Some photos from my final dip in Kyrgyzstan’s famous “warm” (but actually frigid most of the time, nippy on the best days) lake, Issyk Kul. I’m getting a bit emotional thinking about it. It wasn’t a trip I was most excited to take. It was peak season, we were going without the most solid reservations …
Tag Archives: Issyk Kul
taking the train to Issyk Kul
This is an experience that seems to make it around the various expat circles. Let’s take the train to Issyk Kul! My first reaction to hearing it was something like, really? You can do that? I just finished reading The Great Railway Bazaar and, influenced by the book, I imagined the train to Issyk Kul …
the weird mural in Issyk Kul
This mural has become something of a legend in my mind. My former Belgian housemate first told me about it a few years ago after he drove past it and snapped a photo. “Have you heard about the painting with the big, pink dragon attacking the White House?” Uhh, no. No, I haven’t. Can you …
a perfect weekend in Tamga
There were several factors that made this possibly one of the best trips to Issyk Kul that I’ve ever had. First, wonderful company. Daniel was prepared for anything, and he had a car, and he’s a very laid-back, awesome guy. When the apartment we rented didn’t have sugar, he had sugar (a necessity for my …
taking Win to Karakol
Karakol is another one of those places that strikes me as being “must-see” in Kyrgyzstan. It’s one of the bigger and fairly well-known sites, especially by those who have experienced a Kyrgyzstan winter. Why? Because although Karakol doesn’t seem like much in the warmer months (maybe some good hiking? I’m a terrible tour guide), but …
Tips for photographing from a car
(Nowhere near as exciting as my last post of photo tips, but more practical, perhaps?) I like to think I’ve picked up some skills in taking acceptable photographs from a moving vehicle, considering that Kyrgyzstan is so vast that I’ve found myself zooming past some amazing landscapes for five or more hours at a time. …
a weekend on the south shore
I only traveled to Issyk Kul once last summer, so I’m attempting to get myself out there a few more times this season. A few weekends ago some friends and I traveled to the south shore for a relaxing weekend in Tamga and Kagy Sai.
Kyrgyz Music Friday
Kyrgyz Music Friday is a weekly feature in which I post a pop music video from an artist in Kyrgyzstan. It could be catchy, annoying, funny, insightful, brilliant, awful, or anything in between. It’s what’s playing on the radio, what all the cool kids are listening to these days. Kyrgyz Music Friday is not trying …
Circling Issyk-Kul
A few photos from a business trip to Issyk Kul in July. (You can read more about the purpose of the trip on the Oxus website.) Unfortunately, there was no frolicking in the lake during this trip. Most of my time was spent in a car, driving the entire circumference of the lake, or quietly …
going to Issyk Kul
After an uneventful weekend of lounging in my pool, baking a cake, and calling around to get the Oxus International summer intern out of custody from the Karabalta police station (what? I’ll explain below), the whole office is heading to Karakol (and nearby villages) for a few days to conduct some research and workshops. Hopefully …