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After
the very long bus ride yesterday we were exhausted, but after a good
night's sleep in good beds we rose to blue skies, pleasant
temperatures
and a good breakfast (including forks and lovely china). On our bus ride
today we will travel through the Dolon Pass
which is the
highest point (3030 m.) on the Naryn-Issyk Kul road. We stop along the
way to visit a family, housed in yurts and
tending their animals.
The friendly welcome of these people is remarkable. We were a curiosity
to the children and Ze performed her magic Polareid
images to give to them.
The
Kyrgyz have had their nomadic and agricultural way of life disturbed many
times in the past by invasions of
neighboring countries. Kyrgyzstan
history relates the use of the mountainous terrain as hiding places from
conquerors,
therefore sending the angry invaders through the country
searching for other conquests. Influence from other countries was
probably most pronounced during the Soviet annexation in 1864. The Kyrgyz
way of life was transformed into a subserviance
for such an extended
period of time that when they were able to obtain independence in 1991,
they have struggled to regain
their self-governance and representation of
the Kyrgyz standards. Because of their natural resources they will
continue to be
of interest to the world and its needs.
Some
observations along today's journey are the constant passing of trucks
loaded with scrap metal and destined for China.
And, while passing
colonies of yurts the blue bottles on display that contain kumiss (fermented
mare's milk) for sale. Meli
explains the bottles originally contained
cooking oil as part of aid from the U.S. They are getting a second chance
as
containers for a more locally traditional use.
On our
stop for lunch we enjoyed a great salad; soup; rice, meat and egg dish,
and we topped it off with an ice cream bar.
We
drove on to a resort on Issyk Kul Lake. We were tired, however, those
that had made a reservation for a massage
looked totally relaxed. Of
course, those of us who chose to just sit and have a glass of wine, also
enjoyed the unscheduled time.
Dinner
was good, with bread, tea, meat on the bone, mashed potatoes and tomato
and dessert.
After
this long, but interesting day, we all went to bed early because tomorrow
we will leave before breakfast.
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