Blogs from Kochkor, Kyrgyzstan, Asia

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Asia » Kyrgyzstan » Kochkor August 3rd 2014

V 8 jsme měli sraz u náměstí Ala Too, před budovou American school of Central Asia, kde na nás čekala naše maršrutka. Ještě předtím jsem rychle vyřídil dopisy, který jsem hodil do schránky před poštou. Doufám, že přijdou..:D Nakonec jsme odjeli až někde po 9 hodině protože jsme čekali na Nurperi, která zaspala. První zastávnou na našel 12 denní tripu byla Burana. Je to místo, kudy dříve procházela hedvábná stezka a dodnes se zachovala věž, která sloužila k orientaci poutníků a k poskytnutí ochrany města. Dnes zde zbyla už jen věž a náznaky základů dalších budov. O 200 metrů dále je zde starodávný hřbitov s náhrobními kameny z přelomu letopočtu až do 15 století. Jsou zde také kameny s petroglyfy, které jsou ještě mnohem starší. Záchrana věže proběhla v roce 1927 a kdyby se tak neučinilo, ... read more
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Asia » Kyrgyzstan » Kochkor » Sarala-Saz May 4th 2011

I am no stranger to poverty, coming from a place where it is breathed in the air and served daily. Slums and cramped spaces; poor wages; dirty and chaotic city streets; local farmers, fishermen, and laborers toiling to feed their families at least once a day; diaspora of people to other countries; and poor, if not lack of access to health care and education. These are but some of the palpable realities faced by many back home. As such, I often need to reconcile what I see here in Kyrgyzstan countryside with their own realities. The greeneries, spacious white-washed houses, orderly villages, well-dressed residents, and sprawling jailoos are somehow tricking my mind into believing that people here live very easily. However, behind the beautiful façade are communities and people who are also very much struggling to ... read more
welcome!
"Are you looking at moo?"
he calls me "edjeke" or older sister

Asia » Kyrgyzstan » Kochkor July 30th 2010

And the Kyrgyz are one of those people. They really love their horses and a lot of their lives revolve around them. So I decided to find out what all the fuss was about, and in order to do so left with Ricky and Danielle for Kochkor from where we were going to book a horse trek to lake Song Kol. Before getting that far we made a pit stop in Kadji Sai, where we stayed with an eagle hunter. Eagles of course are not at all related to horses, though this one was big enough to eat a small one. Still trying to keep with the spirit of horses I had some mare's milk, a typical Kyrgyz drink and supposedly good for your constitution. About half an hour after drinking I discovered just how good ... read more
Kadji Sai
Kochkor to Song Kol
Kochkor to Song Kol

Asia » Kyrgyzstan » Kochkor July 7th 2010

Tuesday morning we got picked up by Aynora our guide, after a healthy hearthy breakfast of fried eggs, man the yolks on those eggs are deep orange, native eggs yeah! home made bread with apricot jam to die for. We took a taxi to Isakeev village about 15 minutes from Kochkor where we started our hike up. it was hot and sunny and the dirt road which we followed for a bit is steeping gradually, lots of rocks which hurts when you step on them, a couple of creeks we need to cross too, it gets hotter and hotter until we arrived at the 1st yurt also a CBT yurt, they offered us snacks and a taste of kyzym a fermented horse milk drink that is popular among the locals. It started raining while we sat ... read more
Kol Ukok
Kochkor
Kochkor

Asia » Kyrgyzstan » Kochkor July 5th 2010

During the time of heightened tensions between the two great superpowers, Russia and Britain, agents were sent by both sides to the lands sandwiched between their ‘spheres of influence’ to gather intelligence of the regions and to thwart the efforts of their counterparts. Such agents on the British side were military men on what was referred to as shooting leave so as to be able to disown them in the event of their capture. But other men, civilians, who were not constrained by foreign policy made important steps in intelligence and reconnaissance. This was a time when courage, determination and resourcefulness were attributes to a man’s character and especially useful in these often precarious and politically charged situations. After making the long overland journey from Arabia a British independent traveller arrives in Asia. He left Beirut ... read more
The Aftermath of a Revolution
Mooning the Ex-President
Tash Rabat Caravanserai

Asia » Kyrgyzstan » Kochkor September 13th 2008

En route to Jalal-Aabad we stopped overnight in Naryn, another identikit Soviet town, devoid of character or interest. We joined forces with a french couple, and hired a car to take us the 350k to Jalal-Aabad. The journey was quite an undertaking. Our driver was extremely good, and his car a comfortable old Audi, which frequently sounded to be on the verge of breaking down. It was very hot and very dusty, and the windows had to be kept shut to keep the dust out, and, of course, the heat in! The roads were little more than tracks, often strewn with boulders, and we wound up and down numerous peaks, with only a couple of stops. The landscape was stunning, and the geology ever changing. Sometimes we were surrounded by sandstone weathered into fantastic Cappodocian-type formations ... read more
Jala-Abad
Jalal-Abad
Jala-Abad

Asia » Kyrgyzstan » Kochkor September 12th 2008

We left Bishkek on September 1st, catching a bus to Kochkor, about 4 hours drive south. The bus was full, and with our luggage, 2 bags each, there was no room at all. A young woman immediately engaged us. She had just finished a month's intensive English conversation course, and was very keen to talk English! She turned out to be a great translator between us and the others on the bus, who were keen to know about us, and vice versa. It was our first real view of the countryside. After a spell driving along a valley- flat, cultivated in a pre-industrial revolution fashion- we did see a horse drawn machine for raking hay, but all other operations are done by hand. A single handled scythe seems to be the main the local tool for ... read more
unstable c
Song Kul Lake
Song Kul

Asia » Kyrgyzstan » Kochkor August 28th 2008

We woke at around 8am to a spectacular sight - mountains all around (and the odd truck). It was still very cold but just so beautiful. We were supposed to make it up to Tash Rabat yesterday but the delay at the border slowed things down. We headed towards Narryn and then through the valley to Tash Rabat and the Caravan Kyserai. We were off the main roads so were able to open up the roof seats - it was cold up there but fantastic scenery made it all worth it. We pulled into a yurt camp. The Caravan Kyserai was a meeting place for people as they travelled the silk route. It was supposed to have been built in the 15th C but was restored by the Soviets in 1984. It looked almost Roman with ... read more
Karavan Serai
Yurts
Tash Rabat 2

Asia » Kyrgyzstan » Kochkor August 27th 2008

Today was the day to leave 'I heart China' ... 'Go China' ... all behind. Today was the day to make the move on into Kyrgyzstan. We arrived at the Chinese border at around 10.00am. It was a stinking hot day at the border so made our way quickly off the truck and into the relative cool of the Customs Office. The Border isn't one of the most used in China so it didn't seem that busy. Everyone was getting processed. They struggled a bit with my passport as I went to Tibet a couple of years ago and they could find the entry visa but not the exit stamp. (I later remembered that we were on a group visa - so manged to clear that one up). Moving the people through customs didn't present as ... read more
Kyrgy 2
Kyrgy 2
Horses

Asia » Kyrgyzstan » Kochkor August 1st 2008

Kymys. Fermented mare's milk. I'd been looking forward to trying it ever since I decided to come to Central Asia, but I guess I'd always had in mind just a small sip, rather than the overflowing bowl Aitbek had just thrust into my hands. I gazed into it uncertainly for a moment, fairly dubious about the tiny pieces of straw and strands of hair bobbing at the surface. But Aitbek just nodded encouragingly, before tipping his own bowl back and slurping it all down in several throaty gulps. Smacking his lips appreciatively, he motioned for me to do the same. And it was good, surprisingly so! Imagine skim milk that's gone sour, mixed with half-flat lemonade, and you'll have some idea of the refreshing, slightly tangy, vaguely alcoholic taste of good kymys. Sensing my pleasant surprise, ... read more
Everyone pitching in to get the new yurt up as soon as possible
Islan's little brother at the table, inside the yurt
Hobbling the horses, before climbing up to see the petroglyphs




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