Kyrgyzstan Winter Activities

I'm sure you've asked yourself, "What is there to do in Kyrgyzstan when not dodging ethnic violence or falling governments?" Well, let me take you on this pictorial journey of Kyrgyzstan's wintertime activities.

Horses are the beloved animal of the Kyrgyz people, which they love with all their soul, then eat them when they're dead. Try the Besh Barmack, but steer clear of the fermented mare's milk and horse sausage (not quite as gross as it sounds, but still...)

There's plenty of opportunity for horseback riding around Kyrgyzstan. The Kyrgyz have benefited greatly from realizing that horses are more than a mode of transportation, and give them a new way to collect foreigners' money, who otherwise ride in cars.

Adi couldn't have been happier to ride horses, and it could not have been harder to persuade her away from them after our $5/hour ride was over.

Ollie and I took up snowboarding this winter. As it turns out, like most things in Kyrgyzstan, it costs about $5, which eliminated any excuses I could have otherwise ginned up to no give it a try.

Needless to say, Ollie was vastly superior to me. I made it down the hill twice (once by walking/sliding half the way down), and Ollie continued throughout the day, to include throwing a fit when it was time to leave. The fit, of course, was immediately followed by a deep slumber during the two-hour car ride home.