Scene with gas lines

I'm in Shymkent, a local town in Kazakhstan. Cities in this country are Russian style. I'm little bit tired of it. However I find the name "Shymkent Old Town" in the map. If the old Silk Road oasis atmosphere still alive there? I have slight hope and visit the area. Late afternoon, the strong desert sun light is weaken.

Once I step into the quarter where the map told, I find the picture as I have expected. Concrete paved alleys, stone houses and patios, yeah this is the authentic style of the Silk Road. And look at the pipe lines in the air. Wait a minute. Pipe lines? I've never seen them at the Silk Road's oasis.
I asked to the locals. "Hi, what's this pipes?" "Gas, it's a gas line" "Oh yeah, I got it. Thanks" So why the gas lines run on the air? I once heard in a city in Siberia, like Yakutsk, gas line and even sewer line was settled on the ground. Because the permafrost land is too weak for burying the  line. But Shymkent doesn't have icy cold climate.
I think I've actually seen similar landscape somewhere although I didn't notice it's a pipe line. I recall the memory. It's a rural town in Ukraine. So it can be vestiges of USSR. Later I see same  pipe lines in Uzbekistan's old cities too. The combination of ancient Silk Road style and old  Soviet's infrastructure is characteristic picture of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

I smell gas. Leaking from the pipes? Is it all right? But the residents never care about it. A girl runs about in the alley playing with a kite. On the next block, kids play football. They separate the girls and the boys and do a PK match. A kid put the ball on the ground in the silence. I feel only the gas smell. I could even hear the sound of the gas leaking. Shoot! Suddenly the gas is exploded.
... nothing's happen something like that. In stead, what I hear is screaming of delight by the girls' team who defeated the boys'. After all, for the kids the gas lines are invisible just like air. But I'm sure when they grow up and look back, they'll noticed the scene with the gas lines is clearly engraved on mind.

The people I meet in the old town is not only children.
A man asked to me."Hey, What are you doing here?" " Yeah, I really like the quarter. So takin' a picture. Mr.? May I take your picture?" "Many tourists photograph us. They must put it on the blog. But we cannot see it, you know?" He poses for me while being shy.
I can understand tourist likes it. Well Mr. you are right. I introduced Shymkent old town here. So what I hope is he safely gets to this site.

Now small street lamps are lighting the small community. Gosh, I'm almost getting lost in the maze of gas lines.