A not so short work trip to Krygyzstan

I'm here in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan for a work trip!  Before leaving, Peter did all my cultural, historical, and general information research for me so it's only fair I write a little bit about it.  And a food blog, of course.

Bishkek is a very livable city and doesn't really cater to tourists.  But there are a few hostels popping up, more cafes with English speaking staff, and taxis that don't rip you off.  My favorite part of walking around Bishkek's crumbling uneven sidewalks is seeing all the Soviet style buildings surrounded by trees and parks.  There's not a lot of Soviet statues left - most of them have been replaced by Kyrgyz heros like Manas.  The man's so popular there are people who dedicate their lives to memorizing and reciting his epic

While walking around Bishkek, you'll notice the stunning mountain views in the distance.  Kyrgyzstan is 96% mountains. 

I did get to take 2 trips outside of the city.  One to Ala Archa National Park for a work excursion.  Only 1 hour there but enough to make me want to come back.

And the other to the Bird of Prey Festival, hosted by Culture-Based Tourism Kyrgyztan, near Issyk-Kul.  Issyk-Kul is the 2nd largest mountain lake at 1,607 meters and the 2nd largest saline lake in the world.  We got to see some traditional Kyrgyz dances, sports, and songs. 

We even got see the goat carcass polo game!  It's called Buzkashi or Ulak Tartysh in Kyrgyz.  It's described as goat polo but it's really not.  It's much more aggressive and there's a 65lb goat involved. Can you spot the goat-carcass?  Hint: there's no head.  Oh, and my favorite part is the super traditional game ending when they throw the sacred carcass on a car that's passing by for good luck.

  

Kyrgyzstan boasts a proud nomadic tradition and that involves living in and building yurts.  It takes approximately 1 month to make all the parts and 40 minutes to set it up.  I didn't get to sleep in one but I did get to experience what it's like filled with 40 some people eating lunch.  Oddly, not claustrophobic at all.

They even had a segment for tourists to try Kyrgyz games.  One was a competition to drink a half bottle of vodka with your 5-person team.  Somehow I don't think that was a real Kyrgyz game.  But we did get to pretend to ride donkeys, wrestle on "horses", and play one-on-one tug of war.  

-Priscilla