The Simple Life

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To be exhilarated by the fresh air and refreshed by the sweet water of the mountains,
to be woken up by a brisk morning walk or relaxed by evening saunter on the grassy alpine meadows,
To be thrilled by the snow in the winter and elated by wildflowers in spring,
To crave for a simple life in the wilderness....

When I spotted this herd lazily grazing by the rolling summer meadows in the heart of the breathtaking mountainous terrain of Kyrgyzstan, I craved for the simple life these herders had. Tough though it may be, this simple life seemed so much more fulfilling. I guess grass in always greener on the other side.

What do you crave for in your ideal 'simple life'?

At Bashi

Kyrgyzstan

Refuge in the mountains

Out in the middle of a green valley in the western Tien Shan mountains lies a stone refuge. At 3200m, this seemingly desolate refuge is miles away from the nearest village, with nothing but tall treeless mountains with grassy slopes all around. The setting is remarkably beautiful, but for what purpose was this built? Why does it have 31 rooms, with many hidden passageways? And why was it so far away from anything? Mysteries abound this stone refuge, the Tash Rabat Caravanserai.

I had heard about this place during my initial research into Kyrgyzstan. My interest was piqued by the fact that it was a caravanserai that was not built along any major caravan route. But being so far off from the main cities, I had put off visiting this attraction. Thankfully, not only did I get an opportunity to visit, I also got to spend a night by one of the yurts next door.

Despite the half-moon, the clear night sky, bereft of any haze thanks to being at 3200m, afforded a great opportunity to capture some star trains. I set up on a nearby hill, and with an entire retinue of herding animals to provide company: galloping horses, barking dogs, and grazing cattle wandered all over, but thankfully never knocked my tripod. 15 exposures and 90 minutes later, I ended up with this star trails image over Tash Rabat

Tash Rabat Caravanserai
Naryn Kyrgyzstan