Tim finally made it to Astana after countless mishaps including a UAL flight that was delayed by three hours, causing a missed connection, and then the US delegation’s luggage not arriving with them, necessitating a trip to a mall to buy a shirt and tie. They were supposed to arrive in Astana at midnight, but instead got there at 6 a.m. with a meeting in a few hours.

It’s a pity that Tim doesn’t have much time to take pictures in Astana because the architecture looks fascinating – I’ve seen it described variously as weird, wacky, mesmerizing, eyebrow-raising and futuristic – a planned city set in the middle of the Kazakh steppes (meaning in the middle of nowhere).

For a look at some Astana architecture: http://www.archipanic.com/astana-architecture/

Tokyo Skytree and the Buddha, posted earlier: