Meanwhile, the situation continues to simmer in Thailand. In response to a recent U.S. State Department travel warning for the country, one Twitter user indicated she would “…tread lightly in Thailand.” Some travelers in Bangkok were almost upbeat, claiming that the situation is almost back to “normal.” Another traveler who had seen both peaceful and violent protests in Bangkok was less convinced. Point is: Thailand is not dropping off travel lists anytime soon.

Differing Branding, Different Perceptions
We’ve been to both Thailand and Kyrgyzstan and we love them both. Not to make light of the situation in Thailand, but if I were forced to choose a country to visit in the midst of protest, Thailand would be it.

But why is it that Kyrgyzstan’s recent developments indicate a country that has “turned” or is on the edge of an abyss, whereas Thailand’s protests represent a blip on the return to normal? Sure, Kyrgyzstan has been a corrupt political mess for a while and its economy has suffered, but it’s not as if its streets have a recent history of running blood red.

Despite its recent coups and troubles, Thailand is a known quantity. More people have traveled there and know it as the “Land of Smiles” and white sand beaches. Don’t get me wrong – that image matches what we experienced. We recommend it heartily and have even considered it as a potential home base one of these days. But the perception of Kyrgyzstan suffers disproportionately because it is relatively unknown and located in Central Asia, a region few outside international relations departments and think tanks know much about.

Stereotypes and Prejudice
Prior to recent events in Bishkek, relatively well-seasoned travelers we spoke to tended to express concern when we recommended Kyrgyzstan and highlighted it as one of our favorite countries. As with the rest of Central Asia, the common response: “But is it safe there?”

We even sang the praises of Kyrgyzstan, its people and its community tourism infrastructure to a well-traveled American when she asked for new destinations to consider. She responded with: “But, isn’t it Muslim?”

Need she say more?

So where is all this coming from? Media plays a part, for sure. Feeding on the value of reporting crisis, media outlets usually only give airtime to certain countries when there’s violence or a natural disaster to report. Add to this the insidious mechanism of hyperbole which leads to the perception that the political mayhem or earthquake in question swallowed the entire country whole.

The Kyrgyzstan We Remember
What usually never makes the news, especially in today’s era of dwindling budgets for international coverage, are the human interest vignettes and images that capture the life of ordinary people in these countries.

There’s a reason we spent close to two months in Kyrgyzstan. The people there continually reminded us of the meaning of family and they often illustrated how communities could work together. During our travel throughout the country, we were plied with kindness, food and offers for help in markets, on public buses, and in the middle of nowhere. Kyrgyzstan is where we learned about nomadic, pastoral cultures; it’s where we first slept in a yurt. It’s where we ate our first goat and it’s where we continually were awed by mountain vistas, which in retrospect are rather underrated.

In thinking about Kyrgyzstan and assembling our best photos into the photo essay and slideshow below, we are reminded once again of the beauty of this country and its people.

Photo Slideshow of Kyrgyzstan

Note: If you don’t have a high speed internet connection or you would like to read the photo captions, check out our The Kyrgyzstan We Know photo essay.

The Future?
We are uncertain as to what the future holds for both countries. If we had to guess, the road forward for Thailand is a bit smoother than the one for Kyrgyzstan. As one of Audrey’s friends responded from the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek today, “It was horrible…but everything is OK now. But I fear that the former president will not let go of power easily.”

In any event, the public perception hole Kyrgyzstan has dug for itself is made that much deeper by sensationalism, prejudice and fear of the unknown.

As a traveler absorbing more and more of the world each day, I have what might seem like a rather naïve question: How do we overcome this?

Originally posted on the Uncornered Market travel blog. Find beautiful travel photos from around the world. | 22 comments

If you are flying into Bishkek, don’t bother to get your visa in advance. Visas on arrival are cheaper at the airport.

If you wish to extend your stay in Kyrgyzstan, that’s a different story. Open, friendly Kyrgyzstan can turn into a maddening Soviet cat’s cradle of bureaucracy.

Entering Kyrgyzstan when our visa was already half-expired, and wanting to stay longer than our visa allowed, we decided to extend it in the town of Karakol near Lake Issyk-Kul. We went to Karakol’s OVIR (Office of Visas and Registration) one week prior to the expiration dates on our visas, only to be told by the official that we were two days early. He suggested we return two days later and pay the extension fee; everything would be OK. We felt reassured; we didn’t need to return to Bishkek for the extension and we had time to enjoy a few days on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul.

Returning to OVIR several days later, we found a cloud of locals waiting patiently outside the locked door of the OVIR office. Being impatient Americans, we knocked on all the closed doors in search of someone who could help us. The junior secretary told us that the head OVIR official was on a business trip to Bishkek. We explained that the official himself had told us to come back that day. After some shrugs and an explanation that he alone held the keys to the safe that protected the precious visa stamps, the secretary told us to come back the next day. We went out and delivered the bad news to the locals whose misery we shared. Everyone shuffled off, looking dejected but not surprised. “Another wasted day at the OVIR office in Karakol,” was written in the lines of their faces. Apparently, this was the norm.

A similar story played itself out the next day, except that everyone’s anxiety level had risen. It was Friday and our visas were set to expire on Sunday. In her broken Russian, Audrey appealed to another itinerant military official, “What we should do – continue to wait for the official to return or catch a bus immediately for Bishkek?” He advised us to return that afternoon. “Things work differently in your country than in our country. It’s more flexible here. Don’t worry.”

We knew that the “flexibility” he spoke of would evaporate the moment our visas expired; in its place would be fines and bribes. Upon returning to the office that afternoon, we were told the official was driving back and would come into the office on Saturday morning. Saturday, normal working hours for government??

To our surprise and relief, the official did indeed show up on Saturday morning. Everything went remarkably smoothly until it came down to payment. The amount he told us we owed for the extension kept fluctuating, filling us with suspicion. Because it was Saturday, we could not make payment at the bank, as recommended by the folks at Community Based Tourism in Karakol (corruption is rampant, they said). Instead, we asked for handwritten proof of payment. The official refused and quipped with a hint of a threat in his voice that the banks would be open on Monday but he might not be there. He had us. He knew it and he forced our hand. We handed over the money to remain in his country legally and his behavior assured us that he would likely pocket some drinking money on the side.

As we watched him write our new visas by hand, we noticed a CCCP sign above the TV. How appropriate, we thought. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

All the locals with whom we shared this story gave empathic nods. They had all been through the same, if not worse, each time they required a new document or an official stamp. Enduring this once was difficult enough for us, but the dejected faces of the locals queued in that dimly lit hallway indicated that for them there was no end in sight.

Cost:
Kyrgyzstan Visa: $55/person for 30-day, single-entry tourist visa from an embassy; if purchased on arrival at the airport, $35 for the same visa. Multiple-entry and 60-day visas are also available at the airport for around $55.
Kyrgyzstan Visa Extension: We paid 1560 som/person ($40) for a 20-day extension of our tourist visa. We don’t know if that is the normal price or a price with “special fees” included.

Originally posted on the Uncornered Market travel blog. Find beautiful travel photos from around the world. | 2 comments

We offer this up not for our casual readers, but for those headed to the Pamir Mountain region. We found the Lonely Planet Central Asia to be mildly confusing, particularly when we tried to determine the most significant points of interest in sequence along the Pamir Highway. This list may also help you in labeling all of the photos you’ll likely take on your journey along the Pamir Highway. Even armed with a GPS geotagging device, it was helpful to have this list to reconcile where we’d been with all the photos we took.

In order to derive the maximum amount of value from your drive along the Pamir Highway, consider carrying this list, your guide book (e.g. Lonely Planet) and a detailed map of the Pamir Mountain region and the M41 Highway.

START: Osh, Kyrgyzstan

• Bas Bulak
• Papan Reservoir off to the right
• Along the Toldik river
• Chigirchik Pass at 2406 meters
• Gulcho
• Murdash
• Zhergetal
• Kichi Karakol
• Taldyk Pass at 3615 meters
• Sary Tash
• 21 of the 33 km on A372 to Sary Mogol
• Pik Lenina at 7134 meters
• Kyrgyz border post at Bordoba
• Tajik Border
• Kyzyl-Art Pass
• Markansu
• Uy Bulak Pass at 4232 meters
• Eastern side of lake, just before Kara Kul village, home stay and saka kurgan and solar calendar
• Lake Karakul at 3914 meters
• Just before Akbajtal Pass, caravanserai
• Akbajtal Pass at 4655 meters
• Tabortakbajtal
• Chechekty (museum, too)
• Murghab
• Saly Unkjur Cave
• Mamazir, home stay
• Neizatash Pass at 4314 meters
• Chatyr Tash (rock formation)
• Off road to Bash Gumbez
• Aluchur (Alichur) at 3863 meters
• Lake Sasyk Kul
• Lake Tuz Kul
• Off M41
• Khargush Pass at 4344 meters
• Hausibeks Viewpoint
• Khargush (on Afghan border)
• Past Tilabay Nature Reserve on left
• Castle and petroglyphs (just before Langar)
• Langar
• Hisor
• Zong (castle)
• Zugvand (solar calendar)
• Shirgin (mazar, shrine)
• Drizh
• Nizhgar
• Iniv
• Vrang (castle, shrine, cave, museum) – kids led us up
• Vnukut
• Yamg (solar calendar, museum)
• Yamchun (baths, castle)
• Vichkut
• Tuggoz
• Ptup (mazar/shrine)
• Navabad
• Zmudg (solar calendar, shrine, dune)
• Past Pik Karl Marx at 6723 meters
• Shitkharv (waterfall, mazar/shrine)
• Darshai (castle, petroglyphs, mazar/shrine)
• Togakhona
• Boibar (Ramanit)
• Udit
• Namadgut-Bolo – where we stayed
• Namadgut-Poyon (mazar/shrine)
• Dasht
• Ryn (solar calendar, mazar/shrine)
• Pyanj River
• Ishkashim (at 2510 meters)
• Border cross at Darwan (to Sultan Ishkashim, Afghanistan)
• Sumjin
• Yakhshwol
• Malvoj (hot spring)
• Barshor
• Kozideh (can off-road to Bagush)
• Shanbedeh
• Voeg
• Sist
• Kuh-i La’l
• Andarob (off to Snib, Garam-Chashma)
• Khaskhorug
• Shichozg
• Nishusp
• Pish (café)
• Gozhak

END: Khorog (at 2070 meters)

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Transport:
Osh to Murghab: We hired a Russian UAZ jeep through Nemat (abdulaziz18@gmail.com) for $170 (expect to pay a bit more with the falling US dollar). The jeep fit five travelers plus the driver, snuggly. We stopped overnight in Sary Tash and arrived in Murghab the next afternoon.
Murghab to Khorog via the Wakhan Valley: If you have a lot of time and flexibility, you can conceivably hitchhike this route, but beware that vehicles of any sort are few and far between, particularly outside of summer. We hired a driver with jeep to take us the 400km over three days. The cost was $300. We also paid for his return trip from Khorog to Murghab since he couldn’t find any passengers that needed to return. ACTED in Murghab can set you up with a driver for a slightly higher fee. Hang around the market in Murghab or just walk through town – available drivers will find you since there are not many tourists.
Other transport options: There are more regular marshrutkas (shared vehicles) going from Murghab to Khorog and vice versa on the main Pamir Highway. Cost is around $25/person. Go early to the Murghab or Khorog markets. From Khorog, there are infrequent buses going to Ishkashim and other nearby villages.
Transport to/from Dushanbe: By plane, it’s a quick and terrifying 45 minutes on Tajik Air. By car/jeep, it’s 15 hours if you’re lucky and up to 24 hours if you’re not.

Accommodation:
Sary Tash: There are a couple of home-stays/guest houses in town; we just stayed at the place our driver recommended. Simple sleeping arrangements and food (fried potatoes) for around $6-$8. Dress warmly. Temperatures dropped to -15 Celsius when we were there in early October.
Murghab: We stayed with our driver for 10 Tajik somoni ($6), including dinner and breakfast. There are several other guesthouses in town.
Wakhan Valley: ACTED offers a series of home stays that your driver is likely to know about. Or, just ask around at the local store. Expect to pay from 5-30 somoni, depending upon the place and food options. Don’t expect water for bathing and bring toilet paper with you for the outhouses. We bathed, very gratefully, at the hot springs in Bibi Fatima and Garam Chasma.
Khorog: For its lovely hosts, delicious food and hot showers, The Pamir Lodge is a great place to stay in Khorog, especially for $5 per person. The Pamir Lodge is located across the river from the market near a school and friendly bee keeper whose bees produce some of the world’s strappiest honey. Contact info: visit their website or email pamirlodge@hotmail.com

Food: You don’t come to the Pamirs to eat. In Murghab, we ate yak meat and yak yogurt, both of which were both surprisingly tasty. After that, we mainly ate fried potatoes, a grain resembling bulghur wheat, bread and tea until we reached saturation…and the town of Khorog. A wider variety of food may be available during the summer months, but pack power bars, nuts and dried fruit and other goodies to get you, your mates, and your driver through sparse eating opportunities.

We highly recommend ordering kurtob, a fresh, light layered dish made with strips of bread, homemade yogurt, onions, tomatoes and coriander, at the Pamir Lodge in Khorog. A welcome treat after a week of bland fried potatoes and uninspired bread.

Originally posted on the Uncornered Market travel blog. Find beautiful travel photos from around the world. | 3 comments

Kyrgyzstan
Sary Tash: A stopping point for travelers and truck drivers alike in southern Kyrgyzstan. The road forks, one way to Tajikistan, the other to China. If you spend the night, beware. Temperatures are frighteningly low and winds exceptionally brutal. This explains the permanently reddish cheeks you see in our photos of kids there.
Pik (Peak) Lenin: Located 20 kilometers outside of Sary Tash, Pik Lenin (7,134 meters) dwarfs the surrounding plains, as the autumn light bathes some of the most spectacular scenery we’ve ever seen. If you find yourself here in summer, it would be worth taking a few extra days to do some hiking in this region. Peak Lenin is supposedly one of the easier 7,000+ meter (21,000+ feet) mountains to climb.

Tajikistan
Tajik Border Crossing: At 4,282 meters (13,000 feet) near the Kyzyl-Art-Pass, this border crossing is perhaps the most beautiful and the most desolate we’ll ever encounter. Two metal cylindrical buildings sat rusting on the crest of a hill. Several young military conscripts exited as we pulled up and circled the jeep with their guns slung over their arms. After correctly surmising that we posed no threat, they returned to their normal routine of breaking and collecting ice for drinking water in a nearby pond.

Lunch Stop Near Lake Karakul: The Pamirs means Roof of the World and we began to understand why as the light and landscape seemed to bend around the edges of the high desert plateaus (4000+ meters or 12,000+ feet). Abandoned, rusted containers took on a surreal, Dali-esque feel to them. Even an outhouse somehow seemed poetic and beautiful in this setting.

Murghab to Langar: More high desert terrain, a random Bactrian camel and a few salt lakes dot the landscape between Murghab and the Khargush Pass (4344 meters). The road went from bad to worse as we left the main Pamir Highway. Pakistan’s Hindu Kush Mountain Range, with snow-covered peaks at 7,000+ meters (21,000 feet), began to peek through a narrow corridor of Afghan land. Peering into Afghanistan (and at a distance, Pakistan) from across the Pyanj River, we hoped to see camel caravans carrying goods over the roadless terrain. We were a bit late; it seemed that the camels had already gone home for the season.

Langar: Langar marks the start of the Wakhan Valley if you are coming from Murghab. Langar is a friendly and pleasant village to spend the night and is worth a long walk around. The setting is beautiful and the river valley views into the Pamir and Hindu Kush mountain ranges are magnificent. Seek out this kind woman for some pleasant company and conversation in English.

Pamiri Houses: The traditional Pamiri house, huneuni chid, compliments the natural hospitality of the Pamiri people. From the outside, these homes look like simple mud rectangles. The interiors are outfitted with dark wood and are often intricately carved or painted. A large open rectangular area in the middle of the house, ringed by an elevated platform, serves as the main common area where visitors sit, eat and sleep.

The most interesting feature of these homes is the depth of symbolism behind their common geometric design. The five vertical pillars in the main room represent the five Muslim prophets – Fatima, Ali, Mohammed, Hassan and Husain. A skylight in the roof – consisting of four concentric squares representing earth, fire, air and water – illuminates the room. Pamiri home design supposedly dates back almost 2,500 years.

Vrang: Although the Buddhist caves described in the guidebook aren’t much to see, the village kids are. They will lead you up and around the hills to the caves. Vrang also marks a possible starting point for a hike from Peak Karl Marx (6,723 meters) to the Shokh Dara Valley.

Bibi Fatima Springs: After days without bathing water, the picturesque hot springs above Yamchun Fort are a welcome respite. Even if you can’t bathe, you’ll still find yourself thankful for the luxury of warm water. The springs are purported to boost fertility in women; Audrey was advised by the woman running the place to drink as much water as she possibly could.

Khakha Fortress: A 3rd century BC fort that is now serves as a Tajik military border station. We were stopped by several young Tajik conscripts toting AK-47s. They even ran down the hill from their station to greet us. They gruffly asked us in Russian what we were doing there and what we wanted. Audrey, the only quasi-Russian speaker of the bunch, explained that we hoped to see the fort and offered that we had obviously made a mistake and would leave. Not accepting our answer, the soldiers asked to see our passports and documents. We were surrounded by rocky terrain, meaning that no one from the road could see us, including our driver. Audrey lied and said our passports were in the car.

The look on our driver’s face (something equivalent to “oh shit”) was precious as the five of us walked out of the rocky area, escorted by three gun-toting soldiers. Once our documents were examined and deemed in order, the soldiers’ expressions changed to something resembling smiles. Although we were still all a bit frightened, they insisted on taking us on a tour of the fort and their living areas. One of our French companions plied them with cigarettes to ensure that we stayed on their good side.

Ishkashim: At the Wakhan Valley’s western end, Ishkashim is the most populated village of the valley. We stopped by to visit the town market and met some friendly locals along the way. The Afghan town of Ishkashim nearby is connected to Tajikistan by a new bridge built with donations from the Aga Khan. Rumor has it that the border officials will let foreigners into Afghanistan and back to Tajikistan for the weekend market. We didn’t try it since we only had a single-entry Tajik visa, but we’re curious to hear if anyone has.

Garam Chashma: Hot springs set in calcium pools, reminiscent of Pamukkale in Turkey. A pleasant stream runs nearby, making it perfect for a picnic and walk. Although the locals swear by the health benefits of the mineral water, we found it a bit too mineral-laden to consume. Again, people are very friendly. We collected numerous offers to spend the night. Beware of the man who knows every fact and detail of French history; he stumped our French companion with the question of who wrote La Marseillaise.

Khorog: While this regional capital is not full of sights, it is a pleasant place to wind down after several days on the road. It also serves as a jumping-off point for the Wakhan or Shokh Dara Valleys. The Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Ismaili sect of Shiite Islam and the Pamiri people and founder of numerous schools and universities, has put an emphasis on foreign languages and business skills. It shows. Khorog may have the highest concentration of English speakers in all of Central Asia. At least that’s how it sounded to us.

Originally posted on the Uncornered Market travel blog. Find beautiful travel photos from around the world. | 2 comments

The extremity of the landscape comes at a price, however. After wearing all of our heavier clothes to stay warm, eating nothing but potatoes, bread and tea, and being without bathing water for five days, we were ready for some features of civilization. Our journey in the Pamirs fortunately knew an end.

For the local Pamiri people, however, the austerity and scarcity of their homeland are not components of an adventure holiday. For them, this is real life, day in and day out.

People and cultures are influenced by their environment. However, the way in which the various people encased in this relatively tiny sub-region of Central Asia closely matched the diversity of their landscape – from its desolate high mountain deserts to its fertile river valleys – was especially fascinating.

Skip ahead to what interests you most:
Page 1: Environment and People – Desert Markets and Tracing Afghanistan along the Wakhan Valley plus photo slide show
Page 2: Highlights – Red Cheeks, Border Guards, Hot Springs and the Hindu Kush
Page 3: Practical Details –Transport, Accommodation, Food
Page 4:A Bullet List of Pamir Highway and Wakhan Valley Sites

A Kyrgyz Outpost in the High Desert
Our first evening in Tajikistan featured a stop in Murghab (3,576 meters), the first town after the Kyrgyz-Tajik border. Its mud-covered houses and converted train wagons conveyed a Wild West look to the town, but abandonment and foreclosure hung heavy in the air. Murghab seemed like a place that should never been inhabited at all, but somehow its ethnic Kyrgyz population has continued to survive.

The combination of elevation and dry climate ensures that almost nothing grows, not even potatoes. Residents here must import all of their food from Kyrgyzstan or China – or bring it in from Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. The prices of basic goods like flour and petrol were high. We were told that cows could not take the freezing temperatures and horses were doomed to heart attacks because of the high elevation (3,800-4,000 meters). So, instead of cows, yaks served as the primary source of meat and the more resilient donkey as the beast of burden.

While we enjoyed our dinner of yak meat and yak yogurt – both of which were surprisingly good – we abided the potatoes and hard bread as we imagined a local life of scarcity. Consider also that we stayed with a relatively wealthy family, whose livelihoods were funded by the annual tourist flow. The abundant fruits, vegetables and herbs of Osh, Kyrgyzstan just two days before seemed almost otherworldly here.

Weathered faces and tired smiles began to make sense in this harsh environment. As we walked around the town market the next morning, people were curious as to where we were from; they invited us to chat. A palpable sense of fatigue and hopelessness matched the surroundings, however.

The next day we left the high desert behind for the Wakhan Valley, a comparatively lush river valley that traces the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. No more than 100 miles separates Murghab and the Wakhan Valley, but the distance and the landscape were enough to form a cultural chasm between these vastly different areas.

Skirting Afghanistan through the Wakhan Valley
Life in the Wakhan Valley is not easy by any stretch – locals collect water at mountain springs, agriculture is still limited, public transport is almost non-existent and roads are often barely passable, and services and supplies are limited, but the natural environment was noticeably more hospitable than the high desert we had just traveled through. Trees, mountains and fields compose the visual space in the Wakhan Valley and make autumn a truly spectacular time to take it all in. For us, early October featured rich autumn colors in the foreground and snow-dusted sepia-toned mountains in the background.

Although life is also difficult in the Wakhan Valley, locals are able to grow enough food. According to some estimates, they’ve reached 70% agricultural sustainability. This relative abundance is reflected in their simple and sincere hospitality. Even though the Wakhan Valley is secluded and its people know limited interaction with the outside world, Pamiri people are exceptionally welcoming. As we walked through villages, we were regularly invited for tea or offered fresh milk and bread. People were happy to show us their Pamiri homes and have a chat, whether or not we shared a common language. While we appreciated every invitation, we had to respectfully decline some due to time constraints and full stomachs.

Sleeping with Strangers
For our second night in the Wakhan Valley, we decided to stay in a small village. The Wakhan Valley does not have a network of hotels or hostels, but the hospitality of its people fills the void. We asked our driver to stop at the only store in the village of Namadguti, more or less in the middle of nowhere. We figured this would yield a genuine Pamiri experience.

The driver talked to a local man standing outside a local shop, but he didn’t have any ideas. Dan suggested we ask the local shopkeeper. Sure enough, this woman lived behind the shop and invited us to stay with her family. Our travel experience shows that women almost always seem to have a solution.

Our host was a thin, weathered woman with a kind, tired smile. After our inquiry, she closed her shop and showed us to her family home, a beautiful Pamiri-style house with carved pillars. Four girls, ranging from six to twenty years old, flitted around us excitedly and brought us endless bowls of apples and tea as we began to settle in. The floors were decorated in colorful carpets and mattresses, making for a warm and homey environment in spite of the setting sun and growing cold outside.

After dinner, several of our travel companions began making balloon animals – dogs, swans, bears and other unidentifiables. The youngest child, a three-year old boy, didn’t know what to make of these new gifts. Before long, the elevated floor of our hostess’ common room was covered with a balloon animal menagerie. Throughout the evening, we exchanged English lessons for lessons of Tajik and Pamiri with the sisters. Although there was a little mutual understanding in English and Russian, most of the communication was through smiles and body language. The mother sat watching the whole scene, smiling peacefully as she knitted thick leg warmers in preparation for winter.

The next morning, as we departed, we asked our hostess what we owed her for our night’s accommodation and food. She asked for less than $1.50 per person. We insisted on leaving some more money, using the children as an excuse so as not to offend her; we received a bushel of apples in return.

The family’s generous spirit was moving; we almost didn’t want to leave. Warm water, vegetables and heat awaited us in Khorog. Spending a few days in the high and remote Pamir Mountains reminded us how closely we human beings are linked to our environments. Even though basic necessities like food and clean water were sometimes a struggle, Pamiri people shared what they could and welcomed us to their homes.

Originally posted on the Uncornered Market travel blog. Find beautiful travel photos from around the world. | 19 comments

When times were difficult during the years following independence, the men felt sorry for themselves and the women carried on with the business of providing for the family.

- a Georgian friend explaining the situation there during the early 1990s.

Although the quote above is from Georgia, we heard it echoed by women throughout the Caucasus and Central Asia. When we traveled throughout this region, we got the distinct impression that women do much of the work – not only by caring for their families, but providing for them financially as well. Witness a typical scene: groups of men sitting and whiling away the daylight hours on the streets or in cafes, playing backgammon, drinking tea, and eating sunflower seeds. Of course, this stereotype doesn’t apply to every man in the region, but travel in the area for any length of time and you’ll likely notice a pattern.

Yet in spite of the critical economic and social roles women play, men still occupy most of the leadership posts in politics and business. Although the situation appears to be changing slowly in this region, leadership is still considered the domain of men.

Audrey will be the first to admit that we also have a long way to go in the United States on this front. However, our conversations and observations in Central Asia and the Caucasus suggest that a woman’s challenge to “break through” there is much greater than in the West.

This backdrop and contrast is what makes the women we met in the town of Karakol in eastern Kyrgyzstan so inspiring.

Campaign Season in Karakol
The first evening of our visit to Karakol found us having dinner with our host and her friend and fellow candidate for local office. Banura and Marhaba were two of eight women running in an election coalition called Women Can Do It. Based on their personal and professional experiences, these women could offer local politics a lot. They both obviously knew how to accomplish a great deal while juggling commitments and keeping family first priority.

Between forkfuls, they drafted campaign slogans and augmented their existing campaign strategy to cover critical neighborhoods. They asked us if we had any ideas or lessons based on how campaigns were run and managed in small town America.

NGO Leader
We’ve talked about Banura, our host in Karakol in a previous post, so you know a bit about her already. Sixteen years ago, Banura launched Leader, a non-governmental organization (NGO) and volunteer school leadership program whose focus was to encourage students to interact more with the outdoors and their environment. Today, the organization is the largest NGO in town and has expanded its programs into the areas of NGO development, women’s leadership advocacy, NGO legal support, and community public policy dialogue. Its reach is so broad that a microcredit agency is now also loosely affiliated with it.

Banura is always trying to apply to Leader and to Karakol what she’s learned on training programs abroad. As we were departing, she had just applied for a Japanese visa that would enable her to attend a month-long training program there. If you ask her what her husband thinks of all her activities, she’ll reply with a smile that her husband is not a typical Kyrgyz man. Having met him, we can vouch for that. Likewise, Banura is not your typical wife and mother.

Business Leader
Marhaba is a Tatar woman whose family moved to Karakol several generations ago. Though she’s not ethnic Kyrgyz, she happily calls Kyrgyzstan her home. She started her business seven years ago by drying and salting fish in her house and selling her products at the local market.

Since then, her business has grown substantially. She now employs over 60 people and has a large factory complex that not only processes fish imported from places like Scandinavia and Siberia, but her business also dries local fruit and herbs for use in packaged food products. Most of her products cater to hotel restaurants and spas that line the northern shore of Kyrgyzstan’s Lake Issyk-Kul.

Marhaba’s business success story is impressive anywhere. However, in eastern Kyrgyzstan’s challenging business environment, it is an exceptional achievement.

Election Results and Kyrgyzstan’s Future
A month after our visit to Karakol, we were in touch with Banura about the elections. How had she and Marhaba done?

Unfortunately, neither of them won a seat in the local government, but two other women from the Women Can Do It coalition were successfully elected. Not a bad result considering that this was the group’s first active year in politics. Banura was far from discouraged. She followed up this local political news with the fact that three women from Bishkek and Osh were set to run for seats in the Kyrgyz national parliament. Woman Can Do It planned to support them.

We only spent a short time with Banura and Marhaba, but their dedication and commitment to their families and their community left an impression on us. Their energy not only contributes to Karakol’s development today, but it also serves as a role model for other communities and for future generations.

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“All-time favorite places” is a difficult one to answer without writing a book, but if we limit the question to 2007 (as we did in our personal growth exercise last night), the answer becomes manageable and something worth sharing with our readers.

1. Battambang, Cambodia – We still light up when we describe our time here. Cambodia and its people proved delightful. Our experiences in and around Battambang – our trip there, a day on a motorbike, a Buddhist wedding blessing and a cooking class – made this place a highlight of highlights.

2. Turkmenistan – Surprisingly curious and engaging people, a lingering quirkiness and a hopefully improving future.

3. Kazakhstan – The moment we were literally out of the woods and realized that we would survive without the assistance of a helicopter lift.

4. Kyrgyzstan – An all-around enjoyable travel experience including a horse trek, a wisdom-filled discussion with a shepherd, a Ramadan feast, and a series of breath-taking landscapes.

5. Zugdidi, Georgia – The food was very good, but the kindness shown to us by a group of Georgian women at the market in Zugdidi is what we’ll truly remember.

ADDENDUM (January 19, 2007): After recently sharing our experiences in Laos with several travelers, we were reminded of how much we love this country and wondered how we managed to exclude it from our Top 5 of 2007. Belatedly giving credit where it is due:

Laos: Luang Prabang and Nong Khiaw – Laid back atmosphere, outrageously cute children, delicious cuisine and peaceful monks.

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Community Based Tourism (CBT) is a wonderfully competent organization that supports independent tourists in finding affordable and authentic experiences in Kyrgyzstan through its strong network of home-stay families and local horse/trekking guides.

Bishkek

Kyrgyzstan’s laid-back capital city. There aren’t many sights to see here, but people find themselves staying longer than expected because of its easy pace. Make sure you visit the second floor of the State Historical Museum on Ala-Too Square for the shrine to Lenin and the Bolshevik Revolution. A real blast from the past.
Where to stay and eat: Nomad’s Home, a pleasant traveler hang-out run by kind hosts, has simple dorm and double rooms near the Eastern Bus Station for 200 som ($7). Price includes breakfast. There are many eating options in Bishkek, but our favorites included Lebanese Cafe, good for vegetarians, near Hotel Dostuk (Frunze 429), Adriatico (Chuy Prospektisi 217) for good pizza and pasta, and Concord Cafe (Ala-Too Square) for a cheap and tasty lunch of Russian and Kyrgyz favorites.

Karakol

A small town nestled between Lake Issyk-Kul and the Tian Shan and Terskey Alatau Mountains. Karakol features a unique Chinese mosque, wooden Orthodox church, cute early 20th century Russian cottages and a large Sunday animal market. For most people, it serves as the jumping off point for hikes to Ala Kol Lake, Altyn Arashan, and Lake Issyk-Kul.
Where to stay and eat: Contact CBT Karakol at cbtkarakol@rambler.ru or +996(3922)55000 for a list of home stays at 300-350 soms ($8-$10)/person including breakfast. For food, we recommend Traktiry Kalinka (Jusup Abdrakhmanov 99) for its cozy atmosphere, extensive menu and cold draught beers. Zarina Cafe near the Jakshilik Bazaar also has tasty baked pelmeni (Russian-style ravioli).
Transport: Catch a shared taxi from the main bus station in Bishkek (Western Bus Station) for around 300-400 som ($9-11) per person. The drive takes around 4-5 hours and goes along the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, providing beautiful views of the mountains along the lakes southern shore.

Manzhyly, Southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul

Part of our perfect day; a beautiful setting with red rocks on one side, deep blue water on the other, and a comfortable bed and breakfast yurt-stay. A highly recommended side trip from Karakol or Bakonbaeva.
Where to stay and eat: The CBT yurt-stay less than a kilometer the hill from the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul. Give Bakyt a call (+996 0503960060) to let him know you’re coming. 350 som ($10) per person, including breakfast. A delicious, home-made dinner in the yurt is 120 som ($4).
Transport: Catch a marshtrutka from the southern shore bus station in Karakol towards Bakonbaeva (90 som/$2.50). The ride takes around 1.5 hours. Just tell the marshrutka driver “Manzhyly” and follow the CBT signs. When the road forks, go left to avoid the evil dogs of the neighboring shepherd.

Altyn Arashan

From Karakol, hike three to four hours to natural hot springs in a postcard perfect mountain setting. The high mountain Ala Kol Lake (3,860 meters) is a day’s hike away in good weather. Camp overnight near the lake and continue down to Karakol through the Karakol Valley the following day. Tents and other camping gear are available for rent from CBT Karakol.
Where to stay and eat: There are a couple of accommodation choices at Altyn Arashan. We stayed in simple dorms for 250 som ($7) per person, with free access to the hot springs. The hot springs are worth the trek and wonderful after a long day of hiking. Food is also available, but the price is high compared with accommodation, so bringing your own food might be a better, more economical bet.
Transport: Take a marshrutka from the main market in Karakol to Ak-Suu (30-45 minutes). Just tell the bus driver you want to go to Altyn Arashan and he’ll drop you off at the right dirt road (where the trail starts).

Kochkor and Song Kul Lake

Kochkor is a small town southwest of Lake Issyk-Kul that most travelers pass through on their way to Song Kul Lake or Sarala Saz jailoo (summer pasture for grazing). We took a three-day horse trek organized through CBT Kochkor from Kyzart to Song Kul Lake. Two days of spectacular scenery on horses, with yurt-stays in between and a return trip to Kochkor by car. Everyone told us we should have come in the summertime to see more yurts and animals grazing on Song Kul’s shores. However, tourists are few in mid to late autumn; the changing autumn landscape and the first snow created an absolutely magical landscape.
Where to stay and eat: CBT Kochkor (cbt_kochkor@rambler.ru or +996 3535 22355) made all the arrangements with the horse guide, horses, yurt stays and transport by car from Song Kul Lake to Kochkor. They can also arrange home-stays in Kochkor for 300-350 som ($8-$10) per person (including breakfast). Eating dinner at your home-stay is your best bet, but if you do venture out, Cafe Alba has good fried pelmeni (Russian ravioli).
Transport: Shared taxi from Bishkek is around 250-300 som ($6-$8). A marshrutka from Karakol to Balykchy takes around 3 hours and costs 180 som ($5). Then you’ll need to catch a shared taxi from Balykchy to Karakol (45 minutes) for around 60-100 som ($2-$3) per person, depending on the number of people.

Osh

Osh is a large, ethnically chaotic city in southern Kyrgyzstan. It features large Uzbek and Kyrgyz populations (with a few Tajiks thrown in for good measure) making it a Central Asian mixing bowl of cultures, food and people. The market in Osh seems to take over much of the town and is by far its most defining feature. Not a place to spend a whole lot of time, but Osh is a good stopping point on the way to the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan.
Where to stay and eat: We stayed at Sanabar 3 hotel near the main mosque. New, clean and priced at 500 som ($15) for a double ensuite room. As most every restaurant in the city seems to serve from the same menu – mutton skewers, mutton dumplings and mutton soup – we spent most of our eating moments at California Cafe near the University (Sylaimanova Street 3/1) for vegetarian fajitas, pizzas and pasta. Started and run by an American couple, this restaurant was an oasis from all the mutton and shashlik surrounding us.
Transport: Take a shared taxi from Bishkek’s main bus station to Osh – 800-900 som/person ($25-$28) and 8-10 hours, usually. In our case, the snow, broken lights and frequent tea and mutton breaks extended the trip to an ungodly 18 hours.

Photo Slideshow: The Kyrgyzstan We Know

If you don’t have a high-speed connection or you would like to read the captions, you can view our Kyrgyzstan photo essay.

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We were skeptical initially, thinking it was all an easy money-making scheme but Banura’s husband’s smile grew the longer the boys sang. He did pay them, but as we took in the whole scene, our hearts softened.

A few days later we visited the Chinese Mosque. The local Imam showed us around and answered our questions. He explained that the mosque was open all the time and welcomed people at all hours of the day and night. As he joked, the day the mosque closes is the day the world ends.

He asked about our religion and, in particular, the difference between Catholicism and Protestantism. The Imam’s genuine curiosity pushed Audrey to really stretch her Russian language skills. After the Imam explained the Muslim relationship between a person and Allah, we discussed similarities and differences within Christianity. It was a refreshingly open religious discussion where we were all curious and took away some new information and perspectives.

A week later, while at Song Kul Lake, we were welcomed to an evening feast to celebrate breaking the day’s Ramadan fast. We were fortunate to have experienced Ramadan in Kyrgyzstan; it offered us a different and nuanced view of Islamic culture and community.

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