Tales of Tall Towers, Yurts and Eagles!

The view from on top of the tower

Day 17: It is still cold, so my hiking trip was postponed. With the weekend free, I decided to take a guided trip to Issyk Kyl Lake, the world’s second-largest alpine lake. Because it never freezes, it is considered a “warm lake.” Nearly everyone I’ve met has suggested I visit the lake and surrounding area.

I was very fortunate my guide to Ala Archa, Alex, was able to arrange a trip on short notice. He couldn’t take me, so he sent his friend Bakyt, who is from Kyrgyzstan. Because it is a long (three- to- four-hour) trip, they arranged a few stops to break up the drive.
First, we visited Burana Tower, a minaret with religious and military significance from the Ninth to 11th centuries. Around the tower is an open-air museum with grave markers, petroglyphs, and stone tools from the area and time when the tower was prominent.


The integrity of the stones and tower were impressive given the age. Views from the top of the tower are beautiful, but the stairs are very steep and narrow. On the way back to the car, I stopped to listen to a mountain stream. One of my favorite things about this area is how many streams there are running through the mountains and city.

Next, we stopped for lunch at an area with a few roadside restaurants. After walking through several to talk to the cooks, Bakyt chose a table outside because they had the food he wanted me to try ready.

There were several stoves in front of the restaurants and Bakyt explained they were all making tea. We had a special bread made only in the area of Kyrgyzstan near Konchorek Canyon. We dipped the warm, buttery bread in a fresh cream mixture as we ate. I’m growing accustomed to eating from a shared plate, but Bakyt made a special request for an extra plate for me this meal. Around me, everyone else ate from shared plates or from a napkin. All the tables had baskets of boiled eggs in the middle. I had one with my bread and tea, making the perfect lunch before hiking.

While we ate, a large group came looking for tables. One of the men had a bottle of vodka and box of juice. Bakyt said they were headed to a party, and I gathered this was their “pre-party.” The tables were full, so the men sat on the floor at one table and the women at another tall table. They were boisterous, fun and I heard “American” several times. Bakyt helped us share a few words.

After lunch, we headed to Konchorek Canyon/Boom Gorge. The area was very different from Ala-Archa National Park, arid with dry brush on the trails. We walked along a mostly dry river bed much of the way. There were a few places we needed to climb to stay on the path, so I was grateful to have an experienced guide.

Bakyt is the only person I’ve hiked with that likes to keep a fast pace, which I prefer. Bakyt said it is typically a three-hour hike, but we finished in two. Though we walked briskly, there was plenty of time to take pictures of the beautiful red rock formations along the way. We were lucky the weather had warmed up and we had a beautiful, sunny day for hiking. We saw no other hikers, so it was very relaxing. It felt good to be moving briskly after sitting at a computer most of the week.

The drive to Issyk Kul Lake felt short after our hike. Little did I know we had a long way ahead to reach our accommodations for the night. We had a beautiful drive along the lake for about an hour. The pastures were full of cows, horses, sheep, and even one camel. The drive was slow in places as Bakyt navigated pot holes and animals in the road.

Eventually, we turned off the main road to meet the owner of the home where we would stay. It was growing dark and the home is in a remote area of the mountains that is difficult to find if you are not from the area. We left Bakyt’s car at a farm near the main road and rode the rest of the way with the Aitbek, the home owner. We had another half hour on a country dirt road driving 2-3 mph to avoid ruts and rocks.

The “guest house” where I stayed was the family home. Aitbek and his family moved out of their room for Bakyt, and I shared the living room with Anja, who was on volunteer work exchange from Poland. The family has a Yurt Camp on their property, but it is closed for the winter. The Yurt Camp has shower and bathroom (with Western toilet!), but it is also closed since the pipes can’t withstand the cold. I was told we would “use nature” instead.

The home itself has no indoor plumbing and is heated with a coal stove in the main room. The other rooms do not have heat, but have thick walls. Just outside the front door is a sink with mirror and grooming supplies. The water is heated on the stove and poured into a reservoir for hand washing and grooming.

When we arrived, the women were making beshbarmek, the traditional noodle dish with horsemeat I’ve had a few times. I was hungry and happy to help prepare the dish. Dinner was a traditional meal of horse meat, beshbarmak, salads, and breads. It was served in the family room where it was warm with seating on chairs and the floor surrounding a coffee table. It was a true family meal with grandma, both parents and two children inviting me, Bakyt and Anja to eat with them. The men were working to put the animals away, so they joined us after the meal had begun. Most of the conversation was in Kyrgyz, with Bakyt translating to English only when the family wanted to share information with me. It was a long meal (an hour and a half), and I was getting tired, especially since I could not engage in conversation. Afterward, I offered to help clean, but the hosts declined.

I sat with Grandma watching the Kyrgyz version of American Idol. Bakyt found it funny that she knew every modern pop star when he quizzed her. Around 10, I headed for bed in the VERY cold room I was sharing with Anja. I put on every piece of clothing I had with me and even with 2 pairs of socks needed to wrap a scarf around my feet. The bedding was more comfortable than in my apartment, and I shed some layers as I warmed up. Because there was no indoor bathroom, I was careful to have only a little tea with dinner.

 Even so, by 4:30 a.m. I had to make a trip outside. It was pitch black in the house, and I couldn’t find my phone to light the way, but I was able to make it out without waking anyone. When I opened the door to the clearest night I have ever seen, it felt like a gift rather than a burden to use the restroom outside. The stars were so bright and felt so close it was like I could touch them. It didn’t even feel that could when surrounded by such beauty. I wish I’d had my phone to attempt a picture, but I’m sure it wouldn’t capture what I was seeing.

Day 18: The next morning, I woke with the animals. I could hear the cows and another loud persistent sound that I guessed to be eagles. It was very cold, so I kept on the clothes I slept in and added some layers.

Breakfast was eggs, horse
meat, breads, jams, and some of the fruits and nuts from the night before. It was nice that we all ate together again. After breakfast, the Aitbek changed to traditional dress to show us how he trains his eagles for hunting. I was disappointed I missed the show they put on for tourists the night before, but this was much better! He and his son, Saladin, went out to prepare the animals for training.

Aitbek is a fourth generation eagle hunter, and Saladin is the fifth generation of his family learning the tradition. With Saladin on horseback and his father carrying the eagle, we walked away from the farm so the eagle would not be tempted to attack the domestic animals. The eagle’s eyes were covered to save his energy for hunting. I was surprised at how loud and insistent the eagle’s vocalizations were. The hunter explained that for the first five years eagles call for their mothers, even if they are in the wild. He also explained that eagles are either incubated, hatched and trained from birth, or captured in the wild and trained for hunting. A good eagle, with a brave heart will hunt for 10-15 years before being released. They can live many more years, the hunter said up to age 50.

Most hunting eagles are female as they are bigger and more aggressive hunters than male eagles. As the bird trained, it was apparent he had a strong bond with the hunter. Training included being placed on a rock and coming when called, attacking a fox pelt drug behind a horse, and hunting a live rabbit.

Training only takes place when the eagle needs to eat, and if the eagle eats a whole rabbit it will not eat again for three days. The eagle is trained to guard the prey until the hunter gives a command to release it or eat. While I didn’t love watching a rabbit killed, I appreciate it is a natural food chain and the training allows the family to keep an important tradition alive for future generations.

I observed a strong connection and between the eagle and hunter, as well as respect for all the animals. After training, I got to hold the eagle and found it to be quite heavy (10-13 pounds). We took turns holding the eagle and taking pictures. All this took place with a stunning backdrop of snowy mountains and Issyk Kul Lake in the distance.

After eagle training, I sat with grandma as we waited to return to town. Because of my background in therapy, people often ask me health questions. I noticed the night before Grandma was short of breath and had a deep cough. She has symptoms of COPD or emphysema and seems very uncomfortable at times. Through Bakyt and Anja we talked about some treatments available in the United States. There is very little access to health care in the remote villages, so it makes me sad that grandma is uncomfortable and her health is unlikely to improve.

Aitbek drove us to pick up Bakyt’s car. Anja, Saladin and his falcon rode with us. Aitbek and Saladin said eagle and falcon hunting help keep things interesting during the long winter. Saladin’s falcon had been captured just 10 days before and was already calm for the drive and quite well trained for hunting.

Our next stop was to visit a yurt builder. His work area was all outdoors and he showed me the equipment and process for creating the yurt’s wood frame. He steams the wood in a long metal container so it is pliable, then bends it into shape. He then shaves the bark to clean it and paints it red. Traditionally they used the red earth to color the wood, but now the wood is painted.

He also showed me how cow hide connects the wood to create the accordion framework for the yurt’s perimeter. He builds the frame, but relies on another craftsman for the handmade felt. He had a couple of examples of wool felt for me to feel. Inside, his wife demonstrated how to weave the bands that bind and decorate the yurt. She used a traditional loom to create a decorative interior band. She was also very patient to teach me the art.

It took us about 20 minutes to weave 3 inches of the band. Though I know she is much quicker alone, she must spend as much time weaving as her husband does creating the frame. There were 2 stacks of yurt bands/trim each about 3-4 feet high for one yurt, and she wasn’t done! I also got to help strap together the frame of a yurt replica they use to educate guests. Though I was a bit disappointed I didn’t get to see a full-size yurt, I was impressed with the time and skill invested in creating one. After the demonstration, Bakyt needed directions to the lake, and the yurt builder drew the best route on the dirt road. No internet or cell connection for Google Maps here!

We had a brief stop to the lake to take some pictures. The water felt like it was in the low 60’s and was very calm. I would love to swim in it! The air temperature was still chilly (40s-50s), so I would need some warm clothes and a hot drink when I got out. Maybe next time!

 Issyk Kul apples are known to be the best Kyrgyzstan, so Bakyt stopped to buy some for his family. I took a few pictures of the typical homes, barns and animals while he was making his purchase. The area is very pretty. We resumed our trip home and I took a few pictures of the pastures filled with cows, horses, sheep, and even a camel.

   Again, we ran into many animals in the road making our return through the country slow. When we reached the highway, it still felt slow as Bakyt carefully obeyed the speed limit. There were a lot of police along the way flagging down motorists and issuing tickets. Bakyt made a comment that he wouldn’t mind if the money went to the government, but he didn’t appreciate the luxury cars and large homes of the police. He is not the first to imply corruption in the government.

About halfway, we stopped for lunch at a modern roadside cafeteria. Bakyt pointed out a separate room for drivers who get free meals when they stop with tour groups. I noticed this is one of the few places with a ramp for accessibility, but it is very steep and would still be a challenge for people with mobility challenges. Of course, I took a picture for my OT colleagues.

 After lunch we still had a long drive, so I dozed a bit. I woke up when we checked the tires. Fortunately, no problems on the way back to Bishkek. I’m glad I woke up because our drive took us along the Kazakhstan border. I was able to see two check points for border crossing, and barbed wire along the river that divides the two countries. As we neared Bishkek, the first thing I could see were the large smokestacks of an energy plant. This is the first time I noticed the pollution as the view of the mountains was hazy from the smoke.

I was happy to return to my apartment for internet and a nice warm shower. I was especially proud to conquer the washing machine. After a fun weekend, I am ready to get back to work.