Almaty - We Are Here

Saturday: stress out over prescriptions and drycleaning not quite ready. After some pleading and screaming, it sorts out. Drop car off with Steve. Head to JFK, Spaten on tap in Lufthansa Business Class Lounge. Arrive Frankfurt 5:30 am, Becks on tap and showers in Business Class Lounge. 11:30 am flight to Almaty arrives 10:30 pm. (This turns out to be six hours of real time.) Make it through immigration slowly. Supposed to follow red line to customs to declare all our cash; instead we are pointed to green line where official checks our luggage tags to make sure we aren't stealing anybody else's bags and waved through. Met by our translator, Zoya, and our driver, Sagat. First impression of Almaty is a cross between Athens & Cozumel. (Candace will explain later.)