7/12
We began our morning with a walk in Tamga Village where we stayed, and had a tour of part of an old Soviet era military sanatorium. It was built here in 1932 to help soldiers and then cosmonauts recover, relax and rehabilitate. It is largely not used by the Kyrgyz government, but part has become a museum that apparently no one goes to. I found it fascinating to see the Soviet style long walkways, buildings, and the old parquet floor where the museum is now but once was sort of like a “club” for music, watching cinema, etc.
Once a statue of Lenin was here.
Where the museum is now but was once a type of “club” hangout for the sanatorium.
Note the parquet floor. There are only two of these in all of the sanatorium buildings because they were expensive.
This entry area into the vast sanatorium was quite interesting.
These steps were built by hand with no tools by Japanese POWs at the end and just after WWII. They go from the sanatorium down close to the lake.
Yuri Gagarin famously was here a couple of times. In the one photo you can see some of the interesting treatments given. This location was one of a few around the USSR and was chosen because of its location by the huge lake, the beautiful mountains and gorges, and hot springs.
We drove down by the lake and put our feet in this “warm” lake. It is not warm but could definitely be swam in, which is popular on the north side with Sandy beaches. We were on the south side.
My friend Melanie from Brooklyn is a lot of fun and an excellent photographer.
Sea buckthorn is a tart berry that is used for a variety of things from tea to preserves and soap. This was by the lake. I had some of the tea and preserves. Quite good and unusual. Apparently it has a lot of health benefits.
A drive to a nearby village of Baraskan brought us to Ak-Orgo Workshop Center in e observed how traditional yurts are built. You can see the various stages of making a yurt, and we were allowed to help. I helped out with a couple of poles and tied them in place with basic half hitches. In 2003 this gentleman who owns it went to Jackson Hole and made two yurts for small private school. He showed me some photos so I need to look into this.
(Christy Walton?)
This gentleman was brilliant and has won international awards for his yurts. He also has invented better ways to make carpets faster, but still by hand. He even makes musical instruments and plays them expertly! We satisfied ourselves with a fabulous lunch prepared by his sweet daughter-in-law and listened to him play.
We then drove to Karakol, Kyrgyzstan's fourth largest city, located on the scenic Lake Issyk-Kul. We wandered a fascinating museum dedicated to the Russian explorer Nikolai Przhevalsky. The museum offers insight into his life and travels and displays some of the flora and fauna species endemic to the area. We also stopped at the Russian Holy Trinity Orthodox Church and pagoda-style Dungan Mosque, built by Chinese Muslims in the early 20th century. Afterward, we had time to do laundry and relax before meeting for dinner where we went to a Uihgyer home for delicious hand made noodles, and meet filled pastry pockets and the usual variety of delicious vegetables.
The Russian explorer and his Kyrgyz guide.
The Russian Orthodox Church above once looked like this. It was built in 1906 out guide said.
Dinner at a Uyghur home. Delicious!
A memorable day in beautiful Kyrgyzstan!
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