2025 The 5 Stans: Kyrgyzstan, Karakol

Waking in the yurt was cold, as the stove that had heated the space the night before was no longer burning. We dressed and headed to breakfast where warm tea awaited. The yurt camp is situated very close to Issy-Kul lake so in summers it would be a good spot for holidaying. Today not so much. It was Bob’s birthday so a good day for the first day of his 80th year. We left early to our first activity for the day - watching a demonstration of a hunting golden eagle.

Our yurt at the front in the morning. It got light around 7am

Yurt camp on Lake Issyk-kul

Birthday breakfast

Road outside the camp

Mountains in the distance

Driving by the lake

This must be holiday accom. Not like the coasts near us. Though maybe cheaper

More accommodation

In Kyrgyzstan hunting with an eagle has been happening for centuries. While it was once essential to the region’s nomadic lifestyle, these days the hunters make money by demonstrating their craft to tourists. In the past, hunters helped to feed and clothe villagers. The tradition was passed on through generations. Our man had an assistant who would have to be very fit to do his job, as he would run to the top of the hill nearby to hold the meat used in the demonstration.. We all got to hold the eagle and found it so much heavier than expected.

The eagle trainer

With our guide

With his hard working assistant

The group

We then walked in the nearby Canyon Skazka or Fairytale Canyon. This canyon has clay, rock and mineral formations that have been weathered by sun and wind to imaginative shapes in hues of red and gold. A beautiful walk.

Then into the Fairy Tale Canyon

Red clay and rock

View to the lake

Another area of natural beauty was the ’Seven Bulls’ Formation at Djety Oguz Gorge. This striking red sandstone cliff has been called so after a local legend, and the formation is the subject of many poems and paintings.

Houses near the lake

A short break

The landscape is so white

The seven bulls and Jeti Oguz Canyons

Fairytale village

We walked uphill to get a view of the surrounds

Others coming down

Icicles ready to drop

Lunch was in a very nice restaurant and Bob and another birthday person were surprised with a birthday cake. Always nice to share with a group.

Lunchtime

79th birthday cake

The snow lay thick in the area where we visited the Memorial Museum of Russian traveller and geographer NM Przhevalsky. The gardens around this aqua blue and white building were magical with their covering of snow.

Memorial Museum of NM Przhevalsky

But while the snow is pretty it has its more dangerous side. The footpaths were covered by snow and ice which was difficult to negotiate. I hated to think that after staying safe three weeks in these countries that one of us would fall and break a leg. So we very carefully continued on to two churches. The first a Dungan Mosque, built without a single nail. Twenty Chinese carvers were brought in to do the woodwork. We hadn’t heard of Dungan people before. The second was like a fairytale castle, the very pretty Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Karakol.

The Dungan Mosque

Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Cathedral

We had seen a lot that day so it was good to get to our hotel and let it all sink in.