Because of the change in our itinerary, I’ve just been going with the flow, and we’ve been going hard. Up with the sun, and at it all day ’til sunset. While we’ve slowed down a bit here in Osh, the last two days have featured long drives. Fortunately, there have also been quite a number of stops along the way.
This first batch is all about a famous strong man & wrestler Kozhomkul, born in 1888, died in 1955. A huge and powerful fellow, apparently he could carry a horse, and moved some of the large stones in front of this small museum dedicated to a big man – and evidently a good guy.
In addition to the paintings and photographs of him, you can see the size of his feet, a snow leopard he captured by hand, and his pants were just one piece of his XXXXXL clothing (see pix!). There were also several other photos of his relatives, sons, and prominent men of the town. You can see the board game he liked to play, and the rocks he picked up. Note the interpretive signage…
This is a batch of random stops on a road that took us over a high pass. First, a Soviet era bridge, a stop for fermented mare’s milk and dried cheese balls, another statue of Manas, and entrance signs to a couple of the seven provinces of Kyrgyzstan. Many a glorious mountain, etc…
Our waitress at a lunch stop wanted to take some selfies with us. A furnace, and more mountains. We stopped at one of the many cemeteries along the road, and experienced a couple of reservoirs and hydroelectric dams. More statues and a herd of camels…
Just before arriving in Osh (the second largest city [southern capital]), we went to another ancient site featuring another tower we could climb – the Uzgen Minaret. There are several shots of the view from the top through the windows. Adjacent is a large mausoleum, and other archeological sites. Note the doors, windows, and ceiling selfies. We were the only ones in another small museum featuring a variety of artifacts found in the area. Don’t miss one pretty wildflower, church/mosque views, a Krygyz couple hailing a taxi, the river that flows through town, and an ice cream place near our restaurant…
Nice digs in Osh: the “Tes Hotel,” and a wonderful dinner at “Ethnic,” a restaurant near a huge park featuring a large amusement park. The next day we climbed the historic and sacred mountain of “Sulaiman-Too” – a UNESCO World Heritage site. We hiked up the mountain to the museum built within a cave inside. On our guided tour, we learned about the various peoples and religions that once inhabited the region. Again, we experienced artifacts from pre-historic shamanism, to Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and Islam. In addition to myriad archaeological artifacts, there were several dioramas…
The hike on the mountain was as entertaining as the museum. Caves and rocks to slide on, vast views of Osh, and other explorers were part of the fun. We also went to a small mosque dedicated to Babur, a descentant of Genghis Khan and Timur (Tamerlane). There, I met a new set of friends…
After hiking down the other side of the mountain, we first went to a tandoori oven maker and learned their techniques. Then, for lunch, we had some samosas made in a tandoori oven by sticking them to the sides. After that, we went to the bazaar in Osh, another vast marketplace, and again I’ve documented only some of the many shops therein, and several cute kids. Eventually, I walked along the river that goes through town back to the hotel. Check out the amusement park, some hardware products, guys hanging out, and a romantic sign (Mary Lynn are you still here?)…
Today was our last full day in Kyrgyzstan, tomorrow we cross the border into Uzbekistan, and this post is already too long. Thanks for checking it all out, stay tuned for more…