Kyrgyzstan - Central Asia - Karakol - Osh to Murghab - Pamirs - yurt - Manzhyly - food markets - Osh - food - mountains - people - Bishkek - horses - Kochkor - Sary Tash - kids - cemetery - Mal Bazaar - Altyn Arashan - animal market - design -
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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.
This little girl waits for customers with her scale at the entrance to an underground passageway in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.Read more about our visit to Bishkek and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
This cat greeted us upon our return to the lodge at Altyn ArashanRead more about Kyrgyzstan's sights and cities.
Read more about Kyrgyzstan's sights and cities and our Ramadan feast at Song Kul Lake.
Manzhyly, KyrgyzstanRead more about Kyrgyzstan's sights and cities and our perfect day at Lake Issyk-Kul.
...helps us choose our next destination.Read more about Kyrgyzstan's sights and cities.
Natural and non-so-natural sweets at the Osh Bazaar in Bishkek.Read more about our visit to Bishkek and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
Shyrdaks, colorfully designed felt rugs, adorn yurts throughout Kyrgyzstan (and other Kyrgyz hamlets throughout Central Asia). The felt is made from sheep's wool and takes a long time to wash, dye, dry and roll. Designs such as this one are normally very bright and are inspired by nature - plants, animals, horns, etc. Some of them reminded us of Native American designs. In addition to being used on the floor like a carpet, shyrdaks are also hung on the inside of the yurt for decoration and for warmth, to block the wind blowing inside. Read more about Kyrgyzstan's sights and cities and our Ramadan feast at Song Kul Lake.
Horses queue up in the fields near Pik Lenin between Sary Tash and Sary Moghul, Kyrgyzstan.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
These horses chose a beautiful setting in the Alay Valley to get their fill of water and grass. En route from Osh to Sary Tash in southern Kyrgyzstan.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
How to pick the perfect melon when there are so many to choose from? Taken at the bazaar in Osh, Kyrgyzstan.Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
The statue of the Marco Polo sheep marks the entrance into Tajikistan from Kyrgyzstan. The official border crossing and passport control is a few kilometers away...in an even more remote corner of the universe.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
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.
Sunday animal market (Mal Bazaar) in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan.Read more about our visit to Karakol and the rest of Kyrgyzstan.
We noticed that several people were buried inside a structure that looked like the metal frame of a yurt. Manzhyly, southern shore of Issyk-Kul Lake.Read more about Kyrgyzstan's sights and cities and our perfect day at Lake Issyk-Kul.
And Nike-branding, too. Read more about Kyrgyzstan's sights and cities and our Ramadan feast at Song Kul Lake.
The back of this Central Asian note (issued 1919 after the Bolshevik Revolution, but prior to the full consolidation of the Soviet Union) indicates that the note is backed by opium in the national reserves. Though gold is pretty strong these days, we suppose some might favor return to the opium standard.www.uncorneredmarket.com/2007/12/in-opium-we-trust-ponder...
We visited Manzhyly on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul mid-September. It was past tourist season and we had the whole place to ourselves.The smaller yurt was the sleeping yurt, while the larger yurt served as the dining area.Read more about Kyrgyzstan's sights and cities and our perfect day at Lake Issyk-Kul.
Pik Lenin (7143 meters) decides to make an appearance. Between Sary Tash and Sary Moghul, Kyrgyzstan. Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Looking up to the ceiling of a yurt. The felt flap can be lifted from the circular top, making for a natural sky light during the day. If you are seeking design and color inspiration, look no further than a yurt! Read more about Kyrgyzstan's sights and cities and our perfect day at Lake Issyk-Kul.
Osh, Kyrgyzstan.Dig deeper into Central Asian Cuisine and find out the best and worst of food and markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Manti (Central Asian dumplings) are stuffed with meat and freshly steamed. Look for these in the bazaar in Osh, Kyrgyzstan.Read more about Kyrgyzstan's sights and cities.
Lenin makes frequent appearances in Kyrgyzstan, but this profile above a driving school in Balykchy was especially breath-taking. Read more about Kyrgyzstan's sights and cities and our Ramadan feast at Song Kul Lake.
A mad, winemaking Russian fan gone wild?www.uncorneredmarket.com/2007/11/liv-tyler-and-chinese-wine/
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.
