Birthday fun

So far, the birthday in Kyrgyzstan has been amazing. We are staying at a small yurt camp right by Issyk Kul lake, where we are the only guests and the life is relaxed and happy. It's a beautiful location, with amazing views of the lake with snow capped mountains in the distance.  Staying in a yurt was at the top of my list for this country, and we're doing it! Legit yak fur woven into felt everywhere, with a nice little skylight up top.  The last few days have been more typical of life in Kyrgyzstan, with hiking, riding horses, yurt camps and lots of shared minibus rides.  Google the country, and that's it for the country, not really the wild apple forests we spent time eating our way through.

The birthday started with a brilliant sunrise over the lake, with nary a cloud in sight, guaranteeing an excellent autumn day. Breakfast was perfect with fried eggs, a tasty tomato-cucumber salad, freshly baked bread and some strong instant coffee. Then it was off to explore the countryside and get a hike in on a day with few clouds. One shared minibus later, we were dropped off at a road to the Fairy Tale Canyon, and we set off. The colors and shapes of the rocks were amazing up there. Reds, pinks, oranges, browns, all of different shades, shining in the sun. The canyons twisted all over, up ridges, down gullies, through washes which felt like the southwest.  Wicked views of the rocks, with the bright blue lake in the background. Perfect view for a birthday hike.  Check it out:

Later it was back to camp to swim, and eat a feast of Kyrgyz food with our hosts. Life is good!   Here are more pictures of our yurt camp:

Yurts and a homemade swing!  We've got room for more guests, so come on over!

Just an average night in Kyrgyzstan on the lake