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Karakol on My Mind - Kyrgyzstan
Karakol, a town on the eastern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan, features the Tian Shan and Terskey Alatau mountains, eastern-leaning cuisine, and a renowned Sunday animal bazaar (Mal Bazaar).
Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Photo Sets
Traditional China in Pingyao
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Visiting the Warriors in Xi'an, China
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A Tibetan Pilgrimage - Xiahe, China
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Central Asia - Landscapes and Cityscapes
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People of Central Asia
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Experienced Buyer
An old Kyrgyz man surveys the animals on offer at Karakol's Sunday animal market (Mal Bazaar) before making a purchase.Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Smoke Break
Sunday animal market (Mal Bazaar) in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan.Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Karakol's Sunday Animal Market
One of the main tourist attractions in Karakol is its Sunday animal market (Mal Bazaar) where people from the local area and from Kazakhstan trade cows, horses, sheep, goats and donkeys. All the locals are confused as to why tourists would be interested in the event. Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
A Slow Ride Home
Father and son leave the animal market in Karakol in slow, but sure, style.Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Donkey Kin
Karakol's Sunday animal market (Mal Bazaar). Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Lunch Time?
The Sunday animal market (Mal Bazaar) in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan. Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Going Once, Going Twice
A boy tries to sell his sheep at the Sunday animal market (Mal Bazaar) in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan.Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Heads and Tails
Sheep butt up against one another at the Sunday animal market (Mal Bazaar) in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan.Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Learning to Ride
A young boy hops on a large horse at Karakol's animal market. Knowing how to ride a horse is a requirement for virtually all Kyrgyz men. Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Hard Bargaining
These sheep vendors were lining the exit to the animal market in Karakol, trying to convince just one more person to buy another sheep before the morning's end. The going rate was around 5000 som ($130) a head. Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Vodka and Piroshki
Alcohol outweighs food at this stall, selling piroshki (fried dough with mashed potatoes inside). Taken at the Sunday animal market (Mal Bazaar) in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan.Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Holy Trinity Cathedral
The Russian population of Karakol first started this church in a yurt in the 1800s. This building was built in 1895, but the Bolsheviks turned it into a club in the 1930s. Now it is reconsecrated as an orthodox church once again.Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Election Strategy
Banur and Marhaba plot out their election districts on a map of Karakol. They, and five other women were running for local office.Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Little Miss Sunshine
One of our little friends near the apartment complex in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan.Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Direct from the Source
Eating sunflower seeds directly from the head of the flower in Karakol.Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
A Weekend Tipple
We stopped by this little shop to pick up bread and were met by friendly women from the neighborhood having a chat (and a drink) with the shopkeeper.Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Sheep Skins for Sale
Karakol, KyrgyzstanRead more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Apple Season in Kyrgyzstan
If only we had a kitchen and could make apple crisp. Taken at the Karakol bazaar.Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Karakol Colors
A typical Russian-style house in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan with wooden trim painted in bright blue. Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Karakol Style
This style of house and woodworking is typical in Karakol. Many buildings like it maintain their charm despite having fallen into disrepair. Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Chinese Mosque, Karakol
Doesn't really look like a mosque, but it is. This one was built for Karakol's Dungan community in 1910. No nails were used in its construction, which makes it even more impressive. Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Ashlyanfu
A Dungan specialty, this dish is made from rice noodles, vinegar, vegetables and some spicy pepper. A light treat.Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
A Bowl of Ganfan
Ganfan became our favorite Kyrgyz cafe food (though it's technically a Dungan specialty) since it normally had a fair amount of vegetables and was usually lighter on the meat than its noodle-based counterpart, lagman.Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Prized Cookies
This little boy looks like he'd go to the ends of the earth to protect his cookies. Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
