Update 3: Issyk-Kul, Ala kachuu, and the Epic of Manas
Issyk-Kul, Ala kachuu, and the Epic of Manas At last a more photo heavy update! Bishkek as a city has its merits, but at times I have struggled to find its more photogenic parts. This update picks up after our midterm week, thus the longer break between posts. On Wednesday, we packed up and headed off on a strenuous, albeit rewarding, trip to Issyk Kul. With some 118 rivers inlets, Issyk Kul is the second largest mountainous lake in the world. Without a single outlet, the lake is also saline. Issyk Kul has been a vital area for humanity for thousands of years. Long before the nomadic Kyrgyz people settled in the region, Issyk Kul was home to vast ancient cities. While the cities have since disappeared (most under the lake after a large earthquake), Scythian burial mounds still dot the landscape. During the heyday of the Great Silk Road, Issyk Kul was a vital meeting point for human civilization. Perhaps it was too important a meeting point, as in 2022 scientists were ...