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June, 2025 Update
Jun. 30th, 2025 04:31 amJune is the first month of the long summer holiday. The daily rhythm changes without the routine of planning lessons and club activities. It is a time to further explore this beautiful country, to read, and try new hobbies. I like to read 'old school'--books with real pages to turn, not electronic versions. This means that my reading is limited to the (English) books that I can find here, either in the Peace Corps Resource Room, the American Corner libraries located in the oblast capitals or even some hostels have a collection of books that travelers have passed along. But, I always have a book at hand....My new hobby is nature painting with watercolors. I am fortunate that there are many tutorials on the internet to help me learn...
The month started with me in Bishkek, attending a concert that my Kyrgyz friend was a participant. I sat with the family and felt blessed to have been invited...Then I went out to Karakol, in the eastern part of the country, on the far shore of the huge lake, IssyKol. I went kayaking with some Russian friends (a 5th generation Russian!). I really like Karakol--there is a lot to do there, the weather is good, nice shopping. The only problem is that Kyrgyz, the language I am trying my hardest to learn, is rarely spoken here. Russian is spoken everywhere in the country, but this area seems to be more heavily Russian.
Last week, a group of Kyrgyz people traveled to my village from Bishkek for a 'weekend getaway', as the capital is miserably hot in the summer. This made me feel very blessed to spend my time in the cooler mountains rather than suffer in the heat. I know that it has also been very hot at home, so I am blessed to be here. Anyway, this group had a seat available in their fancy van, so they invited me to accompany them on a hike at a place called Ak Kol (White Lake). This place was 1.5 hours west of me, an absolutely beautiful spot. We hiked around the lake, maybe 4-5 miles, with not much elevation change. A few of the participants included me in their group--they enjoyed practicing their English with me.
I also participated in a hike with a group of students in an English Club in Naryn City. This was to a National Park that was nearby. The organizer did a nice job arranging a scavenger hunt for the kids. So life is quieter in the summer, but very enjoyable...
The month started with me in Bishkek, attending a concert that my Kyrgyz friend was a participant. I sat with the family and felt blessed to have been invited...Then I went out to Karakol, in the eastern part of the country, on the far shore of the huge lake, IssyKol. I went kayaking with some Russian friends (a 5th generation Russian!). I really like Karakol--there is a lot to do there, the weather is good, nice shopping. The only problem is that Kyrgyz, the language I am trying my hardest to learn, is rarely spoken here. Russian is spoken everywhere in the country, but this area seems to be more heavily Russian.
Last week, a group of Kyrgyz people traveled to my village from Bishkek for a 'weekend getaway', as the capital is miserably hot in the summer. This made me feel very blessed to spend my time in the cooler mountains rather than suffer in the heat. I know that it has also been very hot at home, so I am blessed to be here. Anyway, this group had a seat available in their fancy van, so they invited me to accompany them on a hike at a place called Ak Kol (White Lake). This place was 1.5 hours west of me, an absolutely beautiful spot. We hiked around the lake, maybe 4-5 miles, with not much elevation change. A few of the participants included me in their group--they enjoyed practicing their English with me.
I also participated in a hike with a group of students in an English Club in Naryn City. This was to a National Park that was nearby. The organizer did a nice job arranging a scavenger hunt for the kids. So life is quieter in the summer, but very enjoyable...
