The Kyrgyz Outlands
The vast outlands of Kyrgyztan look like no man's land, where vast summer meadows stretch to the horizon, demarcated by rugged snow-capped peaks in every direction. This tiny landlocked country at the confluence of 158 mountain ranges, has many such vast high altitude regions that ought to be devoid of human
life, and yet it thrives here. Every few miles on the freshly paved tarmac, one can encounter a tiny nomadic village in the summer, replete with a few yurts, dozens of heads of cattle, the free-spirited Kyrgyz horses, and a beaten up pickup or two.
These nomadic herders move with the season, leading their cattle to their favored grazing grounds across the vast hinterlands of this Central Asian nation, seemingly oblivious of the natural beauty of this timeless landscape and slice of humanity that the photographer in my finds endearing. It is this juxtaposition of the fragile human life against the harshness of the outlands that draws me to come back again to this beautiful country.
Chatyr Kol
Naryn Province, Kyrgyzstan
Portals
The darvaza, or a doorway, signifies many things in many cultures, ranging from the metaphysical separation of the death from life, to the more mundane indoors from the outdoors. As a photographer, perhaps the appeal lies in its ability to frame the organic shapes and colors of the outdoor with a well-defined man-made structure.
I collated three such doorways from different parts of the world: the doorway of an outer portico for the Taj Mahal-inspired Bibi ka Maqbara in India, an arched window in the kasbah in Chefchaouen in Morocco, and the stone-hewed entrance of an old caravanserai on the Silk Road in Kyrgyzstan. Each are different, and yet, they share the intrinsic property that is common for a darvaza.
Home is where you are
The concept of a domicile and a permanent abode is a strong fixture for the modern community. It anchors our present-day lives, and with the pandemic moving most work to home, the importance of the place of residence is higher than ever before.
That led me to wonder about the nomadic lives that many communities around the world practice, including the famous Bedouin tribes of Middle East, the Mongol tribes in Mongolia, Saami tribes in Scandinavia and numerous more in Africa and South America. And then there are also the digital nomads who work and live on the move, relying on modern technology to keep connected to society.
The nomadic herders I stayed with in Kyrgyzstan are certainly not digital nomads. Their calendar revolves with the seasons of the year, bring their herds of cattle and horses up to the high altitude meadows (jailoos) in early summer. They move and stay with the herd for half the year, in white yurts that pop up on the green landscape, and only move back down when winter calls and the weather turns harsh. A few of these herders set up additional yurts and welcome tourists to spend a day and experience the nomadic life of these herders. Modern technology has certainly eased some of the challenges and brought more income, but has not changed their lifestyle. I hope this tradition continues to thrive.
Tash Rabat Caravanserai
At Bashy district, Kyrgyzstan
From Earth to Sky
The recent news of the turmoil in Kyrgyztan, a land-locked country in the heart of Central Asia, nestled in by the towering Tien Shan mountains, was heartbreaking. Protests and riots have erupted around the ongoing political unrest regarding the elections. This crisis, coupled with the economic impacts from the pandemic, has proved to be devastating for this nation.
It feels like a different era compared to the time I visited the beautiful countryside inhabited by nomadic herders and sparsely populated towns and villages. I still remember standing in awe admiring the snow-capped peaks of the Tien Shan range reaching for the azure skies.
I do hope that, for the sake of the amazing people I met in Kyrgyzstan, that things return to normalcy.
Arslanbob
Kyrgyzstan
Junebug
Eons ago, when I first stepped foot in the US after having lived in a tropical country close to the equator, I was astonished to find the sun shining brightly at 8pm. While many take the long halcyon summer days for granted in the Northern hemisphere, it was a bewildering surprise for me when 6am and 6pm used to mark the boundaries of day and night through the year.
Now, even after almost spending 4 summers in the Pacific Northwest, the 15 hour days still seem a shocker every time summer rolls around. However, for the most part, they make up for the short dreary days of winter. Furthermore, these long days are perfect for traveling, as you seemingly get more time to explore.
As I sit home-bound this June, here are a few memories from the past taken in the long halcyon summer days from around the world.
The Wilds of Central Asia
Descending down on that bumpy dirt road into a vast green valley dominated by a single glistening deep blue lake was an experience I'll never forget even though it was almost 3 years ago. Lacking any trees or vegetation except grass and ground-hugging wildflowers, the seemingly endless green meadow ringed by snow-capped peaks in the horizon had no sense of scale.
Soon after we arrived, the clouds started to coalesce together, a foreboding sign of a thunderstorm. Soon thereafter, the thunderhead towered over the lake and the distant mountains even while sun shined brightly. Nevertheless, it was time to head back to the safety of the yurt.
Eventually, the thunderhead did disappear, but not before unleashing a torrential downpour on this fragile landscape in the heart of Kyrgyzstan.
Songkol
Kyrgyzstan
The Morning After
The thunderstorm had reverberated through the yurt that stormy night. And high up in the windswept plateau at 3000m in the heart of the Tien Shan mountains, the sheepskin rugs outside the yurt had been the only protection against the raging weather. I had forced myself to sleep in the thin air of these mighty mountains that ran along the spine of Kyrgyzstan.
After that restless sleep, I had hoped that the morning sky would be more forgiving. And when I had stepped out, the sky had redeemed itself. The sun had just cleared the eastern horizon, and the overcast weather from the prior evening was replaced with a clear sky dotted with puffy clouds. Across the deep blue lake, the snow-capped peaks rose to meet the fleeting clouds. In the distance, I spotted a row of yurts belonging to another tourist camp nestled at the base of the hills.
I watched as the light slowly transitioned from hues of deep pink to bright orange, and life slowly started seeping into the tourist camp I was staying in. Soon, it would be time for breakfast, and it would be time to step away from the freezing cold and pack my gear. But I didn't want that moment to arrive.
Songkol
Kyrgyzstan
To the Mountains
Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity - John Muir
Two years ago, to the day, I found myself staring at the end of a long dirt road weaving by a gushing creek of ice-cold melt-water. Silver-capped mountains gleamed in the distance. My destination for that night was somewhere there, deep amidst the towering peaks in a beautiful valley pine forests, vast open meadows and lush green hills.
That excitement and giddiness of hauling all my clothing and gear up into the mountains apart, it made me wonder why I made the decision of heading to this mountainous heartland of Central Asia. I already knew the answer: I love being amidst the mountains. And that was why I was relocating back to the west coast after that trip, where mountains are not just a dot on a landscape, but a region with innumerable nooks and crannies waiting to be explored and photographed.
I could not think of a better place to enjoy my last few days in this amazing country, for in going to the mountains, I was going home.
Altyn Arashan
Kyrgyzstan
It's a wonderful world
I love the mountains
I love the clear blue skies
I love the landscapes
I love when great whites fly
I love the whole world
And all its sights and sounds
…
Boom de yada, boom de yada
Boom de yada, boom de yada
…
Its a wonderful world out there, full of new surprises around every corner, and full of new adventures every day. And unless you go seek those adventures, you never get to experience the magic the world has to offer!
Songkol
Naryn Kyrgyzstan