Jump to content

Kyrgyzstan


Recommended Posts

Hello all!  I've been lurking on this forum for awhile now but finally registered once I realized I now visit it every day.  I've definitely been enjoying all the photos posted here and I wanted to share my own (I shared these elsewhere but no longer visit that place as much).  I used to shoot Nikon but before this adventure I sold my D700 and all my lenses, I now shoot with an X-E2 and a variety of lenses.

 

2 years ago my wife and I applied for the Peace Corps.  It took 18 months but in April, 2014 we finally were on a plane and headed to our new home, Kyrgyzstan.  The last two months have been a crazy whirlwind of travel, language learning, awkward moments and a lot of fun.  Now I'm at my permanent site and plan on updating this thread over the next two years with photos.  For more photos and stories, you can follow us on our blog at http://www.ericandtaylor.com.  On each photo I'll also link it to the blog post that tells more about what was going on at the time.

 

Some of these photos will be snapshots but hopefully help tell part of the story.  Others will hopefully be decent shots.  I'm hoping to have more free time here than I did in the states to really work on my skills.  With that said, here's a few shots of what's happened so far:

 

1) Leaving Portland, OR.  Part of what I loved so much about living in the Northwest are the volcanoes.  I love hiking, backpacking and climbing, these volcanoes shape the landscape of the PNW.  I expect this to be my last glimpse of these for at least two years.

 

DSCF6530-XL.jpg

 

 

 

2) Washington D.C.  It seemed fitting that our staging would be in our nation's capitol.  It had been a long time since I'd been here. I forgot how beautiful and impactful the city can be.  It's hard not to feel patriotic walking around.

 

DSCF6545-XL.jpg

 

 

3) Turkey.  This is a country I badly want to visit however we only got to stop over in the airport this time.  Good news is it's close and hopefully during our service we'll get to vacation here.  Next stop, Krgyzstan.

 

DSCF6595-XL.jpg

 

 

 

4) We arrived to Kyrgyzstan in the early hours of the morning, before the sun had risen.  After 3 hours in the bus we took a break from driving and had our first look at one of many mountain ranges in this small country.

 

DSCF6617-XL.jpg

 

 

 

5) Our first few days in country were spent at one of the nicer hotels on the shore of Issyk Kul lake.  Wanting to ease us into the country gradually, Peace Corps chose to let us stay at this nice hotel on the shore of a huge lake with snow-capped mountains on all sides.  Not a bad way to start.

 

DSCF6638-XL.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

6)  After Orientation we settled into temporary home in a village outside the capitol.  Village life was pretty awesome.  These cows walk themselves home every night at 6:30, splitting off one-by-one as they reach their home.

DSCF7012-Edit-XL.jpg

 

 

7) Most nights we go to the schoolyard and play with the kids.  This kid would hang on me everyime we went.

DSCF7015-XL.jpg

 

 

8) Our host mother making manta, a meat-filled, steamed pastry

DSCF7077-XL.jpg

 

 

9) Finally we got a chance to go on our first hike.  This is the view from the first range of foothills South of our village.

Panorama1-XL.jpg

 

 

10)  These odd plants covered one hillside we hiked through.  Cool to look at, but the the copious amounts of spider webs strung between them made walking through them somewhat miserable.

DSCF7292-Edit-XL.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

11) Especially in the village, a lot of our time was spent playing with the kids and teaching them American games.

DSCF7432-XL.jpg

 

 

12) Every PC site around the world has a 'Culture Day,' this is one event from ours

DSCF7936-XL.jpg

 

 

13) Most dogs are treated poorly here.  Our family got this little guy, hopefully he has a better life

DSCF8029-XL.jpg

 

 

14) This photo is from our Swearing-In day, these are official (USSR-looking) Peace Corps Kyrgyz Republic IDs

DSCF8187-XL.jpg

 

 

15)  The US Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan gave a speech during our Swearing-In Ceremony

DSCF8207-XL.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

16)  A street in Balykchy, Kyrgyzstan, our new hometown.  It rarely rains here but is surrounded by mountains and the sky often has these crazy looking clouds although it rarely rains.

DSCF8255-Edit-XL.jpg

 

 

 

17) Some parts of Balykchy look like this, with rocky streets.  Others have newer, paved streets.  One thing that is all over Kyrgyzstan are the piles of concrete like in the lower left.

DSCF8256-Edit-XL.jpg

 

 

 

18) My wife helps our family prepare strawberries to make jam with the family.

DSCF8260-XL.jpg

 

 

 

19) Balykchy is an interesting city.  Once a booming industrial town thanks to a steady influx of money and work from Moscow, it has had trouble finding itself now.  Parts of the city are beautiful and promising, this photo shows the other side.  DSCF8274-Edit-XL.jpg

 

 

 

20)  Sheep are a large part of Kyrgyzstan life.  It's the predominant protein source here and you see them everywhere.  Sheep are almost always killed by families, there is not large, industrial farming like you will see in the US.

DSCF8304-XL.jpg

 

 

 

21)  There is a specific method to butcher a sheep or any other animal here.  One of the last steps is burning the hair off the head and hooves.  The head is the favorite part of the animal for many Kyrgyz men.

DSCF8335-XL.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Have fun. It's a great adventure. Good on you for adopting one of the local dogs. We did this when we were in Albania and we're looking for another one now in Manila. They're great dogs. Make time to take plenty of pictures. Every time I leave a place I always wish I'd taken more.

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

Thanks a lot for sharingy your story and pictures.
I wish you and your wife a good time there and may you bring peace to the people you meet.

 

Thanks!

Have fun. It's a great adventure. Good on you for adopting one of the local dogs. We did this when we were in Albania and we're looking for another one now in Manila. They're great dogs. Make time to take plenty of pictures. Every time I leave a place I always wish I'd taken more.

Well... the dog picture was actually from last year, and didn't make it.  They told us not to get attached to animals here...

 

More photos, as always, click on any photo for more photos & stories from the area.
 
22) A great hangout spot I go to with my little brother
DSCF8423-Edit-2-XL.jpg
 
 
23) I haven't had a chance to capture it well yet but the night skies here are incredible
DSCF8511-XL.jpg
 
 
24) We had a chance to explore the Altyn Arashan Valley with it's beautiful views and hot springs
DSCF8714_5_6-XL.jpg
 
 
25) With an organization I'm working with we took a trip to Karkara valley which forms the North-Eastern border of Kyrgyzstan.  To the left of the valley is Kazakhstan, the right, Kyrgyzstan.
DSCF8851-XL.jpg
 
 
26) The inside of a yurt with an elaborate & delicious spread of food.
DSCF8864-XL.jpg
 
 
27) One of the many endless and beautiful valleys in Kyrgyzstan.  
DSCF8993_4_5-XL.jpg
Link to post
Share on other sites

28)  Summer camps are a big part of most Peace Corps posts, Kyrgyz Republic is no different.  Many summer camps are held around the country, some are just for kids to have fun and learn about America.  Others tack difficult or culturally sensitive topics such as Bride-Knapping, safe sex and healthy relationships.

DSCF9220-XL.jpg

 

 

29) Dodgeball was the favorite activity at summer camp

DSCF9682-XL.jpg

 

 

30)  The weather in Kyrgyzstan is very dynamic.  Most evenings in summer we could see lightning somewhere around the lake.  Next summer I hope to capture some great shots from it.

DSCF0026-Edit-XL.jpg

 

 

31)  Not a well-known fact to visitors here but Kyrgyzstan does have a single train line.  It only goes from Bishkek to Balykchy and it takes nearly 5 hours (double a taxi) to do so.  But, it is safe, comfortable and very cheap.  Perfect for a Peace Corps volunteer!

DSCF0298-XL.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

Thanks!

Well... the dog picture was actually from last year, and didn't make it.  They told us not to get attached to animals here...

 

 

Sorry to hear that. Yes, they told us that too. We ignored them.

Link to post
Share on other sites

32)  The beautiful Ala Archa valley.  This is the only true National Park in Kyrgyzstan (others are listed as such but aren't really the same designation.)  Located just 30 minutes from the capital, this is the most popular hiking/climbing destination in the country.

 

DSCF0936_7_8-XL.jpg

 

 

33)  I loved how this tent looked with such a striking background.  Keep walking this direction and you end up in a giant bowl with endless climbing and trekking opportunities.

 

DSCF0973-XL.jpg

 

 

34)  As you approach the climbing hut in Ala Archa you reach a zone where the wildflowers cease and the glaciers begin.  The difference is striking.

 

DSCF0910-XL.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Posts

    • Some elements in (autofocus) lenses are „floating“, so I guess what you are experiencing is normal.
    • How do I turn off the electronic shutter in the menu - the option is grayed out and I cannot select the mechanical option
    • I'm having trouble finding a way to attach a right-angle viewfinder to the Fuji X-H1 camera. Does anyone have experience with how the angle viewfinder behaves in combination with the EVF? Is the Minolta frame diameter of the right angle viewfinder suitable for attaching to the Fuji XH1 (or XT1, 2, 3, 5)? Does anyone have knowledge about which eyepiece is compatible with the Fuji X system? Thank you in advance for any assistance and information you can provide.    
    • I purchased a gently used XF 80mm f/2.8 aspherical macro for my X-T5. Not being familiar with this lens but having had experience with the Leica T mount 60mm macro and Canon and Zeiss macros, I was surprised that I felt what might be best described as a loose lens element that shifted when I tilted the lens, even before being mounted to the camera. In manual focus mode, the lens is fine, but there is a distinct “wobble” when the lens is in autofocus mode. I reported this to the company (I bought it from KEH), and they agreed this was odd and accepted it back for a full refund. I just got a replacement lens and the same thing is happening. I’ve never had an experience in which I feel a lens element loose inside the housing. Is this normal? Should I return it (again)?
    • Old post but hope this can help. You have to make sure that exp. comp. is set to zero in P, S or A mode before you go in to manual mode. If the comp is set to, let say +5, and this is of the range for the settings in manual mode, twisting the comp dial (left dial) want do any changes. 
×
×
  • Create New...