Since first coming to Almaty in October 2014, I've been watching with interest the reconstruction of a cable car that used to run from my neighborhood up to the top of Kok Tobe, a large hill with an amusement park and a grand view of the mountains. Last week it finally opened. Yea! I've walked from home to the top of the hill many times, and it's a pleasant walk, but it takes about an hour. The ride takes about 5 minutes. Having seen the route from the air, I was curious about what lay below it, so I set out to follow its path on the ground.

New Cable Car in Almaty, Kazakhstan, passes over residential neighborhood near its baseThe new cable car in Almaty, Kazakhstan, passes over a residential neighborhood near its base station New cable car passes over a residential neighborhood in Almaty, Kazakhstan.The new cable car passes over a residential neighborhood near the foot of Kok Tobe in Almaty, Kazakhstan. New cable car climbs Kok Tobe in Almaty, KazakhstanThe new cable car ascends Kok Tobe in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with the city's TV tower in the background. New cable car ascends Kok Tobe in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with amusement park in background.The new cable car ascends Kok Tobe in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with Ferris wheel and amusement park in the background. Cable car descends from Kok Tobe, with Almaty and the Kazakhstan Hotel in the background.The new cable car descends from Kok Tobe, with Almaty and the Kazakhstan Hotel in the background. New cable car descends from Kok Tobe, with Dostyk Towers in the background.The new cable car descends from Kok Tobe, with Dostyk Towers apartment buildings in the background. New cable car in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with city apartment buildings in the background.The new cable car descends from Kok Tobe, with city apartment buildings in the background.