Talassky Alatau

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So I left Kazakhstan after two long years. I said good-bye to the people in my village and hit the road. I was accompanied by my friend Nagima to the border and I found a free ride to Kirovka. On the way we passed the dam on the Talas river with a huge head of Lenin with his huge chin pointing out of the water. The driver turned out to live across the street from my friend so he was able to drop me at the door. It was a small get-together with a bunch of people I didn't know but it was nice and relaxed in a very unusual house decked out with strange blue stalagtite wedding cake like ceilings and walls. The next day we went to the animal bazaar, the most central asian bazaar I have seen. This was the stuff of legend with sheep bleating and horses farting wherever your eye turned. I was looking for a good, sturdy cheap horse to take into the mountains. We rode a few around while a good 50 onlookers watched the "strange foreigners". Unlike the locals we weren't looking for a horse to ride in the headless goat carcass game and they were a little disappointed we didn't beat the horses and make them cut and turn on a dime, and pick it up too. That day I didn't buy, just looked as I was to meet my friend and fellow traveller, McKay, the next day in Talas as we were just in time for their weekly animal bazaar on Sunday. The next day we played disc golf next to the resevoir running up and down hills chasing our frisbees. After nine holes we were tuckered out and I needed to get to Talas.

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