Kyrgyz (Kirghiz?) Journal

[David Morris]

from
http://www.lonelyplanet.com.au/dest/cas/kyr.htm

DESTINATION KYRGYZSTAN

What Kyrgyzstan lacks in gracious buildings and fancy cakes, it more than 
makes up for with nomadic traditions such as laid-back hospitality, a 
healthy distrust of authority and a fondness for drinking fermented mare's 
milk. Many travellers find Kyrgyzstan the most appealing, accessible and 
welcoming of the Central Asian republics, particularly as it contains the 
central Tian Shan and Pamir Alay ranges, Central Asia's finest mountains.

In 1991, the collapse of the Soviet Union left this tiny, under-equipped 
republic out on a limb, seemingly without the resources to survive on its 
own. So far it's getting by on pluck, a liberal agenda and goodwill from 
Western donor countries. It's doing more than any Central Asian republic to 
encourage tourism and streamline bureaucratic procedures for visitors - 
partly because tourism is one of the few things it has to sell to the 
outside world.

The downside is that away from Bishkek, Issyk-Kul and parts of the Tian 
Shan, tourist infrastructure is minimal or wretched, transport is limited, 
fuel overpriced, roads unpoliced and there is a growing crime rate, fuelled 
by alcohol and desperate poverty. There's a great temptation to hop off the 
bus in the middle of nowhere and hike into the hills but, except in the few 
places mentioned below, this is not recommended if you value your life.



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