Braiding a screen

Granddaughter

On the road

Bokonbayevo

Village in northern Naryn

Homestay hospitality

Bokonbayevo

Villager herding his sheep

Villager

Typical village architecture

Villager

Issy-Kul Lake

The mountains on the northern side of the lake peek through the clouds. Since there is no outflow, evaporation leaves behind mineral salts in the lake water, a purported source of healing. The water tastes slightly salty.

Native vegetation

Turkish cemetery

near Issy-Kul

Lake Issy-Kul

Access road to Fairy Tale Canyon

Fairy Tale Canyon

Poisonous plant

Fairy Tale Canyon

On the road to Barskoon

Russian cosmonaut and first-man-in-space Yuri Gargarin

He is said to have visited here after his historic space flight. Memorial is carved out of native rock.

Near Barskoon

A Canadian gold mining company is building an access highway through the mountains.

Wild horses

A common sight along roads

Ak Orgo yurt-building workshop

How you tie a knot is important

Mekenbek, founder of Ak Orgo

Mekenbek has devoted his life to producing traditional Kyrgyz crafts. He founded the workshop to preserve them while providing employment opportunities for Barskoon, a community with 80% unemployment.

Eager students

Erecting a yurt

Traditional felt making

Zenkov Cathedral, Russian Orthodox

Constructed of wood without any nails

Parish children

Kryzyg family exiting Nikolai Przhevalsky Museum

Krakol