周期表上的每个项目都只保存了两个。 可悲的是，我在学校的科学表现很差，这意味着我错过了找出哪些是缺失的对联。
Since those harsh days before independence from Russia, the recently retired President established a brash new capital in the centre of his country. Formerly known as Astana and renamed only days before our arrival, Nur Sultan is a metropolis on steroids.
自从从俄罗斯独立之前的那些艰难日子以来，这位最近退休的总统在该国中部建立了一个厚颜无恥的新首都。 努尔苏丹以前被称为阿斯塔纳，在我们到达前几天才改名，是一个服用类固醇的大都市。
Norman Foster’s giant transparent yurt engulfs an animated dinosaur park, a sand encrusted beach in its apex wards off the worst of the extreme weather, while of course we found the ubiquitous shopping centre.
诺曼·福斯特（Norman Foster）的巨型透明蒙古包罩着一个动画恐龙公园，一个被沙子包裹的海滩，可以抵御最恶劣的极端天气，当然，我们发现了无处不在的购物中心。
Elsewhere, the somewhat grotesque “Tree of Life” contains a massive golden hand print in its neon branches of their erstwhile leader. Nur Sultan is not for the faint hearted and we were glad to re-board our luxury train to return the country’s social and cultural hub; Almaty.
在其他地方，有些怪异的“生命之树”在霓虹灯树枝上印有他们曾经的领袖的巨大金色手印。 Nur Sultan不适合胆小的人，我们很高兴重新登上豪华列车，返回该国的社会和文化中心；阿拉木图。
The highlight on our smart Spanish train, apart of course from the stunning views from our window, was the wholly unexpected Movenpick ice cream, which we lashed with local vodka. To go with it, and providing endless entertainment, the steppe gave us huge flocks of sheep, cattle, wild horses, countless birds of prey, murmurations of starlings in the budding fruit trees along the route and elegant, muscular shepherds on horseback.
在我們智慧的西班牙火車上，除了窗外的壯麗景色外，亮點是完全出乎意料的Movenpick冰淇淋，我們用當地的伏特加砸了。 为了配合它，并提供无尽的娱乐，草原给我们带来了成群的羊、牛、野马、无数的猛禽、沿途开芽的果树上的椋鸟的低语和骑着马的优雅、肌肉发达的牧羊人。
Back in leafy Almaty, we were overwhelmed by a pandoras box of unexpected delights. A perfect day trip comprised well-organised and impressive ski slopes in the mountains which provide a sensational backdrop to the city, plus the ravishing 300-metre deep Charyn Gorge, a miniature Grand Canyon but with no one around, perfect blue skies and a cool breeze it was stunning. The towering red sandstone natural sculptures of the latter loomed above us as we trekked along the valley floor with falcons overhead and a turquoise river at its base.
回到绿树成荫的阿拉木图，我们被一盒意想不到的惊喜淹没了。 完美的一日遊包括山區組織良好且令人印象深刻的滑雪場，為這座城市提供了聳人聽聞的背景，加上迷人的300米深的查林峽谷，一個微型大峽谷，但周圍沒有人，完美的藍天和涼爽的微風，令人驚歎。 当我们沿着谷底跋涉时，后者高耸的红色砂岩自然雕塑在我们上方若隐若现，头顶上有猎鹰，底部有一条绿松石的河流。
On another day we headed to Tamgaly, where over 4,000 Bronze-Age petroglyphs were discovered in the 1950s, not drawn or painted, but carved and gouged out of the rock; well-preserved etchings of curly horned deer, animated figures hunting, riding and dancing and large gooseberry headed gods.
另一天，我们前往塔姆加利，在那里在20世纪50年代发现了4000多幅青铜时代的岩画，这些岩画不是画或绘画，而是从岩石上雕刻和凿出来的；保存完好的卷角鹿蚀刻、狩猎、骑马和跳舞的动画人物以及大鹅莓头神。
Back in Almaty, we glammed up for an elegant soiree at the refurbished opera house to see “Giselle”. As we prepared for our departure, the city hosted the closing concert of the city’s 21st Jazz Festival, providing a fitting end to an almost perfect concoction of surprises and enchantment.
回到阿拉木图，我们在翻新的歌剧院为一场优雅的晚會而华丽，去看《吉塞尔》。 当我们准备离开时，这座城市举办了该市第21届爵士音乐节的闭幕音乐会，为几乎完美的惊喜和魅力提供了一个恰当的结局。