http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Kyrgyzstan en-us Fri, 04 Dec 09 09:40:59 +0000 Fri, 04 Dec 09 09:40:59 +0000 Day 30 July 25 2009 Saturday IshembiThe land of inshallah has really caught up with me. I am starting to lose my ambition to accomplish any meaningful tasks. I managed to sleep most of the day away again yesterday. My nose is in a mild cascade and I definitely have a sinus problem. I will try to find a couple of solutions at an Apoteka pharmacy today. I ran out of the Fluctinase spray http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Bishkek/blog-452025.html Buzkashi is awesome.Horseriding is an essential part of daily life for the nomadic Kyrgyz and they never hesitate to display their skill in competitions. The best of these is Buzkashi a game only possible in a region as crazy and quirky as Central Asia. It is called buzkashi in the sport's home of Afghanistan and in Kyrgyzstan is ulak tartysh or kok buru. But buzkashi sounds cooler It http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/blog-445174.html Day 25 July 20 2009 Monday DuishombuI awoke this morning at 6 am thinking that I was going to grab a shower but for some reason there is no hot water in the bathroom this morning. It is not uncommon for there to be either only cold or only hot water in Bishkek. It has something to do with the infrastructure problems created by the growth of the capital over the last few years. Extending http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Bishkek/blog-440750.html Day 24 July 19 2009 Sunday JekshembiSo the schedule did get worked out and we bought a ticket on Kyrgyz Airline to return me to Bishkek today. That meant that most of yesterday was full of goodbyes including a visit in the late afternoon to the home of Amariam for an afternoon meal including a sheep's head. Amariam and I talked about what it takes to get accepted at an American University. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Osh/blog-440510.html Day 22 July 17 2009 Friday JumaThree weeks in Kyrgyzstan and I never really know what is coming next. I am now told that Colonel Nurmatov as some plans for us to see the country especially some fine natural spots with water. That may or may not delay the return to Bishkek. Late yesterday I was told that Gulnara who is the boss after all wanted me to go to Kyzylkia to see the grandpare http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Osh/blog-440452.html Day 21 July 16 2009 Thursday BeishembiI got home about 10 pm from yesterday's adventure into the heart of Southern Kyrgyzstan and the village of Aidarken. I was exhausted from the travel and the experiences and went straight to bed after unloading a bag full of goodies from the afternoonlongintothesunsetdinner at the home of Faruh's wife's family.Travel to Aidarken was with Faruh's brot http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Osh/blog-439722.html Here I am heading into the heartland of the Kyrgyz I had four days off from my school and I decided that I would use this precious time to do a simple but notofttrodden hike from a village called Kyzart to Lake Song Kol through a couple of valleys. The only downside was that I had to do this 3day hike by myself because no one else wanted to go and I'd rather go by myself than not go at all http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Song-Kol/blog-439046.html Day 20 July 15 2009 Wednesday SharshembiI awoke a little late again this morning. It affects getting any writing done or any reflection. It is one of the difficulties when one is doing home stays. Getting some time alone to write was easier in Bishkek because everybody slept until at least 8 or 9 am and they left me alone. Here in Osh the family actually keeps normal hours and are up by http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Osh/blog-438811.html Day 20 July 15 2009 Wednesday SharshembiI awoke a little late again this morning. It affects getting any writing done or any reflection. It is one of the difficulties when one is doing home stays. Getting some time alone to write was easier in Bishkek because everybody slept until at least 8 or 9 am and they left me alone. Here in Osh the family actually keeps normal hours and are up by http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Osh/blog-438487.html Day 19 July 14 2009 Tuesday SheishembiThe day yesterday was interesting Marat woke me about 6 am as planned and told me that I should have breakfast and we would head out to climb the stairs of the mountain to a Museum in a cave at the top of Soloman's Throne or Suleman's Throne. The rock is a promontory of jagged mountain that dominates the Osh skyline. It sits more or less in the center http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Osh/blog-438472.html Day 18 July 13 2009 Monday DuishombuThe day has begun in Osh with the sound of ldquoAllah Ahkbarrdquo issuing from the minarets of the local mosques. It is was unusual to hear the sound at a little before 5 am this morning since I have not heard it once in Bishkek or in Lake IssyKul. And there was something comforting about hearing the call to prayer in a country that while run by a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Osh/blog-437999.html Day 17 July 11 2009 Saturday IshembiThe old ldquoI didn't sleep a wink last nightrdquo refrain is running through my brain this morning. For some reason I was able only to get about 2 hours sleep at a time and feel really tired this morning as I begin the day. I finally decided to become active around 7 am but have been fooling with trying to solve some of the technical issues with the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Bishkek/blog-437995.html Day 14 July 8 2009 Wednesday SharshembiA little hard to believe that I have been in Kyrgyzstan for two weeks but the diary does not lie. I awoke early this morning with the rising sun pouring into the room where I sleep. It is on the front of the house on the lower level. And that is apparently the East though when we pray we face the other direction. All of which runs counter to my nat http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Bishkek/blog-437992.html Day 16 July 10 2009 Friday JumaYesterday was a good day. We are still in Bishkek and I am beginning to learn how to get around here a bit. I am starting to know where the turns are coming when we are in a taxi coming home and when we are headed to Vefa Center. That is actually a bit reassuring since I don't seem to have the usual senses of North South East and West here. We were abl http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Bishkek/blog-437614.html Day 15 July 9 2009 Thursday BeishembiAnd it did turn out to be a fairly nice day yesterday after all. Timka and I walked to the nearby park and sat and watched the activity there around 1 p.m. There was not a lot going on at that time there were couples of young people scattered in various places. A group of three young boys on bicycles riding through on the paths and off the paths. Int http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Bishkek/blog-436794.html Day 13 July 7 2009 Tuesday SheishembiWell today has been interesting in that there was a departure from my usual routine. I woke up around 6 am but remained in a sleepy state until after 8 am. I got up had coffee read the Said Nursi Flashes but did not write in the diary. Part of that is because we had a very slow and quiet day at the house yesterday and did not venture out. Today th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Bishkek/blog-436584.html Day 12 July 6 2009 Monday DuishombuWe are back in Bishkek. I awoke this morning the first time at 5 am but knew that trying to stay awake would be impossible so I went back to the bed and slept again until about 830 am. Bishkek is warm and sultry this morning but there is something nice about being back to the familiar. A good shower consistent hot water food on demand and even when http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Yssyk-Kol/Cholpan-Ata/blog-436453.html Well it has been a long time that I have not updated my blog but hopefully my memory will not be too poor at remembering the twist in the various stages that have gone by one my trip.After Karakol with the french family with whom I was traveling for that week we went to ChoponAta a hub of RussianKhazak holiday makers. The difference is tremendous going from quiet streets and rather useless boul http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Bishkek/blog-436430.html Day 11 July 5 2009 Sunday JekshembiWell yesterday's poor weather resulted in some new information and a fun day after all. I am always reminded of the quotation in Pooh's Birthday Book for July 2nd birthdays which is ldquoSuddenly Piglet realized that it was a much better day than he had thought it was.rdquo My friend Joe Weaver had one and he maintained it religiously always sending http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Yssyk-Kol/blog-436147.html Day 10 July 4 2009 Saturday IshembiIf it were not for this travel diary and my Mac I would not really know what day it is. I am not even sure how many days I have been in Kyrgyzstan at this point except that it appears to be day ten according to the diary. One loses all track of time except for sunrise and sunset in places like Lake IssyKul. And that of course is the point. Gulnara http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Yssyk-Kol/blog-436145.html