Mr. J spent a couple weeks one June travelling with a small group in a tour around Kyrgyzstan. Most of the trip took place in the northeast and areas east of Bishkek. From that experience, he shares travel tips for visiting Kyrgyzstan. *Please Note: I am not an expert. IContinue Reading
We sat gathered around the table as the food began to come in. A big red fan with birds and flowers adorned one wall. A scene with pink cherry blossoms and sketches of mountains and pagodas took up most of another. A sort of bread snack wound round and roundContinue Reading
We stood upon a small hill gazing at towering wonders before us. Jumbled smooth columns and horizontal bands jammed tightly together. Indentations pockmarked the sheer face of the wall. Meanwhile, a miniature-looking bright red flag beat back and forth in the breeze atop one high point. While the towering rustyContinue Reading
A series of waterfalls and rapids filled the air with their crashing sound. The spruce trees had looked so thick from below. They now seemed to move a little further apart as we worked our way up the hill. It was as if they extended an invitation to come andContinue Reading
The outline of a horse stands on top of a small rocky and grassy hill no more than a half mile away. Upon the horse sits a rider holding a large bird up on an outstretched arm. The raptor’s wings spread wide. The silhouette resembles a scene from the daysContinue Reading
The man acting as guide for the small group of desert strollers turned down the dusty lane and approached the gate in front of a house flanked by vineyards. He had just informed us that he was going to see if we could drop in for tea. In the localContinue Reading
Ruins of an ancient civilization lie beneath the waters of a large lake in Central Asia. A nearly forgotten kingdom from long ago possessed development levels on par with ancient Greece. Meanwhile, the current Silk Road corridor bursts today with fascinating facts, intriguing speculation, and long and colorful historic tales.Continue Reading
The Silk Road historically ran through the land of the Kyrgyz. This ancient network of passageways no doubt paved the way for the roads of modern times by identifying the most natural routes to follow. A visitor to Kyrgyzstan interested in seeing what the country has to offer will spendContinue Reading
Stretching out below, a deep blue high mountain lake with yurt camps in the foreground. A short distance to the right lay what was almost certainly an excellent view of a moon setting down near rocky peaks in the early morning sky. A bit more of a climb to theContinue Reading
The Kyrgyz man rolled up the thick animal hide door leading into yurt #8. He carried a small open metal container full of hot coals. He had come to kindle the night’s heating system. As the sun fell below the horizon, so too did the temperatures on the high treelessContinue Reading