Gallery: Kyrgyzstan 2007

dhdphd — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 08:10:00 GMT

Prologue

dhdphd — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 01:23:00 GMT

Olga and I are going to be in a town called Uch-Kurgon (google maps will bring it up under "uch kurgon kyrgyzstan" search) where her Mom, Dad, and two younger sisters are. We haven't been back since 2005 and every day, it seems, I am consumed with thoughts of Kyrgyzstan. I'm completely enamored with this place. Many things make it this way, but mainly, there is no water source that runs into Kyrgyzstan from any other region. All water flows out of Kyrgyzstan thus making it one of the most environmentally pristine places on earth. While you may not want to drink from the lowland streams and rivers, but a short 25 minute drive will yield fresh pure mineral water. The mountains are pretty young in that they are very sharp still. The 1985 World Rock Climbing Championship was held about 25 miles from where we're staying, and since then, beaurocracy has changed so that it is harder to access the spot where it occurred. The valley is controlled militarily and to get through, you have to have all credentials on hand, as well as a sense of humor as you are expected to bribe your way into this territory. The Taliban has frequented this path en route to who knows where from Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan. There is not much in the way of terrorists in Kyrgyzstan, atleast that I've been told and experienced, but the Kyrgyz military has to do something while they're fulfilling their 4 year involuntary obligation. Everyone here is of a pretty solid mind, the terrorist organizations are probably consistent with gangs here, only operating to allow dropouts to congregate, so there's not large scale crackdown on them, per se.
Only when they put their neck out, are they quashed, which happens infrequently and does not erupt in a martyr style retribution from the organization such as al Qaeda.
          Her mom is a hospital administrator and on call doctor for appr. 10,000 villagers, while also working full time at an orphanage that is only a few blocks away from their home. Her dad is a pensioner, previously working as chief safety inspector at a local coal mine after being ousted as CEO because of his non-religious views. The muslim workforce undermined his integrity to the point where he felt it was better safe then sorry and accepted his position as inspector. He fortunately retired at 50 and has since been an avid farmer with about 5 acres of apple, cherry, currant, apricot, peach, raspberry, and strawberry plots that yield great amounts of fruit every year. He has some cows, pigs, chickens, and other small animals that they both subsist with and sell. He is a skilled meat smoker and makes some of the best smoked pork imaginable. With it as a chaser for some good ol fashion Russian vodka- we're regularly damaging our livers=) Well, not really, but it's still good when we get around to it.
          Olga's sisters, Tanya and Jenya, are both attending university in the capital, Bishkek. Jenya is 16 and Tanya is 19, making them both exciting and outgoing. When we arrive, we are staying with Tanya in Bishkek for a couple days to adjust and do some shopping. The currency exchange is phenomenally in favor of the USD. 1 USD = 38 Kyrgyz Soms. While this is so, the daily necessities are not so easily bought, for instance, a pound of apricots is about 12 soms... Her mom makes about 50 soms a day. Another reason their children are so diligent and hard working is so that they may take care of their parents' needs and allow for them to escape this economic atrocity. Tanya is finishing her junior year and Jenya is fresh into university. Olga and I have saved and scraped all of our money so that while we are there, we can take the entire family for a two week vacation at the Issyk-Kul lake... Google it. WOW!
         Well, as far as my goals while I'm there.. I am first of all helping her dad build onto their summer house, secondly, intern at the hospital where her mom works. Third, take every possible chance I can and climb something, and lastly, get this spring fever off of my back!
       Well, I hope you've enjoyed learning about her family and a little more about the Kyrgyz experience. I will keep photos on my photobucket site under the username "dhdphd" my myspace page will not be as frequently updated, but my myspace page is.. search for and add "guyinaporsche"

Gallery: Kyrgyzstan 2005

dhdphd — Fri, 1 Jul 2005 05:55:00 GMT

Our visit to Kyrygzstan in 2005

Denouement of daily life.

Gallery: Kyrgyzstan 2007

Prologue

Gallery: Kyrgyzstan 2005