Central Asia

 

 

In August 2025, after a seven-year absence, Wendy and I returned to Central Asia. This time, we would visit the less well travelled 'stans' Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. In part, our choice of Central Asia was governed by a desire to be away during the worst of Sydney's winter. As we don't speak Russian, nor either of the local languages, we looked for a guided tour. As it turns out we were the only two who booked the package, so we had a personal guide and driver, together with a large Toyota 4-wheel drive for most of the trip.

From Sydney we flew to Doha followed by a flight to Almaty in Kazakhstan from there we took a short flight to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan where we spent a day exploring, before changing hotels and meeting our guide, Chynara, to begin a pre-planned tour. As we don't speak Russian, a guide is strongly advised when travelling in most ex-Soviet countries.

 

 

Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked, largely rural, mountainous, country in Central Asia, bordering Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.  Its borders are largely natural, defined by high mountain ranges.  Bishkek is the largest city and the capital.

Knowing that the following day we would be guided around the Bishkek, we tried to anticipate the sites that that might include and look for others. Among these was the Old Russian Church; the local park; and the State History Museum, in front of which is Ala-Too Square.

 

Panfilov Park in Bishkek. The statue is of Ivan Panfilov, hero of the Soviet Union
- someone is still placing a wreath.
There's a small amusement area, very similar to those we've seen in other ex-Soviets
Below: The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Resurrection
- there were several very devout, impoverished looking, worshipers.
 

During the Soviet period Russians made up over a quarter of the population of Kyrgyzstan. But after independence in August 1991 as many as 300,000 departed, joined by more of their countrymen after each revolution (see below). Russians now make up just 4% of the population. The majority of these identify as Russian Orthodox. Only 6% of the entire population report 'no religion' with over 90% identifying as Muslim - mostly Sunni.  Of the total population 78% now identify as Kyrgyz and 14% as Uzbek.

And so, we come to Manas.  Manas is the hero of an epic poem of the Kyrgyz people, primarily the interaction of the Kyrgyz people with other Turkic, Mongolic, and Chinese peoples. There are several monuments to Manas and we soon realised just how important he is to this country and the Kyrgyz people. The poem is like the Declaration of Independence to Americans. It's compulsorily taught in schools and many know it off by heart. Later in our trip, a man sat down to recite/sing it in the restaurant we ate at. The Epic is also claimed by Uighur historians in Xinjiang.
 

 

During the Soviet period there was an unsuccessful attempt to suppress the poem.  Instead, the Russians embraced the myth and erected the heroic statue that stood here until a year ago. But the very day we arrived, that old one, cast in Russia, was officially replaced with this new one (my photo) that more closely reflects the poem. In particular, he carries an eagle, and the once European Teutonic looking Manas now looks Asiatic.

 

 

Top: The new statue of Manas in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (my photos),
Bottom left: man in traditional dress reciting: 'The Epic of Manas'
Bottom right: the now demolished (Russian) statue (still seen in Google - street view)
 

 

The closely related Uyghurs are the principal ethnic group giving the Chinese Government a hard time across the border. The suppression of the Uyghurs in China is perhaps the Chinese government's biggest public relations disaster since Tiananmen Square. Like other rural Turkic Muslims, Uyghurs like to have large families.  Nine children is not uncommon here. Yet, China is a country which, between 1979 to 2015, allowed only one child per family. The policy replaced by a two-child policy in 2015, and subsequently by a three-child policy. Attempts to limit Turkic family size resulted in accusations of infanticide, forced sterilisation, and ethnic cleansing. As northwest China has advanced economically, the Turkic people have become a minority and tensions between them and the majority, Han Chinese, have led to violence and terrorism. Chynara told us, 'straight faced', that the Chinese murdered (Turkic or their own?) infants by dashing them against rocks.

For my earlier comments and our experiences in Urumqi see: In the footsteps of Marco Polo - China - Urumqi (on this website) and our recent trip to China Here...

Another place that we thought it would be a good to see, before the tour started, was the State History Museum. This turned out to be very worthwhile. As I have previously discussed (see: In the footsteps of Marco Polo), this part of Central Asia was conquered by both Genghis Khan in the 13th century and Timur (Tamerlane) in the 14th century. Various Khanates resulted before it was incorporated into the Russian Empire, only to be involved in the turmoil of the Russian Revolution, becoming a Soviet Republic in the 1920s, and then experiencing the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

 

The State History Museum
 

 

Before the arrival of the Russians, the Kyrgyz people here were mainly nomadic herders. Initially the Russians were seen as allies and in 1863 built The Fort of Asku, at the request of the local leaders. But in the dying days of the Russian Empire expelled German farmers and newly freed serfs arrived, attracted by well-watered mountain pastures, and began farming (alienating) Kyrgyz pastures (shades of Oklahoma! - the farmer and the cowman should be friends), leading to bitter struggles, that continued after 1917, during the Russian civil war, until 1924 when these regions became a series of Soviet Socialist Republics. In 1936 a 'full union republic' was created, the Kirgiz Soviet Socialist Republic, often called Kirgiziya. Europeans flowed in and towns and cities grew, introducing: modern housing, transportation, health services, education and factories. It was evidently a prosperous time, of which the remnants can still be seen. But then disaster fell. In 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan's manufacturing sector experienced a sharp decline due to disrupted supply chains and the loss of traditional markets... now accounting for approximately 12.6% of GDP.

On the positive side, a new constitution transferred power to the local politicians. New freedoms were announced, Communist censorship was gone.

In the museum, the country's history since 1992 is a bit 'thin on the ground', so I was obliged to look it up online.

One of the first things one notices, getting off the plane, is the value of the currency. The Kyrgyzstanian Som is not a currency that your local bank is likely to have on hand. So, the first step to get some local currency, is to go to an ATM at the airport. I imagined that 300 Australian dollars would be a reasonable amount of pocket money. That turned out to be 17,000 Som, a history lesson in one transaction. I looked it up too. When the Som was introduced in 1993, one Som was equivalent to 200 Russian Roubles. But with the newfound freedom to print their own money, away the politicians went. Hyperinflation followed. Now a Som is worth less than a single Rouble. Never let politicians near your currency (monetary policy). That's what independent central banks are for (a lesson Mr Trump).

Although rural folk were largely unaffected, the economy collapsed and famine gripped the cities and towns. 

As in other ex-Soviet countries, the founding Constitution gave the President far too much power - similar to the US (at the expense of a Parliament - of peoples' representatives). Almost inevitably, this leads to attempts to manipulate elections and the Constitution in favour of the incumbent President.

In 2001 the new Kyrgyzstan government granted US and allied forces the right to establish a base at Manas to conduct operations against the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.  Then, playing both sides, in 2003, an air base was established by Russia, at Kant, about 20 km east of Bishkek, "to support a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) rapid reaction force intended to defend CIS countries from Islamist guerrillas".

In 2005 economic mismanagement and a possibly 'rigged election' led to the 'Tulip Revolution', with alleged clandestine US support (subsequently exposed by Wikileaks.), after which, many felt that everything would be 'hunky dory'. The new president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, supported the US base. Unfortunately, Bakiyev soon was accused of being a corrupt totalitarian who, allegedly, had several people opposed to his rule murdered. Suddenly, censorship was back (shades of the unconscionable Diệm regime in Vietnam).

In 2010 a second revolution, known as the 'Melon Revolution' removed, allegedly corrupt, President Bakiyev from power. In 2012 the lease on Russia's Kant air base lease was renewed with a 15-year extension and in 2013 the new Kyrgyz parliament voted overwhelmingly to end the US air base lease. US forces withdrew from the base in July 2014.

Then in 2020, a third revolution erupted (with no flowers of fruit - now they just count them) as a result of elections deferred, on the grounds of the Covid 19 pandemic. The following year elections were held and Sadyr Japarov, the current President, came to power. The Kant air base lease has subsequently been extended for a further five years in return for $500 million from Russia, to reduce the country's debt.

The new President seems popular. He has attracted Chinese money for 'One Belt, One Road' projects. A couple of good highways have been built and a new coal mine is underway. Some expensive new dwellings have popped up.

According to Wikipedia: "Metallurgy is the main component of the manufacturing sector, particularly through gold production, which is a major export commodity. Metallurgy accounted for approximately 21% of the manufacturing sector in 2024. Production of food products (beverages) and tobacco, which is focused on processing agricultural products into consumer goods, accounted for approximately 19.4% of the manufacturing sector in 2024. Textile production, production of wearing apparel and footwear, leather and other leather goods, which is focused on garment manufacturing, accounted for approximately 4.5% of the manufacturing sector in 2024. Production of rubber and plastics items and other non-metallic mineral products, which comprises producing a variety of goods for domestic and regional markets, represented approximately 10.5% of the manufacturing sector in 2024. Production of refined petroleum products accounted for approximately 8.5% of the manufacturing sector in 2024."

Growth has been particularly strong in mining (especially gold and coal), electricity generation, small-scale hydropower, and light industries like textiles and food processing. Yet, the country is only just recovering and tourism is now believed to be a panacea for its economic woes.

Again, to quote from Wikipedia: "Kyrgyzstan's tourism sector, centred on the scenic Issyk-Kul Lake and mountain trekking, has seen impressive growth over the past two decades. From attracting around 450,000 tourists annually in the early 2000s, the country welcomed over 8.6 million visitors in 2024. This rapid growth has boosted tourism service exports to nearly $480 million in the first half of 2024 alone."

In the Museum there was a display of current political affiliations drawing our attention to the political importance of their big neighbour China and of Russia, on the other side of Kazakhstan.

 

Diplomatic relations
Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping visiting (Erdoğan too - he gets around)
 

 

At the museum, we also learned of the cultural importance of both horses and yurts, the circular crown of which forms the central motif on the national flag. We would experience these directly later.

 

The State History Museum
 

 

Another display stressed the importance of children to the Kyrgyz. According to this, Kyrgyz children were historically trained in horse riding and played various national games (logic, skill, and power games) due to frequent warfare and nomadic life. These traditional games are said to have contributed to their physical and logical development.

Today, national sports remain popular, and Kyrgyzstan's World Nomad Games initiative has elevated their global recognition. The Kyrgyz state actively supports sports development and athletes, leading to international recognition for Kyrgyz Olympic athletes.

Interesting sports - mostly on horseback including horseback archery and hunting with eagles. See: the BBC report of the last games

Horse riding remains an essential skill in rural areas and city children are encouraged to learn, archery also seems to be popular.
 

 

 

The following day our actual tour began. After breakfast we were driven to Ala-Archa National Park for an hours hike, to explore its lower reaches. The park covers about 165 square kilometres, and its altitude ranges from about 1,500 meters at the entrance to a maximum of 4,895 meters at Semenov-Tian-Shansky Peak. There are more than 20 small and large glaciers and some 50 mountain peaks within the park. Some eco-tourists come to Kyrgyzstan just to explore this park, that boasts a wide variety of flora and fauna and some challenging climbs. We noticed a new ski-lift under construction that is intended to revive a failed downhill ski resort.

 

 

Heading into Ala-Archa National Park
Top left: One of the 50 glaciers can be seen behind the nearer mountains (centre of the photo)
Top right: An eco-resort - for those who want to 'experience ' the park in depth
Bottom left: The animals and birds that one might see
Bottom right: Wendy at a bridge over troubled (noisy melt) water
 

 

After we'd had our fill of nature we returned to Bishkek downtown for a guided tour.  It includes visiting Pobeda Square (Victory Square), Duboviy Park (Oak Park), Central Ala-Too Square, including several places we'd seen the previous day. As those of us who take an interest know, the Soviet Union sacrificed more soldiers' lives than all the other combatants, on both sides, combined. The 'stans' sacrificed more than their fair share. As we learn everywhere in the former Soviet Union, it was their patriots who rose-up and defeated Germany, not the troops landing at Normandy (see Dieppe and Bayeux) on D-Day, as we've always been told on ANZAC day. In reality it was six of one, half a dozen of the other - one would probably not have succeeded without the other. For more information go to: Gori - Stalin's birthplace.

 

Around Bishkek
Top two rows: Victory Square that honours Kyrgyz soldiers who fought in WWII.
Built in 1985 (soviet period) to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War
The three granite arches form a yurt-like shape, beneath which stands a statue of a grieving woman and an eternal flame.
Bottom left: The Kyrgyz National Opera and Ballet Theatre (architect: Abdylas Maldybaev)
Bottom right: Bishkek Baatyr Monument - a patriot in the tradition of Manas - who led a national liberation movement
against enemy tribes in the 18th century - symbolizing the Kyrgyz people's resilience and courage throughout their history

 

It's interesting that, unlike other ex-Soviet states, little attempt has been made to remove evidence of former Communism. The 'Hammer and Sickle' and images of Lenin and Stalin can still be seen, along with a large mural remembering the 'Great Patriotic War'. 

 

Unlike in other ex-soviets, in the cities, Soviet symbols continue to abound. 
Top row: Marx and Engels philosophising - presumably cooking-up the Communist Manifesto
Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains - and several million lives.
Middle row: The Supreme Court building - Hammer and Sickle still in tact.
Bottom left: Lenin pointing the way - it's the Kyrgyzstan flag behind him.
Bottom right: Detail on each of the columns of the Opera House (see previous photo above).

 

 

A highlight was the changing of the guard in Ala-Too Square. There's no palace nearby so, I asked Chynara our guide, " What are they guarding?" She replied "The flag". So, I asked, "Are there a lot of people who want to steal it?" She laughed.

 

 

Guarding the flag in Ala-Too Square
Bottom Right: Monument to Those Who Died for Freedom in Bishkek during two uprisings in Kyrgyzstan:
the Aksy events of 2002 and the April 2010 events in Bishkek.
The monument features three bronze figures pushing a black block away from a larger white block,
symbolizing the struggle for freedom and the pushing away of the Kurmanbek Bakiyev (see above) era

 

Kyrgyzstan, like several other 'stans', is  a beneficiary of the Chinese 'One Belt, One Road' (OBOR) (New Silk Road) programme. Interesting dynamics. And there is a lot of reconstruction of Soviet era structures and dwellings.
 

 

 

Our first stop, the following day, was at an 11th century minaret, the 'Burana Tower', an hour-and-three-quarter drive east of Bishkek. It's the largest remnant of a caravanserai (like a fortified camel/horse motel) on the Silk Road. Again see: In the footsteps of Marco Polo. There is a small museum and a lot of information, in English and Russian, on site (no photographs).

To enable its structure and original height, Burana Tower was built of fired brick. It is believed to be the first minaret ever built in Central Asia after the arrival of Islam in 940 CE. The associated grand mosque has been levelled, along with the other buildings in the settlement, probably because most of it was built of  unfired (mud) brick and/or by people scavenging building materials. In excavations, from 1970 to 1974, Russian archaeologists also found the lower remnants of  three mausoleums also built from fired brick. The central part of the Islamic settlement was a little over half-a-kilometre square. Some of its towered walls still rise as high as four meters. An outer suburb, rabad, was surrounded by two concentric rings of ramparts, with the outermost one reaching 20 kilometres, suggesting that it was heavily fortified and defended in depth. The complex was in use in the 11th-12th centuries.

Though it once reached a height of around 45 meters, it now stands at 24 meters high (a mini-ret). About a third of the minaret was reconstructed in 1970-1974, during the Soviet period. Then, between 2021 and 2023 the United States funded a project to conserve the Tower including: resurfacing of damaged tiling on the observation deck; seismic evaluation of the Tower’s resilience to earthquakes; and the installation of new video security cameras for the museum territory’s perimeter. Today, the site is funded by the European Union.

Before Islam, the caravanserai site was Zoroastrian, as burials in a nearby graveyard attest, and is much older. It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as a component of the "Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor," which was nominated jointly by China, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. The corridor is a 5,000-km section of the Silk Roads that took shape between the second century BCE and first century CE, remaining in use until the 10th century. "It linked multiple civilizations and facilitated far-reaching exchanges of activities in trade, religious beliefs, scientific knowledge, technological innovation, cultural practices, and the arts."

While it is a still visible stop along the ancient 'Silk Road', little else of that history remains in Kyrgyzstan, which is to the north of the most travelled routes. As a result, Kyrgyzstan is more popular, with tourists, for its 'back to nature' ambience. If you are interested in the history of the Silk Road, I recommend Uzbekistan as the 'Stan' that was most travelled and has been most successful at maintaining; restoring; and promoting important sites (follow the above link to learn more).

 

 

Top: 'Burana Tower' semi-restored ruins of an 11th century minaret
Middle: Kurgan tombstones dating back to the 6th century known as Balbals or stone warriors.
They are often found in ancient Zoroastrian cemeteries and are now believed to serve
 as grave markers for the bones of previously 'exposed' ancestors, because
 the term "Balbal" is thought to derive from the Turkic word for "ancestor" or "grandfather".
I discussed Zoroastrianism in more detail here: In the footsteps of Marco Polo - The Yurt Camp
Bottom: Mounds in on the site and our first live eagle - of many

 

 Our guide, Chynara, was of Kyrgyz ethnicity, and to prove it she has striking green eyes, a throwback to the 11th century. The Chinese 'New Book of Tang' (1060 CE) descries the Kyrgyz as having "large, with red hair, white faces, and green or blue eyes". Characteristics that have largely disappeared today.

So, she was particularly qualified to give us a lot of background to the interests and culture of the predominant ethnic group in Kyrgyzstan.

 

That afternoon we were driven, in the Toyota, by our expert driver, over some challenging roads, through some spectacular scenery, to a very comfortable guesthouse in Chon Kemin.

 

Around Chon Kemin and the Toyota

 

 

Chon Kemin is famous for its gorge and our itinerary called for an afternoon hike to a vantage point but it was raining and there is something incongruous in three inappropriately dressed people carrying umbrellas trudging up a narrow, slippery, muddy, horse track that encouraged us to turn back. Our guide, Chynara clearly thought that we were wimps. Some others had preceded us on horseback and that seemed a much better option to me.

That evening we had a pleasant dinner followed, the following morning, by a very substantial breakfast, before setting out, through more spectacular scenery, to the town of Kochkor where we visited a craft shop run by women, setting their own agenda (remember, this is un usual in an Islamic country) and learned how to make felt from sheep wool.

On the way to our next overnight at the Yurt camp, we passed the 'Keng Suu Valley Observation Point' and the huge but almost empty Orto Tokoy Reservoir. Chynara explained that the government had sold the water, that once flooded this entire area, to Kazakhstan.

 

 

Top left: Part of the felt-making process in Kochkor
Top Right: The Keng Suu Valley Observation Point
Middle: The Keng Suu Valley
Bottom: The Orto Tokoy Reservoir

 

 

The Yurt Camp, we went to, is on the shore of Song-Köl Lake. This is the second largest high mountain lake in Kyrgyzstan 3,016 m above sea level. It was cold and, as night fell, it began to rain. Wendy and I took refuge in the car. But then dinner was served in a large warm Yurt, which was convivial, with two friendly French groups sharing the space. Two French girls at our table were on a horse-riding holiday. Europeans seem to flock here to commune with nature.

That night we had a large Yurt to ourselves. It contained a charcoal heater that was completely inadequate. So, we ended up piling the bed-coverings from all seven beds onto our two.  But that didn't help when, during the night, nature called. The dunny, for that was its best description, involved an unlit trek across uneven, frozen grass and plops of animal dung. Fortunately, I carry a torch when we travel. It was an experience to 'dine out on'.  And we chose to come here to escape Sydney's winter!

In the morning, I took up the optional offer of horse riding and enjoyed an amble and occasional trot along the shoreline for 3 or 4 km, dotted by assorted groups of cattle, sheep and horses. They were surprised that I could ride unassisted. I got a big thumbs-up on my return - the universal language.

 

 

Top: The Yurt Camp - ours was the one with the open door - the dunny is out the back
Middle left: Inside our Yurt - home - for a night - Kyrgyzstan style
Middle right: Off on my ride - as soon as he saw I was OK, my guide rode off to chase some horses
Bottom left: Wendy contemplating the scene
Bottom right: a tethered horse. His forelegs are loosely bound (hobbled)

 

Kyrgyzstan is all about nature and horses. This was the first time we saw a hobbled horse. Until now they had been running freely in mobs or just grazing. But the following day we saw one that had broken free of the tether and was making good progress, hopping its front legs together, along by the side of the road. Later, in the trip we discovered that such escapees are not uncommon.

This being a Muslim country some things we eat in Australia are off the menu: pigs, deer, some seafood and so on. I'm not sure about Kangaroo. But horses do not have cloven feet and can be halal, provided they are slaughtered correctly. Here a horse is at the top of the value table: chicken, mutton, beef, horse.

So, an important feast, like a wedding, is 'on the cheap' without a horse for dinner. Horses rank above beef and mutton when entertaining and/or establishing one's status. In the country, a desirable young man must, of course, be a skilled horse rider but he must also be able to slaughter a horse in the correct manner for a feast.

From the Yurt Camp our next stop would be close to the much bigger lssyk-Kul Lake. It's the second-largest mountain lake in the world behind Lake Titicaca in South America. Although at an altitude of 1,607 metres it's lower than Song-Köl Lake and less than half-as-high as Titicaca. Yet it's the second-largest inland saline lake in the world and doesn't freeze, giving it its name, which in the Kyrgyz language means "warm lake".

 

Top left: On the Chinese road again
Top right: lssyk-Kul Lake
Bottom: Transmission towers of different ages.
Hydro-electricity is one of this mountainous country's most valuable natural resources.
The Switzerland of Central Asia

 

Having slept in a yurt, we would now learn how to make all the structural components in our back-yard, by steaming, bending, shaping and drilling timber, and how to assemble one, should we ever need to. In Kyzyl-Tuu village even a child can assemble one.

 

 

How to assemble a yurt
Simple - even a child can do it

 

The little girl also took most of it down again - with some parental help.

On the road again, we encountered a pair of hunters who demonstrate their skills to tourists for a small fee. These are superb horsemen who employ both dogs and eagles to bring down prey. The baby eagles are stolen from the nest when fledglings and take around two years to grow and train. Like dogs and horses, they become devoted to their master.  Hunters are licensed and there is a hunting season. This is off season for prey but on season for tourists. Initially sceptical, I was soon fully engaged as one galloped while holding an eagle to the top of the far ridge. The other dragged a mock animal on a string. The bird had no trouble in swooping down to catch the prey and be rewarded with a small titbit of meat. They put the birds through several more demonstrations and then demonstrated their dog's skills at running down a mock animal. A bit more familiar so, not as impressive. There are a couple of short videos in the Eagle Album (click on the eagle in the photo below to see them)

 

How to train your eagle - the Kyrgic way
She was tethered when I was holding her. Her prize was a piece of rabbit - not my finger

 

 

En route to Tamga village is 'Fairytale Canyon' with a viewpoint over the lake. After a short hike we gave up, as several of the paths were steep and crumbly and we had neither suitable boots nor hiking sticks. This was the second time we'd pulled out of a hike and I sensed that Chynara would have liked to have gone on. There were some interesting patterns and colours in the rocks - due to the local mineralisation - mainly iron. But again, we were not as enthusiastic as some I subsequently found on-line, who count this as a top spot in the entire world. They haven't been to Uluru.

We continued driving to Tamga village. Nearby is a military resort (sanatorium), with formal parklands, from Soviet times. I was struck by the variety of fir trees. In more recent times its been used as an Olympic training centre.

 

Left: Fairytale Canyon with its view to the lake
Right: Parklands around the Soviet sanatorium

 

Tamga guest house provided dinner and breakfast, was particularly commodious, and had a big garden with a large variety of fruit and berry trees.

 

Tamga guest house grounds

 

The next day our schedule called for another hike, into Kyzyl Suu Gorge. We stopped at a supermarket and bought food for a picnic.

After lunch, we took a dip in the local hot spring, a reminder that there are active tectonics in these mountains. We were told that: "Optional swimming in hot water which has a temperature of about 430 C. The water is clear with hydrogen sulphide smell. Both of the springs are aerating and belong to the chloride-sulphate-natrium group." I wasn't carrying a thermometer but I doubt it was that hot; unlike those in Budapest it wasn't big enough to swim in; and while it sounds natural, 'natrium' is not something particularly good. It's either, sodium carbonate (harmless in cooking) or nuclear reactor feed-stock (not harmless). We certainly smelled sulphury (Beelzebuby) but the smell went away, without having to wade into the freezing river adjacent.

 

 

At Kyzyl Suu Gorge
Taking a warm dip in mineralised water
Afterwards, there was the option of washing it off in the freezing river above
We didn't

 

Later that day we made an excursion to Jety-Oguz gorge, which is a lush valley with some striking red sandstone rock formations (the "seven Bulls" from which the valley takes its name). Here there is an impressive rock outcrop, formed when tectonic forces broke a fault in the once horizontal iron heavy sandstone (tertiary red conglomerates) thrusting this section up at about 45 degrees from horizontal. It's huge. The scale can be seen from the apparent size of the nearby resort buildings.

The name 'Jeti-Ögüz' translates to 'Seven Bulls' in Kyrgyz, referencing the unique shape of the rock formations. According to several on-line sources: "It's one of the most famous landmarks of Kyrgyzstan and is featured in many poems and paintings, as well as music videos."

As anyone who can count will realise, the name derives more from a legend about a khan's unfaithful wife than the actual number of 'bulls'. Another formation nearby is, even more imaginatively, called 'broken heart' and it is said that it originated from a beautiful woman who died of a broken heart after two suitors killed each other fighting over her.
 

 

Jeti-Ögüz Rocks district.
Bottom row: Seven Bulls and Broken Heart.

 

 

 

 

Karakol, as Wikipedia tells us, was: "formerly Przhevalsk, the fourth-largest city in Kyrgyzstan, near the eastern tip of Lake Issyk-Kul, about 150 kilometres from the Kyrgyzstan–China border and 380 kilometres from the capital Bishkek. It is the administrative capital of Issyk-Kul Region."

While the guesthouses had been pleasant and interesting, it was good to be in a nice hotel again. It was quite new and a lot nicer than the structures that had evidently been pulled down to facilitate it's construction. The location was close to the central square and we did quite a bit of unguided exploring on foot.

Much Soviet era housing has now passed the end of its practical life and well over half the 'panel apartments' we've seen have been abandoned. Yet, new apartments are unaffordable for many, particularly young adults.

According to Google AI: "Kyrgyzstan, formerly part of the Soviet Union, has numerous Soviet-era apartment buildings, particularly in cities like Bishkek. These buildings, often referred to as "Khrushchyovkas" or panel buildings, are characterized by their low cost, concrete-panelled or brick construction, and typically three to five stories." Here they are a standard size: 46 m2

So, it was interesting that on our second day there was a police presence downtown for the arrival of President Sadyr Japarov to open a new residential complex, to house essential workers, priced out of the market. None of this is helped by the typically large size of Muslim families.

In the evening, we went to a local restaurant for dinner. If featured local music, in a semi-yurt, to draw customers in. Some menus have English sub-titles but almost all have pictures and obviously prices. In any case, by this time, we could pretty well guess what might turn-up. Almost every meal is preceded by the traditional yogurt-like drink - fermented mare's milk. It's nice.

 

An evening meal - moderately up-market - pretty typical

 

The following day we were taken on a, wider-ranging, tour of Karakol, visiting the Dungan Mosque (1910) and the Russian Church (1885).
 

 

Top left: The view out of our hotel window - soviet-era housing
Top right: The local mosque - infidels not admitted
Middle left: Lenin showing the way (again)
Middle right: A peak inside - the minbar and mihrab partly visible
Bottom: The historic wooden Russian Orthodox church and its iconostasis

 

We spent some time in the parkland that surrounds the museum and grave of Nikolay Mikhaylovich Przhevalsky - the Russian geographer and a renowned explorer of Central and East Asia.

The museum has it's own guide, who was very effusive concerning the achievements of Przhevalsky. I was reminded of hero-worshiping the guides at the George W Bush Presidential Library in Dallas and at the Stalin Museum in Gori (Georgia). 

Przhevalsky was the first European to explore Central Asia and 'discovered it' in the same way that Captain Cook 'discovered' Australia or Columbus the Americas - by bringing it to European attention.  In this case, it had already been populated by humans (if we count our partial ancestors the Neanderthals and Denisovans) for well over 100,000 years and some of the cultures passing through here here been civilised for over two thousand. Yet the outcome was similar. Przhevalsky died in Karakol in 1888, leaving behind his journals, and in less than two decades the Russian Empire had absorbed these hitherto unknown territories and subjugated their peoples. Very interesting.

Nearby, is the memorial to Kusein Karasayev a Kyrgyz and Soviet linguist, lexicographer, teacher, literary scholar, folklorist, and Turkologist. Karasaev compiled the first Russian-Kyrgyz Dictionary and made a huge contribution to the study of the Kyrgyz epic "Manas". Among 20 other dictionaries he compiled, is the 'Dictionary of Manas', said to have "special scientific and practical value". Has anyone noticed that the epic of Manas, a poem, dates back long before Przhevalsky discovered these lands?

Nevertheless, Przhevalsky's influence on modern history was profound. Again, very interesting.

 

 

Top left: Przhevalsky memorial - lacking a suitable likeness the sculptor made him resemble Stalin.
Top right: The Karasayev memorial - with a Yurt allusion
Bottom: The central square - the sign shows the various regions within Kyrgyzstan
highlighting Issyk-Kul. The text translates to: "Issyk-Kul – The Pearl of Kyrgyzstan".
The earlier statue of Lenin (above) presides over the end of the square.

 

As I remarked above, Soviet era images still abound in Kyrgyzstan. Here, in Karakol, Lenin is still pointing the way - out there - somewhere. The country collapsed into extreme hardship when the USSR failed and several domestic revolutions followed. So, no doubt, some remember the past fondly. The reminders remain.

That evening we walked a couple of kilometres through the rather 'down at heels' town to a recommended 'more authentic' Kyrgyz restaurant, an experience in itself.  After another comfortable night and early breakfast it was off to the border with Kazakhstan.

 

 

Kyrgyzstan is separated from Kazakhstan by high mountains. To get around them, travellers must go east to Kakara where there is a wide pass and the border crossing. Then north; then west; towards Almaty. As we were going the same direction, we didn't encounter any of the many trucks, we've previously seen, carrying Chinese electric cars across Kyrgyzstan into Kazakhstan on their way to Russia. We expected a delay but apart from a brief hitch with Wendy's passport, thanks to the immigration agent in Almaty when we first arrived, it was quite fast. Not so those coming in the opposite direction, banked up for a kilometre, waiting to cross, most on their way to spend their weekend at the lake.

 

 

 

 

Our first two days in Kazakhstan would be based at a guesthouse in Saty village. From Karakol, we drove around 250 km over some terrible roads to come here. Along the way was a rest stop at Chernyy Kan'on.

 

 

Chernyy Kan'on
 

 

Saty village itself is not particularly attractive.

 

Saty village
Top left: A typical paddock - the fences were rudimentary
and several cows were out and wandering the streets.
Top right: The local mosque
Bottom left: The main road
Bottom right: Saty Hotel (guesthouse) - comfortable

 

The rural dwellings and paddocks reminded me of Thornleigh in the 1950's. Although the cars are more modern and most substantial structure is the local mosque. All of which Thornleigh lacked. All we had, along those lines, were four or five competing Christian churches and the Astra cinema.

Kolsai Lakes National Park is on the northern slopes of the Tian Shan Mountains that form the the border with Kyrgyzstan. So, effectively, we'd driven all the way around to the other side.

Kaindy Lake (Birch Lake) is surrounded by pine forest at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level and is famous for its origin. It was formed in 1911 due to the powerful earthquake that triggered the landslide blocked the valley by the natural dam, and the water has flooded the valley. The water of the lake is very cold, that is why the needles of the flooded trees are well preserved and clearly visible through the transparent surface of the water, and dry stems of fir trees overlook the water surface, like the masts of the submarine squadron. According to the tourist authority: "It is impossible to describe in words all this mystical splendour of the lake - it is necessary to go there and see everything with own eyes." Indeed, people come here from around the world. I met a man from Kerala in India.

Getting there is another matter. It's definitely 4-wheel-drive territory ("climb every mountain, ford every stream," I hear you sing). And then that just gets you to a car park where local drivers, in environmentally friendly vehicles, take over. 

 

 

Kaindy Lake (Birch Lake)
Defiantly off-road we bounced our way up to Lake Kaindy ("birch tree lake" or 'landslide lake')
a 400-meter-long lake, formed when an earthquake caused a landslide damming the river and drowning a birch forest
The lake now reaches depths of nearly 30 meters. The popular sites are around the drowned trees.

 

 

There is then a steep hike up to the first viewing area, followed by a similar descent to water level. For the final stretch I elected to take the van but Wendy and Chynara wanted to walk. At the car park there is a pleasant coffee shop, I reckoned I had around half an hour. So, I bought a café late and took a seat. A man, seeing my hat, said, in English: "Australian".

"Yes, from Sydney," I said.
He said, "I spent a year in Melbourne", then he added, "I was flying cows from Australia to Uzbekistan."
I was amazed. He said, "Yes cost about $1,000,000 a flight. They were heifers."
Then he told me about where he'd lived in Melbourne and how he'd got on with Australian 'cowboys'. Now he works as a guide, because the cow business was ruined by Covid-19.
Anyway, I didn't know what to think - surely flying heifers would be a ridiculous way to improve a herd. Why would anyone do that?
And it was time for girls to arrive. So, I excused myself and went out to look for them when, indeed, they promptly appeared.

That was the end of that - until we were having a meal with our friend Tony, who runs cattle. I told him the story. He said, "Oh yes I know all about that I was involved at one stage".
"Flying heifers to 3rd world countries is paid for by various international welfare agencies. Most of the heifers are pregnant and they're given to rural families who can then deliver the calf, perhaps to eat, and then they have a lactating cow, that they can continue to milk indefinitely."

So, no bullshit involved!

You can learn something new every day, sometimes in the strangest places.

 

It was now Sunday afternoon and our next 'must see' location was another of the Kolsai Lakes, of which there are three, often referred to as the "Pearls of the Tian Shan", all known for their turquoise waters and surrounding alpine scenery. The lakes are located at different altitudes, with the highest at 2700 meters above sea level, and are known for their unique mountain watershed and diverse flora and fauna.

I was pretty well walked out (I've subsequently discovered that my heart valve was leaking). So, after descending from the car park, a reasonable hike, I saw the wooden steps down (and up) and noticed a nice-looking restaurant.  "Time for another cup of coffee," I thought, while Wendy and Chynara elect to go down the very long staircase to the lake. But when I went into the restaurant and asked for coffee, the person in charge told me I couldn't have coffee without a meal. But, she added, I could have an alcoholic drink if I liked. So, "Yes I have a beer," I said. She showed me to a table, near the window, where I could look at the view. A non-English-speaking waiter appeared. From the menu, I pointed to a Heineken and he soon returned, holding it like a bottle of wine. He let me read the label and then he took the cap off and poured a little into my glass. I tasted it and gave him the nod to keep pouring.

His manager had led me to understand that this table was reserved but that I could sit here until the other people arrived. After about 15 minutes they did arrive. They turned out to be English speaking Russians from Moscow. Two couples, who insisted that I stay. So, making small-talk, I mentioned that I'd been to Moscow and St Petersburg and asked them what they thought of Putin. It was like asking a Democrat in the US what they thought of Trump.  I was quite surprised that they were happy to be so outspoken to a stranger. I guess the Trump and Putin are about equally popular in their respective countries.  And I know for sure that it's not always wise to say what you think about either of them. Ask Colbert and Kimmel. But he hasn't started poisoning his opponents, yet.

 

 

Kolsai Lakes
A long way down and even further (?) back up
Middle left: Wendy and Chynara - intrepid walkers

 

The next morning at Satay we realised that this would be our last with Chynara and our driver. I never quite got his name (mumble - you) so, I won't attempt it in writing. We were to change guide and driver in Almaty.

 

Our driver, Wendy, me and Chynara about to set out on our last day together.
And our trusty go-anywhere vehicle - a Toyota Sequoia V8, large SUV
It's equipped to run on LPG that's very inexpensive here.
 

Our last stop together would be Charyn Canyons, formed mostly by tectonic forces, like the Seven Bulls (above).  The canyon consists of sedimentary rocks (subsequently eroded),  thrust up from the deep ocean over the past 45 million years and still rising. Rounded (river washed) pebbles abound.

The canyon park is roughly 154 km in length and consists of 5 different canyons: the Valley of Castles (this one), the Temirlik Canyon, the Yellow Canyon, the Red Canyon and the Bestamak Canyon.  Elsewhere in the park, the Charyn River provides rafting adventures.

People who doubt the age of the Earth should come here.

 

 

Charyn Canyons
Valley of Castles

 

 

 

Our last long drive, followed by a little bit of Georgia in Almaty that night. Very pleasant. Almaty is the most developed (wealthiest) city in this part of Central Asia.

 

 

Our last long drive, followed by a little bit of Georgia in Almaty that night

 

In Almaty we had a new guide: Sat. Our first stop was in the mountains which, Sat said, would be cooler than the 35C in town. It turned out we were going to Shymbulak, the highest ski resort the world. Three long stages to the top, where there is a glacier. Colder and colder.

 

 

Shymbulak the highest ski resort the world

 

Obviously, it's out of season but I was able to do some imaginary skiing, looking down from the lifts.  For those interested, here is the ski-map.

Descending, we drove to Panfilov Park in the midst of which is Ascension Cathedral, also known as Zenkov Cathedral, a Russian Orthodox cathedral completed in 1907 and notable for being constructed entirely of wood without the use of nails. Although, it turns out, the wooden panels are bolted together. It's one of the few Tsarist-era buildings to survive the 1911 earthquake.

During the Soviet-era, the building served as the Central State Museum of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, and its bell tower even housed Almaty's first radio transmitters. In 1995, it was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church and has since undergone reconstruction as a cathedral.

Our guide, Sat, was not into Russian churches. He was noticeably uncomfortable. He's Muslim, but not strict: "I don't pray five times a day". But here there were people praying to 'graven idols'. Not kosher nor Protestant and definitely not Muslim. They're all going to Hell.

Actually, it's a very pretty church with a couple of fine Virgin and Child icons that survived Lenin, thanks to Stalin. One of these is 'Kazanskaya', the Mother of God of Kazan. According to legend, this icon was miraculously recovered in 1579 after being lost for over 140 years. This is probably a copy after original icon was stolen and likely destroyed in 1904. Nevertheless, prayers to this one in 1812 helped Russian soldiers fend off Napoleon.

 

Zenkov Cathedral
Sat was not into Russian churches.

 

I tried to explain to Sat that the issue of icons has created more than one world-changing schism in Christianity and we should be interested in all religions as they all played a significant part in the history, without which, we three would not be here to observe them. Weird as some religious beliefs might seem to us.

I tried to use the Mormons as an example of a recently invented religion, complete with the angel Moroni, but he'd never heard of them.  Of course, Islam also posits angelic apparitions by Jibril (Gabriel), in it's foundation myth. So, I gave up.

Panfilov Park is named for the heroes of Panfilov - the Panfilov Division's Twenty-Eight Almaty Guardsmen or just the 'Twenty-Eight'. This was a group of soldiers from the Red Army's 316th Rifle Division who took part in the 1941–1942 Battle of Moscow during World War II. According to the story, all were killed in action on 16 November 1941 after destroying 18 German tanks and stopping the enemy attack; the Twenty-Eight were collectively endowed with the title Hero of the Soviet Union. Historians have since labelled the story as much needed propaganda, at the time, and a fabrication. Yet, it makes for an imposing sculpture.

 

Not the World War dates we know

 

The war memorial and eternal flame also remembers the wars of 1917-1920 and of 1941-1945.

Sat, said that it was a memorial to the two World Wars and didn't want to hear anything to the contrary. I pointed out that the first are the dates of the Russian Revolution, not World War One. WW1 started in 1914 and many Russian troops were killed right from the outset. They are not remembered here.

And the Second World War started in 1939, but then, Russia and Germany still were allies, invading Poland together in 1939. 1941 was when Hitler unexpectedly invaded Russia, bringing it onto the Allied side. Sat walked away.

Maybe he wasn't across this, what do they teach in local schools? Yet, on our way up the mountains he had been incensed about the Marxists purging the ruling elite and Muslim intellectuals to gain control of populous. I've mentioned the purging of intellectuals, and those in authority, by the Russian Empire, elsewhere on this website. Stalin wasn't the first Russian to order a purge. Mind you, back then, it was often in response to an Islamic fatwa called against them.

Sat felt that these purges had weakened the gene pool in Central Asia, reverse eugenics? 

Included in the tour was the National Musical Instruments Museum.

 

National Musical Instruments Museum
Top left: The instrument that Sat would play tonight - the Kobyz
an ancient Turkic bowed string instrument, associated with Kazakh, Karakalpak, Bashkir, and Tatar cultures,
it is considered a sacred instrument embodying the spiritual world of the nomad.

 

 

Sat is also a trainee conductor (classical) and is about to take up a scholarship in Hong Kong. He invited us to a concert that evening at which he would play a traditional Kobyz like one of those in these photos.

The Kobyz was very interesting but a bit weird, almost like some Aboriginal singing with a didgeridoo. Fortunately, most of the concert consisted of classical Baroque music for the cello, violin and archlute.  The only downside was a long explanation, before each piece, in Russian. Я не понимаю

 

Baroque String Concert
The only downside was a long explanation, before each piece, in Russian.
Click on the second photo to see and hear the videos

 

Although it was included in our tour itinerary, the Central State Museum had been closed. So we went ourselves the following day.

The Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan demonstrates a vibrant civilisation from the 11th century BCE.

 

Central State Museum
Even the ancient stone tools are sophisticated

 

 

One is free to photograph anywhere except in the Anthropology gallery with special (historical) emphasis on skull shape. These days they are into teeth.:

"Studying of ethno-odonatological aspects of Kazakhstan’s population (from the Bronze Age to the present) is one of the areas of Anthropological Research, which is carried out in the framework of the primary laboratory processing of odonatological materials, univariate and multivariate statistical analyses on these materials. On the basis of these studies comparative tables dendrograms, histograms and polygonale compiled. Cleaning, restoration, classification of teeth on quadrant, as well as statistical analysis of all the studied materials are also carried out. Along with the study of the Kazakh traditional heritage, the Center also examines the history and culture of other nationalities living in Kazakhstan. Result of this work is the exhibition “Kazakh Diaspora” in the third hall of the museum."

Some 60 different races illustrated with skull replicas, drawings and many photographs. Following Darwin, the differences in appearance and (implied) abilities are attributed to different environments and gene pools. Although it's perfectly scientific but it's very non-PC in these days of pan-humanity. Food for thought!

 

Kazakhstan has long borders with both Russia and China so they are very interested in the outcome of the Ukraine war. Tanks across the border?  The president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, likes to keep the peace.

 

Top left: The president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and diplomatic relationships
Top right: The flag and the constitution - see my earlier comments
Bottom left: 22nd annual summit of heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
held between 15 and 16 September 2022 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Schmoozing Xi and Putin, along with Modi, Erdoğan and several other dubious characters.
Bottom right: Military readiness - there was also a display of military hardware
most dating back to Soviet times. No match against China or Russia

 

 

Let's hope they don't have to fight.

 

A shopping mall in Almaty.

 

A shopping mall in Almaty. It could be any developed country in the world.

 

This is a very liveable city. We're leaving tonight with pleasant memories.

 

 

Click on the picture below to see the full Photograph Album