Loving Kyrgyzstan

Life is golden in Kyrgyzstan. Eliza, Ania and I have been out west in the small town of Arslanbob exploring the wild apple forests.  So glad that Eliza asked me if I wanted to travel with her Kyrgyzstan to taste apples and study how they grow. Been wicked to learn both about apples and the culture here. Such a nice mix of western and Asian cultures. It's great to have kids walk by and say hello, and then bye bye. That's all they know and they say it, don't hassle us or ask for money. Just smiling and waving. 

The trip to Arslanbob from the capital, Bishkek, was stunning. Two mountain passes, valleys filled with yurts and small villages, people selling horse milk and dried cheese balls on the side of the road and a beautiful, turquoise lake surrounded by rolling hills. It took 10 hours in a shared taxi with 3 locals and a baby. This is how you travel in Kyrgyzstan, where the roads are windy, slow and beautiful. No rush over here. We did see two bad wrecks on the roads and drive through a tunnel with no ventilation that was mighty polluted, but otherwise it was all good. 

Each day we set off to explore apple forests in a new part of town. They grow all over, as this is the origin of the apple. Such a variety of tastes and trees, even if they are right next to each other. There is also the worlds largest walnut forest, numerous pear trees, berry bushes and cherry plums all over. Getting loads of fiber!

We try every apple tree we see, by shaking the tree and taking a bite out of the apple. They are normally pretty small crab apples, and can be any color, although the majority are green. The higher up we go, they are sweeter on average. Lots of different tastes out there, some good and some horrible. We've been collecting seeds of the unique apples, which could be a different flavor (fried chicken or mandarin), unique growing capabilities (in all rocks or mixed with cherry trees) or solid rootstock. Eliza will grow them back in the US and then graft them together with domestic apples. Be on the lookout for Kyrgyzstani apples in 10 years or so!

Our homestay has been great and our Dutch friends, Domingo and Carina joined us here for a few nights. The family doesn't speak that much English so sometimes the food is slightly different than we thought, but still with good flavors.

Things are organized through the CBT (Community Based Tourism) which directly supports the community. All homestays are run through them as we'll as the guides. They rent out equipment as well and offer advice on the area. It's a great, trusted source that is local, fun and friendly. I like this much better than supporting outsiders who are more about making money than keeping it local. Great people here in Arslanbob.