SONG KUL
We took a rough drive up to Lake Song Kul, a 10,000ft summer pasturearea with yurt camps ringing a cold lake, which is in the slow processof becoming a giant meadow. Needless to say it was pretty picturesque,although it was surprisingly cold--40s with wind chill, which scotchedthe idea of bathing in the lake (our Naryn hotel had run out ofwater). We arranged to stay in on of the yurts and were brought tea,potatos, beef, cucumbers, bread, fresh butter and dumplings forvarious meals by the two very green-eyed daughters. This familytended to us well, although not very excitedly. We were basically justanother part of their herd--eighty sheep, fourty cows, twenty horses,and two Americans. Most people in Kyrgystan, by the way, are almost100% Asian looking, with wide, jowly faces.
On the way to Song Kul
Up into the mountains
A lonely camel
There was no running water or electricity, so everyone went to bed ataround 7:30 when the sun went down. The women set up futon beds bypiling six heavy duvet blankets together, closed the sheepskin flap onthe cieling, blew out the candles, and left us lying in the completedark, about as comfortable as I've ever been.
Escaping the cold in the middle of the day
Dinner in the yurtKOCHKOR
Town of Kochkor
Cemetery outside Kochkor
Mountains around Kochkor
Horsepath up to the summer pasture
He's got the right idea
Glacier
Kochkor, where we arrived after a memorable (and cold) yurt stay by Lake Song Kul, was an average Kyrgyz town (dusty, run down, surrounded by immense, beautiful mountains) and we spent our day there hiking into the mountain range to within sight of some glaciers and chatted with several herdsmen on horseback who seemed to think us odd for going up those mountains on foot without bringing any animals or koumiss.
Town of Kochkor
Cemetery outside Kochkor
Mountains around Kochkor
Horsepath up to the summer pasture
He's got the right idea
Glacier
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